This drive to use is not only mental, a psychological addiction, but driven by the physical need to maintain a certain level of the drug in the system at all times. If this level is not maintained, the body rebels by exhibiting withdrawal symptoms which may include nausea and vomiting, insomnia, irritability, diarrhea, and bone and muscle aches.

What Kinds of Drug Abuse Are We Seeing at Step-Up Recovery?

Today's drug abuse spectrum goes far beyond traditional street drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. It includes club drugs, prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Percocet, steroids, methamphetemines, and inhalants.

Below is some recent (2007) information from the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy on current drug use.

Are you using -- or abusing -- any of these substances?

We do not assume a diagnosis of drug addiction, but we do help you look at the facts and decide on a course of action.

DRUG ADDICTION SELF-ASSESSMENT

1. Do you ever use drugs for something other than a medical reason?                                                      ____YES      ____ NO

2. When you use drugs, do you use more than one drug at a time?                                                          ____YES      ____ NO

3. Is your drug use more than one day per week?                                                                     ____YES      ____ NO

4. Do you have a history of abusing prescription drugs?                                                            ____YES      ____ NO

5. Have you attempted to quit your drug use but been unsuccessful?                                         ____YES      ____ NO

6. Does your drug use cause feelings of guilt?                                                                          ____YES      ____ NO

7. Has your drug use ended relationships with friends?                                                              ____YES      ____ NO

8. Do you find yourself neglecting your family because of your drug use?                                    ____YES      ____ NO

9. Has your drug use resulted in problems between you and your family members or friends?       ____YES      ____ NO

10. Do your family members or friends ever complain about your drug use?                                 ____YES      ____ NO

11. While under the influence of drugs, have you gotten into confrontations or fights with others?   ____YES      ____ NO

12. Has your drug use ever contributed to you losing a job?                                                                         ____YES      ____ NO

13. Has your drug use caused problems or gotten you into trouble at your workplace?                 ____YES      ____ NO

14. Have you ever gone to jail or been arrested for illegal drug possession?                                 ____YES      ____ NO

15. Do you participate in illegal activities in order to get your drugs of choice?                             ____YES      ____ NO

16. When you stop taking your drug, do you experience any withdrawal symptoms or feel sick?   ____YES      ____ NO

17. Has your drug use ever resulted in flashbacks or blackouts?                                                ____YES      ____ NO

18. Have you ever had medical problems such as memory loss, hepatitis, convulsions,
      bleeding, etc. as a result of your drug use?                                                                                                ____YES      ____ NO

19. Have you sought help for your drug problem in the past?                                                      ____YES      ____ NO

20. Have you participated in any treatment programs, either inpatient or outpatient, related
      to your drug use?                                                                                                             ____YES      ____ NO

What Kinds of Drug Abuse Are We Seeing at Step-Up Recovery?

Today's drug abuse spectrum goes far beyond traditional street drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Here is some recent (2007) information from the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy on current drug use. Are you using -- or abusing -- any of these substances?

CLUB DRUGS
Certain drugs have become popular among teens and young adults at dance clubs and "raves." Collectively termed "club drugs," they include MDMA/Ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), and ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride).

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Non-medical use or abuse of prescription drugs has become a serious public health concern. Three classes of prescription drugs are most commonly abused: opiods (pain-killers) such as the very dangerous oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), central nervous system depressants (often used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders), and stimulants (often used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and obesity).

STERIODS
Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and body-wasting caused by disease. The discovery that anabolic steroid could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals has led to abuse of these compounds by bodybuilders and weightlifters and now by athletes in many other sports.

METHAMPHETAMINES
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. The imMediate effects include increased activity and decreased appetite. The drug has limited medical uses for the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit disorders, and obesity; however, most amphetamines distributed to the black market are produced in clandestine laboratories.

INHALANTS
Inhalants are volatile substances that produce chemical vapors which can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect. Inhalants include a broad range of chemicals found in hundreds of different products that may have different pharmacological effects.