Addiction, physical

The reasons Strike wrote this book. The reasons you re reading this book. Ecstasy is the most benign drug Strike has ever encountered. It is passive yet powerful. By powerful Strike does not mean that it incapacitates or makes one dangerous. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. Its power is in its ability to evoke a total sensory bath of tactile, visual and mental enhancement. One s perception is perfectly clear. Hallucinations are nonexistent. The feeling one has is, literally, ecstasy. Plus, it is one of the few narcotics in the world that is not physically addictive. Why this substance was taken away from the people is a question that only government-funded scientists can answer. 

It has been found empirically that central analgesics that possess some degree of activity as antagonists of the effects of morphine tend to show a reduced propensity for causing physical addiction. Again empirically, it was noted that this could often be achieved by replacement of the N-methyl group by allyl, cyclopropylmethyl, or cyclobutylmethyl additional nuclear modifications often contributed to this activity. 

In overdose, ketamine may lead to hyperthermia, seizures, hypertensive crisis, coma, and even death. These symptoms are generally thought to be caused by ketamine s catecholaminergic effects (Reich and Silvay 1989). Ketamine is physically addicting, with a described withdrawal syndrome. 

Coca-cola got its name from the coca leaf extract which it contained (as did a variety of wines) until 1904. Neither tolerance nor physical addiction to cocaine seem to occur, so sniffing it occasionally should be quite safe. 

LSD continues to be used today by a relatively small number of users. The drug is not physically addictive, although tolerance develops, requiring increasing doses to achieve the desired effects. The physical effects of the drug itself usually do not cause much problem, but the psychotic-like behavior it can induce can lead to self-destructive behavior, such as jumping out a window or into traffic. Users can also experience recurrent hallucinations ( flash backs ) even after discontinuing use. 

Life has described marijuana as "a mild euphoric drug," adding "Pot is not physically addicting, nor need it lead to crime, immorality, or stronger drugs."... 

Detoxification may occur in a hospital, or treatment may be given on an outpatient basis. Counseling is also part of the treatment regimen. After the person is successfully treated for physical addiction, he or she must follow through with psychological rehabilitation. 

GHB is also addictive. Regular, daily use of GHB can cause physical dependency with harsh withdrawal symptoms. At four to six average doses per week, people report finding that they need to increase their dose to get the same level of intoxication. Many subsequently report that they need a little GHB just to feel normal. With very heavy use (one or more doses per day), many people report very serious physical addiction. Stopping cold turkey results in anxiety, inability to sleep, and feeling like the heart is arrhythmic (irregular). 

Sympathomimetics can be physically addictive and should not be prescribed to people with a history of drug abuse. A person may develop a tolerance to the drug and attempt to increase the dosage. The person may develop intoxication symptoms such as insomnia and severe skin diseases. 

Though ketamine is still not thought to be physically addictive, dependence on the drug can be developed quickly in some people. Individuals can be so... 

DEPENDENCE A psychological compulsion to use a drug that is not linked to physical addiction. 

People that use meperidine for acute pain, such as after an injury, typically do not have long enough exposure to develop tolerance and addiction. People with chronic pain, however, may develop some tolerance and physical addiction in the sense that, if they stop the drug, their pain returns. Only rarely, though, do people using opioids long-term for legitimate medical reasons devel-... 

People who have become physically addicted to Rohypnol should not try to stop taking the drug on then-own. Rather, they need qualified medical help to wean themselves from the drug. 

Researchers use equipment like this oscilloscope, which can measure levels of various neurotransmitters in the brain, in an attempt to understand the mechanisms of addiction better. While physical addiction does not appear to be a risk with marijuana use, psychological dependence on marijuana is a risk factor in its use. 

As with the barbiturates, development of tolerance is another problem. This means that the user must take more and more of the drug to get the same psychological effects. Physical addiction occurs more easily than experts believed when the BZDs were introduced, even when low doses are taken as prescribed for a year. 

Comprehensive investigations of these substances have long ago proven beyond doubt that psilocybin, mescaline and LSD are not physically addictive, nor do they cause withdrawal S5Tnptoms of any kind. Repeated self-experimentation over long periods of time is rare most long-term users eventually reduce frequency of use due to the nature of these substances that initiate powerful transpersonal processes and facilitate the emergence of personal conflicts. Besides, habitual daily users quickly develop tolerance to the point of being unable to experience any psychoactive effects at all. That is why clinical trials are spaced to allow for intervals of at least one week between repeated applications. 

Nicotine induces physical dependence. In 1988, the U.S. Surgeon General s Office issued a report with the conclusion that nicotine is a physically addicting drug. 

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