Miscellaneous / Question
Published: October 29, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I ran across this paragraph in one of the Answers on your Drug section. "Also, FX can't forget that some drugs available to teens now are so strong that they may be addictive, or deadly, the very first time they are used. So, thinking that "only taking a drug once is not a big deal" is very dangerous logic." My question is... What drug have you come upon, that may become addictive from first time use? According to the research I have done in College, there is no such thing. Even morphine, and heroin are not addictive from first time use. In FACT, less than 10% of patients given morphine for operations have actually used it again. I would hate to think that you are providing incorrect information to the youth of today, only because your organization believes drugs are bad. Please respond ASAP. Thank You
Signed: Addiction After First-Time Use?
Dear Addiction After First-Time Use?,
TeenHealthFX apologizes for the confusion and hopes that it can set the record straight. The word "addictive" was maybe not the best one to choose in the answer that you are referring to. Most experts believe that the term "addiction" is kind of imprecise and it is actually seldom used in medical or pharmacology literature today. Rather, the term "dependence" is more accurate, and refers to "a biologic phenomenon often associated with "drug abuse." "Addiction" is often taken to mean a state of both physical dependence (which is when a person suffers from physical withdrawal symptoms when he or she stops using the drug) and psychological dependence (which is when a person used a drug for personal satisfaction, even despite known risks).
Many people take physical dependence and addiction to mean the same thing, and you are right that the changes in the brain's reward pathways that cause someone to be "addicted/physically dependent" and experience withdrawal symptoms after he or she stops abusing a drug do not happen the first time someone uses a drug. HOWEVER, the psychological component of "addiction" is much more complicated. Many drugs supposedly make you feel good and allow you to escape life's problems for a little while. These pleasurable effects and the desire to keep experiencing them can make someone continue taking drugs even after only trying them once. While a person only becomes an "addict" when his or her brain has literally been changed by chronic use of a drug, overcoming the psychological, social and environmental influences to take the drug can be very difficult and can lead to repeated usage. In fact, some cocaine users state that they were "addicted" from the first time they took the drug because of the high it produced. They were obviously not talking about physical addiction but rather a subjective feeling of wanting and thinking they needed to take the drug to feel good.
Your fact about less than 10% of people becoming addicted to morphine after being prescribed it after an operation is interesting, but there is a big difference between taking a drug for medical reasons versus recreational ones. Because addiction has such a strong psychological component to it, the atmosphere surrounding drug use is a very important factor in determining whether or not someone will become addicted. The mind can be very powerful in overcoming whatever pleasure comes from drug use if a person is adamantly against drug use and did not make the decision to take it in the first place.
TeenHealthFX hopes that this clears up your question. There was no intention to mislead the youth of today with incorrect information. But, taking drugs for reasons other than are medically indicated IS bad, and can really mess up someone's life. It is important for kids to know and understand that.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
A comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006 suggests that the benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depressive and anxiety disorders.
