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Is Caffeine The Most Addictive Drug

Most Addictive Drugs List

Caffeine – The Drug Most People Are Addicted To – by Dr Sam Robbins

The technical definition of a drug is any chemical substance that affects the central nervous system. Determining the most addictive drugs has been a challenge for researchers and results have been controversial throughout the years. Additionally agreeing on a proper definition for addiction and criteria by which it can be measured is somewhat difficult.

The number one most harmful drug seems to be alcohol as measured by cumulative societal damages, but the most addictive drug is relatively unclear. Most sources suggest heroin, while others suggest that nicotine, crystal meth, and crack may be just as, if not more addictive. In the early 2000s, researcher named David Nutt from Londons Imperial College came up with an idea to study the harm from drugs, in which he also examined addictive properties.

He compared addictive properties of various drugs by measuring ratings of: pleasure, psychological dependence, and physical dependence. These ratings were measured on a scale of 0 to 3 . He then took an average of the pleasure, psychological, and physical dependence scores and came up with a mean composite score for each of the 20 drugs.

How Long Does It Take To Get Addicted To A Drug

The length of time that it may take to get addicted to drugs really depends on the type of drug the person is taking. But there are other factors that can have an influence on it as well. A person who has a history of addiction to other substances or even behaviors is likely to get addicted much faster than someone who has never used a drug before.

Some drugs can cause quicker addictions than others. For example, there are experts who believe that a person can get addicted to crack cocaine after just one or two uses of the drug. Conversely, there are those who may take a highly addictive drug for a long period of time and never get addicted at all.

Addiction is very personal and everyone responds differently to substance abuse. The best plan is to not put yourself in a position where you could form a dependence on anything.

Caffeine Myth No : Caffeine Is Likely To Cause Insomnia

Your body quickly absorbs caffeine. But it also gets rid of it quickly. Processed mainly through the liver, some caffeine does stick around in the body for several hours. But for most people, a cup of coffee or two in the morning won’t interfere with sleep at night.

Consuming caffeine later in the day, however, can interfere with sleep. If you’re like most people, your sleep won’t be affected if you don’t consume caffeine at least six hours before going to bed. Your sensitivity may vary, though, depending on your metabolism and the amount of caffeine you regularly get. People who are more sensitive may not only experience insomnia but also have caffeine side effects of nervousness and gastrointestinal upset.

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The Risks Of Alcohol Abuse

This addictive substance also has an effect on the receptors and neurotransmitters in the brain. While suppressing the nervous system, alcohol entices a feel-good sensation, enhancing mood, and lowering inhibitions. However, the main reason for its effectiveness is due to hindering the speed at which the nerves receive vital information.

The slowing of the central nervous system will cause both lower blood pressure and heart rate. This gives the illusion of suppressing unwanted emotions or psychological illness like PTSD or bipolar disorder, that cause anxiety. While doing so however, motor skills and perception are also skewed. Along with sedating impulse control, many under the influence engage in risky or life-threatening behaviors with devastating consequences.

Caffeine Addiction And Abuse

Caffeine Addiction: How to Know if You Are Addicted to ...

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How Much Caffeine Is Too Much

The amount of caffeine a product contains is not listed on the food label. If there were any dangers to consuming too much caffeine the law would require that the amount be listed, right? Unfortunately, this is a case in which the law hasn’t caught up with reality.

We are consuming more caffeine than ever and the number of products that contain caffeine continues to grow. It used to be that coffee, tea, and cola were the only places where we got our caffeine. Now it’s in supplements, medications, gum, candy, and energy drinks. People are reaching for their jolt of caffeine like they used to reach for their cigarette. We all eventually learned the truth about cigarettes and we are slowly learning the truth about excess amounts of caffeine.

The DSM-IV lists caffeine intoxication as a clinical syndrome. Caffeine intoxication is described by the following: recent consumption of caffeine and five or more symptoms that develop during, or shortly after, caffeine use including restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, diuresis, and gastrointestinal complaints. People who do not consume caffeine regularly have a higher risk of this, but anyone who consumed more then what their body is used to or can handle is at risk.

Methamphetamine: The Ultimate Destructive Stimulant

Quite possibly the most addictive drug created and distributed illegally is methamphetamine. Its street tag, meth, is lab-engineered, as opposed to altered or grown. The man-made, highly abused, and addictive drug is typically obtained in the form of crystals or powders, nicknamed crystal meth.

Methamphetamine can be administered via snorting, smoking, or intravenous injection. It leads a person to experience extreme emotions of excitability, boosted focus, and even bouts of pleasure.

However, this high can also be very unpredictable. Some users of this addictive drug will react with violence, aggression, or even psychosis. It is not exactly known why different reactions to methamphetamine occur, though it is likely due to dosage inconsistencies. Individual therapy options are likely going to be the best option to cope with the lingering effects of meth addiction.

While reducing the desire for adequate eating and sleeping requirements, meth does significant damage to the brain in just a short time. Resulting in the loss of memory function and cognition, the ability to learn and regulate emotion quickly takes effect. Similarly, dependency and the development of tolerance to the addictive drug does not waste any time either. During professional therapy sessions, addicts can begin to mend the damage that this devastating and addictive drug has left behind.

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How Much Caffeine Can You Consume Before Becoming Addicted

Its impossible to say exactly how long a Caffeine addiction requires taking hold. A rough estimate is an addiction can set in between 7 and 14 days of daily consumption. Caffeine changes the chemical composition of the brain. So, the length of time it will take for you to become addicted depends on how long it takes your brain to determine it needs Caffeine for your survival.

Caffeine is carried to the brain via the bloodstream. The structure of caffeine is close to a natural molecule called Adenosine. Brain receptors easily mistake Caffeine for Adenosine. Caffeine blocks Adenosine. Adenosine causes you to feel a sense of fatigue or weariness. This is why Caffeine produces a feeling of being alert and wide awake. Another change caused by the blocked Adenosine molecules and their buildup outside the receptors is it prompts the adrenal glands to secrete the stimulant, Adrenaline. Blocked Adenosine also causes Dopamine to increase production.

Ironically, the belief that Caffeine is an actual stimulant is false. It simply enables other natural stimulants. It hacks the brain by creating a block that causes the brains natural stimulants to run amok. A steady infusion of caffeine allows the brain to become accustomed to this state of being. This is why when you attempt to cut off caffeine, your body goes through withdrawal.

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Prescription Medications And Painkillers

Caffeine is a psychoactive, but is it addictive?

One of the reasons that prescription medications and painkillers make the list is because of their growing availability. Especially within the last decade, the epidemic has been brought to the attention of law enforcement and rehabilitation facilities. In order to combat, new guidelines and standards have been put in place to more closely monitor their distribution. However, the disease of addiction once developed, can drive a person to find another way around.

Whether they are the most addictive drugs, depends on what type of drugs they are, and if used as intended. However, either way they carry with them the potential for dependency and abuse. Some medications that are commonly abused and require drug rehabilitation treatment include :

  • Ativan

Always take care and speak with your doctor if you have any concerns. Medical professionals along with rehab specialists are in place to help guide you to the best resolution. They can help you work through addiction, and provide therapy options for any underlying illness concerns.

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What Makes Drugs Addictive

From the medical perspective, there are various factors that are taken into account when measuring a drugs addictiveness, namely:

  • Level of intoxication
  • Individual circumstances and preferences

Level of Intoxication

Intoxication refers to the effects the drug produces, including the high itself, the strength of the high, and the lasting after effects. Generally speaking, the stronger the drug, the more attractive it is to users.

Reinforcement Potential

Reinforcement means how likely the person is to engage in repeated use. Drugs with short-lived effects, such as cocaine, encourage the user to consume more often. The more the person uses, the more likely they are to get hooked.

Tolerance Potential

While anyone can build a tolerance to any drug, certain substances seem to have a greater tolerance potential than others. This ties back to reinforcement. Repeated and long-term use of a drug increases a persons tolerance. Therefore, after a while, the same dose that got them high the first time will not be enough later on.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Certain drugs have very severe withdrawal symptoms, while have little to none. Withdrawal plays a big role in addiction because a person may feel compelled to take more of a drug to relieve any discomfort caused by withdrawal.

Biological Dependence

Availability

Social Acceptance

Legality

Personal Circumstances

What Is The Most Dangerous Drug

Nailing down the most dangerous drug is problematic as well because some drugs, like Krokodil for one, are very dangerous fringe drugs that are not as common as, say, heroin or prescription painkillers in this country.

Keeping the focus on fatal drug overdoses may be an over simplification in the category of most dangerous drug, but it does provide some clarity and common ground.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Vital Statistics Report, this data includes some of the following:

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When Does Caffeine Become Addictive

As is the case with other substances, the risk of becoming addicted to coffee depends on various factors.

For one, experts believe that your likelihood of getting hooked may be influenced, in part, by your genetics .

Naturally, regular coffee drinkers have an increased risk of undergoing the brain changes previously described and becoming dependent on caffeine.

For the moment, what remains unclear is how long it takes for your body and brain to physically adapt to daily caffeine intake.

What experts do know is that withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, lack of concentration, drowsiness and irritability can appear as little as 1224 hours after your last caffeine dose, and can last up to nine days .

In addition, they can result from reducing your daily caffeine dose by as little as 100 mg the equivalent of one cup of coffee per day .

The good news is that the severity of symptoms usually peaks within the first two days and goes down gradually thereafter .

Summary:

Regular caffeine consumption is needed to stimulate the physical adaptations consistent with addiction. However, its currently unclear how long it takes for these changes to occur.

What Are The 7 Most Addictive Drugs

Caffeine Addiction and Effects  How Much is Too Much?

The use of many types of drugs or alcohol runs the risk of abuse and dependency. Yet there are some that top the charts as the most addictive drugs. Studies show that well over 20 million Americans struggle with a substance use disorder, and unfortunately, the numbers grow daily.

To combat the growing epidemic, rehab programs and facilities work to ensure that treatment is available to all suffering. Because of the upward trend in the abuse of addictive drugs, recovery programs have been put into place around the country. The more that is understood about dependency and addiction, the more focus can be placed on rehab and recovery efforts. Especially, when it comes to the 7 most addictive drugs that can haunt individuals and their loved ones.

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Next Steps To Consider

If you feel that your responses to caffeine are affecting you negatively in any way, speak to your healthcare provider. Similarly, if you have another health condition that might be impacted by caffeine use, such as heart disease, or even if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss options with your doctor right away.

The vicious cycle of addiction is often the same with caffeine as it is with other addictive substances. As the effects of the caffeine begin to wear off, you might feel a crash in energy and that you can’t keep going without another boost. Your doctor can help you find ways to move past this without giving in.

Since stopping “cold turkey” can make you feel worse, it is important for most people to reduce caffeine intake gradually rather than abruptly. Your doctor can help you devise a plan that is suitable for you based on your typical caffeine consumption. This can help reduce or eliminate any withdrawal effects.

How Xanax Affects The Mind

Often, people who are abusing Xanax have anxiety disorders they were trying to treat with the drug. Some 20 percent of Americans suffer from anxiety, Everyday Health reports.

Even when used in a medicinal fashion, dependency will generally still occur. The first sign of this is tolerance. With tolerance, Xanax stops working as well, even as a treatment medication. Those with anxiety will see a return of symptoms and may feel inclined to up their dose in order to keep symptoms at bay. Throughout this process, the brain is becoming more reliant upon the drug to feel normal.

When people are mentally addicted to Xanax, they wont be able to keep their minds off thoughts of the drug. In addition to the health risks associated with detoxing alone, quitting without professional intervention is extremely hard to do since users minds are compulsively driving them to use again.

The mental impact of withdrawing from Xanax can be turbulent. The mind becomes accustomed to the drug and can go through periods of insomnia, depression, paranoia, and irritability while trying to come off it. The majority of withdrawal symptoms can be treated during medical detox to make the process as comfortable as possible for those in detox.

As many as 44 percent of chronic benzodiazepine users ultimately become dependent on their drug of choice, the Journal of Addictive Behaviors notes. Addiction is often due to psychological factors that influence individuals to keep using.

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Caffeine: America’s Most Popular Drug

Is Caffeine a drug?

If you find yourself needing that cup of coffee before you start your day, you are not alone. Every day, about 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine in some form. More than half of the adults in the country consume 300 milligrams a day, making it Americas most popular drug.

Thats right, a drugScientists have classified caffeine as a psychoactive drug that can alter moods and behavior. Known medically as trimethylxanthine, caffeine in its pure form is a white, bitter tasting powder. While it is naturally found in chocolate, coffee and tea, caffeine is also added to many soft drinks and medications.

How Caffeine Affects Your BodyCaffeine is a mild stimulant of the central nervous system and can be found in over 60 species of plants. It affects you in a similar way that amphetamines, cocaine and heroin stimulate your brain. Although it has a much milder effect, caffeine has the same addictive qualities as these other drugs.

Caffeine temporarily blocks adenosine, a chemical in your body that promotes sleepiness and muscle fatigue, resulting in an energy boost or heightened alertness. The drug can also increase your heartbeat and metabolism as well as cause you to produce more stomach acid and urine.

Caffeine does have benefits, but consuming too much can be harmful. What constitutes too much is typically 300 mg a day, but other factors such as your weight, body size and other health conditions can also determine how caffeine affects you.

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What Is Caffeine Addiction

Caffeine is a Central Nervous System Stimulant that has the ability to enhance concentration, increase metabolism, and boost mood. Whether it comes from coffee, tea, energy drinks, or soda, many people feel like they need Caffeine in the morning to increase alertness and the motivation to work. More than 90% of adults regularly drink Caffeine in the United States, consuming an average of 200 mg of Caffeine per day the equivalent of two 6-ounce coffees or five 12-ounce cans of soft drinks. In most cases, drinking Caffeinated beverages is a relatively safe and non-harmful habit however, when the need for Caffeine crosses the line from a pleasant pick-me-up to a daily necessity, addiction is possible.

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