Substance Use and Addiction

Did you know?

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a chronic brain disease that affects the brain’s reward, pleasure, memory, and motivation. Essentially, addiction causes a person to rely on a substance to receive pleasure from the brain in the form of dopamine; they keep using it to continue to receive these rewards. Addiction does not happen in a single day, there are stages that a person passes through on the path towards addiction.

Stages to addiction

Initial use
- Initial use is usually a benign use of a substance, sometimes legal and sometimes not, that many people engage in. Sometimes initial use is a form of socializing, a way to cope, or a means of altering ones state of mind. Initial use doesn’t always lead to addiction, but it can if a person has a number of risk factors. Risk factors include a family history of substance abuse, neglect or abuse, chaotic living environment, relationships that are okay with substance use, and mental health issues such as depression.
Abuse
- This stage begins when a person is using the substance inappropriately on a recurring basis. This can be any way that is harmful such as taking a painkiller at a higher dose than advised or drinking more frequently. Abuse can typically be spotted when the social aspect of using is gone and a person is only using for the effects of the substance.
Tolerance
- After a long period of time, a person who has been abusing a substance begins to need more of it to reach the same high as when they first started. This means they increase the dosage and/or frequency of use. Tolerance continues to increase with prolonged use. This shows the brain has changed in response to the drug, and this leads to dependence.
Dependence
- This is when a person no longer feels pleasure in life without the drug. Their body may also have negative physical reactions to the absence of the drug; this is known as withdrawal.
Addiction
- Addiction is defined in the DSM-5 as any use that is negatively impacting a person’s life such as using more than initially planned, being unable to stop, relationship problems, spending time seeking out the substance, craving, developing a tolerance, and feeling withdrawal symptoms.
Relapse
- This happens when a person tries to stop using the substance and goes back to using it. Relapse can be seen best through the addiction cycle.

Addiction Cycle

GA Amnesty Laws

In the state of Georgia, you can be exempt from being prosecuted for a drug violation or offense if you are seeking medical help for yourself or someone else. This means, if you see someone who is in danger of overdosing, you can call for help without fear of getting into trouble yourself! Read more here.

Organizations Focused on Overdose Prevention in Georgia

Naloxone Resources in Georgia

How do you know if it’s an addiction?

Have you felt like you need to cut down on drinking or drug use?

Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking or drug use?

Has drinking or other drug use caused problems in your social or work life?

Have you been arrested or had other legal problems related to alcohol or substance use?

When drinking or using drugs or other substances, are you more likely to do something you wouldn't normally do? These things include breaking the law, breaking rules, selling things that are important to you, engaging in unprotected sex and more.

When you think about stopping the use of alcohol or a substance, do you consider that you may need help coping with withdrawal symptoms?

Answering yes to any or all of these questions may indicate an addiction to a substance, it may be time to reach out for assistance.

Signs and Symptoms of Withdrawal

Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal without medical supervision.

When you attempt to stop using alcohol or a substance, do you experience any of the following physical and mental symptoms?

Sweating
Racing Heart
Tremors
Insomnia
Vomiting/Nausea
Hallucinations
Anxiety
Seizures

Withdrawal can be dangerous or life threatening without medical supervision.

Local Events

First Fridays - Concert on the Square: Fly Betty Band, Atlanta's Favorite Party Band
August 5, 2022
7:00pm - 10:00pm
Historic Gainesville Square

Food Truck Friday
August 12, 2022
5:00pm - 9:00pm with Live Music 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Lake Lanier Olympic Park
3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30506

Georgia Cross Stitchers
Hall County Library System, Downtown Gainesville
August 13, 2022
10:00am - 4:30pm
127 Main Street NW, Gainesville, GA 30501

Bobbin Lace Crafting - Hall County Library System, Downtown Gainesville
August 20, 2022
127 Main Street NW
All day
Gainesville, GA 30501

August 2022