It’s very simple now to order drugs over the Internet, and most pharmacies in
Asia will sell medicines over the counter that are only available by
prescription in the West. Most popular products in the online catalogs are
amphetamines, potency pills and antidepressants. But self-medication is actually
risky, particularly with amphetamines (such as Ritaline / methylphenidate),
which can enhance performance and concentration leading to dependency and
requiring withdrawal treatment at specialized clinics or psychotherapists after
months or years of abuse.
According to a study of U.S. pediatricians, the number of
‘doping’ students has increased by 75 percent over the last 8 years. Often the
drugs are used incorrectly, like when the cause of poor concentration or
erection problems lies somewhere else than where the drug attaches. Erectile
dysfunction in men aged less than 55 years, for instance, mostly has purely
psychological causes. Habitual intake often leads to overdosing and increased
susceptibility to disease-causing side effects. At some point, the user might in
fact just treat the withdrawal syndrome (for erectile dysfunction this is often
fear of having sex without first taking the drug) - they feel no significant
effect of the drug anymore but can not discontinue its use and thus enter a
vicious circle.
Multiple dependencies, like the use of amphetamines during
the day and then in the evening intake of alcohol and / or tranquilizers or
sleeping pills, makes everything even more complicated and dangerous. Abuse of
prescribed medications causes more accidental deaths in the United States than
anything else except automobile crashes, which kill more than 30,000 Americans
every year.
The first signs of psychological dependence on drugs can be
feelings of insecurity or fear if no intake is possible, or if there is an
increase of the dose over time, but the effect of the drug doesn’t feel the same
or is completely absent. Another alarm signal could be if over the years, more
and more substances are taken in without consulting a medical doctor (this also
includes food substitution drugs, injections of hormones, tranquilizers,
sleeping pills, nose drops, etc.).
In most cases, drug dependence is admitted very late, after diseases of the
organs have developed or accidents occurred (often caused by a lack of
concentration). For the psychological withdrawal, a combination of psychotherapy
and support groups is very effective, but a medical checkup for possible
physical damage is also essential.
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Live the happy life you planned! Richard L.
Fellner is head of the Pattaya Counseling Center in Soi Khopai and
offers consultations in English and German languages (after making
appointments at 0854 370 470). |
