What are Substance Use Disorders?
While certain substances are legal for consumption depending on one’s age (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, nicotine) and/or prescribed for specific medical conditions, individuals who partake in substance use may go on to develop a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), which can significantly impact one’s quality of life.
There are 10 separate classes of drugs, including: alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens, caffeine, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, tobacco, and other or unknown substances.
Despite there being 10 separate classes of drugs, each drug activates the brain’s reward system, creating a “high” feeling and for some individuals, the sense of euphoria or pleasure associated with certain drugs may be so profound that they can no longer control their substance use. Consequently, they may continue to use substances despite negative consequences, including difficulty to attend to daily responsibilities or harm to one’s physical health.
Symptoms of substance use disorders include:
Drug addiction can often start with experimental use of substances in social settings or from exposure to certain prescription medications. The risk of addiction can vary depending on drug (e.g., opioids and nicotine have higher risk for addiction).
There are several additional factors that may play a role in developing drug addiction:
Please contact our Director of Intake Services at 212-595-9559 (ext.1) or 914-385-1150 (ext.1), or fill out the form above, with any questions regarding eligibility, for further information, or to make a referral. If you are a current patient at CBC, please speak to your individual therapist to see how this group may be of added benefit to you.