DeSimone (2002) suggested that illegal drug taking can affect a person physically, psychologically and socially. He states that the physical effects are the most important as drugs can seriously damage ones health, and even cause death. Drug abuse effects the nervous system, which can cause alterations in body movements, loss of appetite, depression and even causes mood to drastically change. The psychological effect of drug taking can formulate relaxation, however it increases anxiety and paranoia. It also affects a persons self esteem. Although a drug taker believes to feel a sense of importance and self-worth when taking the drugs, however when the drug isn’t there to fulfil that need, the person then needs that drug in order for them to feel worthy again. The social aspect of a persons drug taking is also an issue in relation to the impact it can have on a persons life choices and social acceptance. Excessive drug abuse can lead to unemployment and then forcing people into a life of crime. In order for a drug taker to continue to take drugs, they need to find money in order for them to afford to buy the drugs, inevitably resulting in theft and other crimes to support their drug taking. (Bean, 2004).
Cadoret et al (1998) studied drug and alcohol abuse in relation to family background. Alcohol abuse, drug abuse and antisocial personality were correlated with biological and environmental factors. Three etiologic relationships with drug abuse were found: drug abuse was highly correlated with antisocial personality, which in turn was predicted from antisocial biological background; a biological background of alcohol problems predicted increased drug and alcohol abuse for young adults in the family. Environmental factors of divorce and disturbance in the family were associated with increased drug abuse too.
Drawing on cocaine as an example for determining the effects of drug abuse on behaviour we can formulate what a drug such as cocaine is able to do to a person and the effects of taking such a drug. Cocaine is a widely used drug amongst drug abusers, and is thought of as a ‘psychomotor stimulant’ similar to amphetamines and cathinone (North, 1992).
Cocaine effects are extremely detrimental on the body and the consequences related to cocaine effects can eventually lead to permanent damage, addiction and even death. While each person who uses this drug reacts to it differently, there are two distinct categories of cocaine effects: short-term effects; such as increased energy, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate, high blood pressure and even nausea, and the long-term effects include; addiction, paranoia, irritability, restlessness, auditory hallucinations and mood disturbances. With continued use, many cocaine addicts develop a higher tolerance for the drug over time. Addicts are also said to "chase the high"; meaning they continue to use cocaine to seek the feeling they felt the first time they used it. For people addicted to cocaine and the effects of cocaine, this high will never again be felt in the same way, and this addiction can lead to poor health and even death.
These studies suggest that illegal drugs affect not only an individual’s health, but it also has a huge ‘negative’ impact on their mental state, the environment that surrounds them and their social life.
Aims
The aim of this study is to gain an insight into why individuals take drugs and to look at the contributing factors. It will also seek to gain a clear understanding of the impact it has on them physically, mentally and socially in relation to their life and experiences.
Method
A sample of 3 individuals took part in this study. Two of whom were continuous drug takers and 1 who was still a drug taker but is currently undergoing measures in order to overcome their habit. Purposive sampling was used in this study to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of drug taking on drug takers. It was felt that 3 people would provide varied and detailed accounts for the purpose of this study.
Participants were asked to take part in an in depth interview, of which was semi structured. The interviews were carried out in the homes of the participants, which lasted for around 30 minutes for each participant. All interviews were recorded, with permission from the participants. Participants were each given a debriefing sheet and a consent form of which they signed to agree to take part in the study before they took part in the interviews in acknowledgement that they fully understood what the study entailed. With complete confidentiality in mind, participants were asked to write their initials only; they were also instructed that they had the option to withdraw from the study at any time.
In dealing with this sensitive topic, it was paramount that the researcher was fully informed of the types of issues that may or may not surface, so as to be prepared. It was paramount that participants were on the agenda throughout the interview process, and that previous psychological stress was on the agenda; therefore questions were approached with extreme care and sensitivity, consistently showing support and non-judgement of the participant.
Results
In the analysis of the data gathered four main categories were identified and labelled: Ambition, Engaging Drugs, Dependency and Consequences.
Ambition
All individuals seek to achieve in life, however some are more unfortunate than other in that people don’t get to achieve them for various reasons. From interviews it was apparent that individuals strived to fit in and to be ‘normal’. In that they wanted a job, house and prospects. They want respect from others and when these aspirations are unattainable, thus they seek to find them in other circles. I.e. people in the same position as they are. Conformity is a main issue in terms of ambition, as individuals it appeared, aspired to those of whom showed them the attention they were lacking from other areas.
Engaging Drugs
The reason for which individuals engage in drugs was found to have been the result of not being able to compete with ‘normal’ members of society. Not being treated with respect, being looked down upon, unable to achieve the things in life that others are achieving. The outcome was that people engage in drugs in order to seek inclusion, to feel wanted within a certain setting. Peers pressure, lack of confidence, pleasure and to block out feelings of negative emotion.
Dependency
This was the reason for which drug takers continued to take drugs once they had started, in relation to withdrawal symptoms, routine and contentment the need to feel better within themselves and happier. The drastic change of moods
Consequences
The impact of taking drugs was shown to lower self esteem, whilst giving people a false sense of confidence whilst taking the drug, however when their were no drugs to be taken the effect was that it lowered confidence even further. Lack of motivation became apparent as well as poor health. An impact that did occur was that another consequence to taking drugs was that of drug dependency. The need for more drugs lead drug takers to continue taking drugs and to continue the cycle of effects.
Figure 1. Description of main categories and descriptive categories.
ENGAGING DRUGS
Feeling of Isolation
Lack of Achievement
Guilt
Unemployment
Peer Pressure
Negative emotions
Confidence
Pleasure
DEPENDENCY
Continuous Drug Abuse
Withdrawals
Routine
Mood Alteration
Illness
Contentment
CONSEQUENCES
Low Self Esteem
Inferiority
Lack of Motivation
Poor Health
Paranoia/Depression
Leads to Dependency
Financial Decline
Need for Monetary Resources
AMBITION
‘Be Normal’ – Admiration
Social Support
Unattainable
Sense of Importance
Conformity
Discussion
The aim of this study was to explore the factors of which contribute to a person’s drug taking and the impact it has on them and their life experiences. The sample in this qualitative study consisted of a strategically selected group of individuals of which had experienced taking drugs and are currently or have previously undergone measures to prohibit their drug taking behaviour. Thus, our results only describe the contributions and influences of the participants that took part.
The findings illustrate a continuous cycle of which, once an individual enters into this cycle it can become seemingly difficult to break out of it. Prolonged facilitation would and is needed in order for individuals to break free from the threat of drug taking behaviour. This is supported by the opinion of Anitei (2007) when describing the difficulties of breaking away from drug abuse the further addicted a person becomes.
The individuals that took part in the study all knew that drug taking was in fact illegal and morally wrong, only other factors were much stronger in relation supporting the drug abuse or rather leading them to take the illegal drug to begin with, such as peer pressure, negative emotions, confidence and even pleasure. These overriding factors are what lead the interviewers to take the illegal substance to begin with, suggesting that these individuals have low self-esteem and low self control to begin with.
When the illegal substance then becomes dependant, it was apparent that this would be the point where individuals would then continue to keep taking drugs as a result of poor health, or withdrawal from the illegal substances. The drugs would at this point be needed for the individual to enable them to feel ‘normal’ again, or rather to point of them not feeling unwell. Another thing that was found throughout the analysis process is that feeling of contentment for the drug abusers. The feeling of satisfaction in relation to health, support from those of whom were drug takers and the feeling or the sensation they obtained from taking the illegal substance.
Once dependency was the controlling factor for a drug taker, they began to feel the impact or rather consequences of their actions. In relation to low self-esteem, this was extremely evident in terms of the effects of drug taking. Other impacts of drug abuse where revealed to be Inferiority of social elements such as going outside, socialising typically with members of society of who don’t take drugs, and inferiority of being shamed. The drug takers confirmed also a lack of poor health, paranoia and depression through not having anything else to do, and not having things to look forward to. An element of financial decline was amongst the factors involved with dependency, in that because they depended on the drugs, they needed the monetary researches to fund the drug taking habit.
The results in all illustrate that there are numerous factors that encourage the use of drug taking, despite the illegalities and the dangers involved. The subjects who took part in this study confirmed the factors that involved them or rather encouraged them into the life of drug taking. They authenticate that it has had a huge impact on the way that they live their lives and the lengths they have to go in order to ‘survive’ and to uphold the habit they possess. They demonstrate that this is the only thing they know, they have entered into a lifestyle that they struggle to keep up with and even struggle to get out of. There drug taking has become a part of there lives, and has been for so long that they now take drugs just as part of a routine, for the simple fact of just feeling better, since their bodies have adapted to the drug taking as being the ‘norm’, and they would struggle to live without them.
References
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