Anxiety and Drug Abuse

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Bright Stars

Some students start using drugs when they experience anxiety. They need to understand that anxiety is a normal and natural physiological response to a threatening situation. The situation could be actual or perceived. In either case it triggers the Fight or Flight response. The Fight or Flight Response is your body's automatic, inborn response that protects your survival. It prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from any real or perceived threat to your survival. When the fight or flight response occurs, it stimulates an area of your brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus prepares your body for fighting or running. It does this by flooding your brain with chemicals such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. This process creates physical reactions.

If you lead a very stressful life, your sympathetic nervous system may be sending you “false alarms” much of the time. For example, your fight or flight response may be activated when your teacher gives you an assignment with a tight deadline and you have stage phobia. You are frightened of your presentation. In such situation the body interprets it as a “threat” and flight or fight response is activated. When the fight or flight response occurs you might experience a few of the following symptoms: rapid heartbeat, dizziness, muscle tension, numbness, sweating, shortness of breath, nausea or abdominal distress, trembling or shaking. Anxiety usually follows a vicious cycle that consists of five stages: Trigger, Fight or Flight, Internalizing, Assuming the Worst, and Intensification of Symptoms. The first stage of the vicious cycle involves a trigger. A trigger could be a lack of sleep because you were preparing for your assignment and you were conscious of your performance. As a result of the trigger, your body moves into the second stage. It activates the fight or flight reaction. This produces physical reactions such as faster breathing, sweating, and so on. At the third stage, you internalize your physical reactions. You make the reaction “mean something” about you. “What’s wrong with me? Why are my muscles so tense? I shouldn’t be feeling this tense.” That’s internalizing. It moves to the fourth stage. It assumes the worst. You may think, “I must be having a heart attack! What am I going to do?”
You go on to fifth stage there is an intensification of symptoms. You will find it harder to breathe, plus you start to experience additional symptoms.

Comments

The Holistic Diva said…
I do think anxiety plays a major role in teen drug use. Schools need to focus on reducing the pressure these young people feel in their lives. The pressure to succeed in academics is excessive.
May 14, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Mahmooda Aftab said…
yes mostly students srart using drugs because of perfomance anxiety and their main drug of choice is anti anxiety drugs or alcohol. in the long run some of them jump on to hard drugs. Some students take stimulants to keep them awake till late at night for their studies. Ecstasy is becoming a popular drug amongst young students that is due to peer pressure. parents need to know about all the factors, which can lead a child towards drug abuse so as to help them prevent from drug abuse or substance abuse.
May 14, 2009 at 7:02 PM
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