Substance Use
The Wellness Revolution now turns its focus to examining the profound effects of three major categories involved in the consumption of substances – substances we introduce into our bodies – through smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs.
Alcohol is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in Australia, and its consumption is associated with numerous negative consequences, including increased rates of violence, adverse health effects, and even death. The impact of alcohol on an individual varies depending on several factors, including age, weight, overall health, genetics, gender, the quantity, speed, and duration of alcohol intake, food consumption, and hydration levels. The overall health repercussions of alcohol consumption are diverse and include alterations in blood flow and supply, hormonal function and production, glucose regulation, heightened cancer risk, sleep disruptions, impaired vitamin absorption, thiamine (B1) depletion, weight gain, diabetes, fertility issues in both men and women, as well as a heightened risk of assaults and accidents.
Alcohol's effects on the brain are notable. Firstly, the active component in alcohol, ethanol, acts as a depressant, impacting the way brain cells communicate with one another. Secondly, when alcohol enters the brain, it interferes with the function of connective tissue at the ends of neurons, disrupting neural communication. Finally, alcohol crosses the blood-brain barrier and influences the entire brain, with a particular impact on the frontal lobes and the cerebellum. These neurological effects can have wide-ranging consequences on an individual's cognition and behaviour.
Alcohol
Smoking remains the most common preventable cause of premature death. Nicotine is the highly addictive drug in tobacco that triggers the reward pathways that lead to continued smoking. Along with nicotine, smokers also inhale thousands of other chemical compounds, including 50 known cancer-causing agents.
Cigarette smoke is divided into Phases based on the division of smoke passing through a filter. The tar or particulate phase is the resinous sticky brown stuff that stains the teeth and fingers of smokers cause of lung and throat cancers in smokers & carries mutagenic and carcinogenic agents. The gas phase contains high amounts of nitric oxide.
When a person smokes a cigarette, nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds. Smoking harms the brain via multiple indirect pathways through the body. Smoke gets to the brain via the lining of the lungs into the bloodstream & damage the brain’s blood vessels. As nicotine passes through the blood brain barrier & disrupts neurotransmitter systems (dopamine & oxidative stress). The harm from smoking thins the brain.
Smoking reduces breathing efficiency & damages the air sacs of the lung. Smoke contains carbon monoxide, which supplants oxygen in the red blood cells, preventing affected cells from carrying a full load of oxygen. In response to lowered oxygen supply there is a whole cascade of responses that alter the cardiovascular & circulatory system. The body makes more red blood cells to compensate for lowered oxygen, which makes the blood thicker. The oxidising chemicals damage the blood vessels, react with cholesterol & increase the build-up of fatty material on the artery walls. This leads to atherosclerosis & risk of heart attack & stroke.
Smoking Cigarettes
Recreational drugs are substances that people use for pleasurable and recreational purposes rather than for medicinal or therapeutic reasons. Many recreational drugs are illegal in most countries, leading to criminalization and associated legal issues for those who use or possess them. Substance abuse, drug abuse and drug addiction can lead to social isolation, strained relationships, and family disruption. The major recreational drugs include:
-
Alcohol
-
Tobacco/Nicotine
-
Cannabis (Marijuana)
-
Cocaine
-
Heroin
-
Methamphetamine (Meth)
-
Ecstasy (MDMA)
-
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)
-
Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)
-
Ketamine
Recreational drugs often have addictive properties, often leading to physical and psychological dependence. While they have pleasure-seeking qualities, hey can damage various bodily systems, health issues such as respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues, liver damage, and increased risk of infectious diseases as well as mental health disorders (such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis). Drug use can lead to risky behaviours, accidents, and impaired judgment, with misuse or abuse often resulting in overdose, which can be fatal.
Recreation Drugs
The Addiction Spectrum
All individuals exist on a spectrum of addiction, as our pursuit of pleasurable activities like drugs, relationships, technology, or food often stems from a desire to fill a void in our lives. Addiction arises when we lack the coping mechanisms to address the underlying challenges we face. When this need becomes overwhelming, we seek external solutions, and activities like eating, pursuing sex, or achieving status can take precedence to the point of self-destruction.
This biological imperative to find solutions for what is missing is inherent in all of us. While we all fall somewhere on the addiction spectrum, some individuals become deeply entrenched in addictive behaviours, affecting various aspects of their lives. These behaviours can manifest as substance addictions (e.g., alcoholism, drug addiction), behavioural addictions (e.g., gambling, hoarding), or other compulsive tendencies (e.g., love addiction, co-dependency). In essence, they become conditions of addictions.
Drinking alcohol is often associated with increased tolerance, where people require more alcohol to achieve the same effects. This can be more likely to occur when alcohol is consumed irregularly. The Wellness Revolution recommends incorporating two alcohol-free days per week, following health guidelines. These alcohol-free days allow your body to recover and provide your liver with a break from processing alcohol. Regularly taking alcohol-free days can help maintain control over your drinking and reduce the risk of it becoming a habit or addiction.
Quitting Alcohol
When it comes to quitting smoking, there are various approaches to consider. One option is to quit abruptly, commonly called "cold turkey." While this approach can be challenging, it is worth considering. Alternatively, you can gradually reduce the number and frequency of cigarettes as a step towards quitting. This may also be challenging. Nicotine replacement therapy products or prescribed quit-smoking medications can complement or replace these methods. It is important to understand that experiencing withdrawals is a natural part of the process, and relapse should be viewed as an opportunity to gather information and refine your strategy. Many individuals make multiple attempts before achieving full and continuous abstinence from smoking.
Seeking healthier substitutes is another approach. Smoking and drinking often serve as ways to cope with stress or manage emotions. Identifying stress-relief activities that work for you, such as going for a walk, engaging in physical exercise, practising deep breathing, or meditation, can be beneficial.
It is crucial to recognize that relapse is common, and instead of viewing it as a failure, consider it as an opportunity to identify triggers and reduce exposure to them. By pinpointing what triggered a relapse, you can take steps to eliminate or reduce contact with those triggers and seek support from those around you.
Quitting Smoking
The Choice Matrix
In any given situation, we are faced with a range of choices, a framework that applies universally but holds particular significance when dealing with addiction-related decisions. The question is, what will your choice be?
Leave
Your first option is to leave and align your actions with your values. It involves departing from the life and habits you have known. However, it is important to recognize that leaving is not always feasible due to various factors that might impede change. It might not even be something you desire if you are content with your current circumstances. If leaving is possible, you must weigh whether your life would be enriched, more fulfilling, and meaningful outside your current situation. If leaving is not viable, you are left with three alternatives.
Change
Staying in your current situation but actively working to alter it is the second option. This involves taking actions to enhance your circumstances and leveraging your strengths and skills to make things better. Seeking help and tapping into the resources available from people and the world around you are part of this option.
Tolerate
When all efforts to improve or stabilize the situation have been exhausted, and leaving is not an option, acceptance becomes crucial. This means acknowledging the reality of your situation in this moment. You may not approve or like it, but you recognize that, at least for now, this is how things are. By embracing the situation, you create space for the emergence of painful thoughts and feelings without resisting them. You do not cling to them, nor do you let them overwhelm you. Instead, you acknowledge them as they pass through.
Give Up
Unfortunately, if you cannot leave, have exhausted all avenues for improvement, and the situation remains intolerable, some individuals give up. This often involves engaging in self-defeating behaviours that, at best, offer no assistance and, at worst, exacerbate the challenges of life. Examples of giving up may include turning to substances, unhealthy eating, social withdrawal, procrastination, or certain distracting techniques—often leading to addiction.
So, the pivotal question becomes: How much control do you wield over your situation? Is leaving an option? What steps can you take to effect change? Can you find acceptance in the current situation? Or is the choice to give up looming on the horizon? The power to decide lies in your hands.
It is important to note that The Wellness Revolution does not seek to impose any decisions upon you. Enjoying the pleasures of alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, and experimenting with various drugs are among the most pleasurable experiences known to humankind. Instead, "The Wellness Revolution" aims to shed light on the consequences of consuming and introducing these substances into your system, emphasizing their potential impact on your overall health and well-being. The Wellness Revolution highlights the individual and societal implications of these choices. Ultimately, the lifestyle decisions you make are entirely yours to determine!
US 'N' U