Chapter 4 Developing Decision-Making Skills 101
Some drugs create a psychological dependence.
The person desires the feelings that the drug gives
and requires the drug to feel good. In addition to
physical and psychological dependence, the drug
abuser builds a tolerance to many drugs. Higher
doses are needed to get the same effects. The abuser
becomes more dependent, and the need for drugs
becomes greater.
Another consequence of misusing and abusing
drugs is their impact on a person’s ability to think,
make decisions, and reach goals. Because of the
physical addiction or psychological dependence,
individuals who abuse drugs do not think logically,
do not make good decisions, and do not take care
of their personal responsibilities. They may end
up in trouble with the law, and as a result, their
quality of life is very poor.
It is helpful to think through possible unhealth-
ful choices, consider the consequences that such
behaviors could have on your life path, and
make an informed decision to avoid these. High
Misusing and abusing drugs has become a
crisis in the United States. The reasons that some
teens use drugs are much like the reasons given for
alcohol abuse. It is a way to “tune out” problems
and “tune in” feelings of excitement. Drugs, how-
ever, do not solve problems; they only add to them.
Thinking through the consequences of drug
misuse and abuse is important to avoid making
decisions that could harm your body.
Choices to misuse and abuse drugs have major
consequences on health and well-being. Some
consequences are physical and can end in death.
Impaired judgment, destroyed brain cells, lapses
in memory, slower refl exes, and the destruction of
major organs are some examples (Figure 4.15).
Using drugs can lead to physical dependence
on them. This is called addiction. The body physi-
cally has a need for the drug. If this need is not met,
the body goes through withdrawal. Discomfort,
nausea, pain, and convulsions may accompany the
withdrawal, sometimes resulting in death.
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Figure 4.15 Misusing and abusing drugs can have negative effects on a person’s physical health, including
physical activities and fitness.
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