Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use and Addiction
People from all walks of life can experience problems with their drug use, regardless of age, race, or background. While some are able to use recreational or prescription drugs without experiencing negative effects, others find that substance use takes a serious toll on their health and well-being. Abusing drugs can leave you feeling helpless, isolated, or ashamed. If you’re worried about your own or a loved one’s drug use, learning how drug abuse and addiction develops—and why it can have such a powerful hold—will give you a better understanding of how to best deal with the problem and regain control of your life.
When does drug use become drug abuse or addiction?
People start using drugs for many different reasons. Some experiment with recreational drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or to ease problems such as stress, anxiety, or depression. However, it’s not just illegal drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, that can lead to abuse and addiction. Prescription medications such as painkillers, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers can cause similar problems. In fact, next to marijuana, prescription painkillers are the most abused drugs in the U.S. and more people die from overdosing powerful opioid painkillers each day than from traffic accidents and gun deaths combined. And addiction to opioid painkillers can be so powerful it has become the major risk factor for heroin abuse.
Of course, drug use—either illegal or prescription—doesn’t automatically lead to abuse, and there is no specific point at which drug use moves from casual to problematic. Drug abuse and addiction is less about the type or amount of the substance consumed or the frequency of your drug use, and more about the consequences of that drug use. If your drug use is causing problems in your life—at work, school, home, or in your relationships—you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem.
Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery, one that takes tremendous courage and strength. Facing your problem without minimizing the issue or making excuses can feel frightening and overwhelming, but recovery is within reach. If you’re ready to seek help, you can overcome your addiction and build a satisfying, drug-free life for yourself.
IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES. IT’S EASY TO MAKE A RASH DECISION BECAUSE YOU’RE SCARED AND STRESSED. AFTER ALL IT’S YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE.
Are you facing criminal charges? If you’ve been charged with:
- Domestic related offenses – assault, threatening, unlawfully in a dwelling house, criminal harassment
- Assault and sexual assault
- Theft – including shoplifting
- Fraud
- Drug offences
- Drinking and Driving/DUI/Impaired driving by a Drug
- Or any other criminal charge
Then you want a law firm that is backed by experience and expertise in the courtroom. You want the proven team of criminal defence lawyers in Hamilton. We understand that with each criminal charge comes a minimum and a maximum sanction. If you go before the court without a lawyer by your side that is there for you then you are taking chances with your life and liberty. Entering a plea of guilty or not-guilty without adequate representation in court could be costly for you personally.
We offer a free, no obligation consultation. Why? Because we want to make sure that you have all the facts before you walk into a courtroom. We hope that you will choose us to represent you but if you don’t at least after your consultation you will have a better understanding of where things stand where your case is concerned.
Criminal charges are rarely simple to defence and are often complex even in the hands of a top criminal lawyer. Every criminal charge brings with us a wide variety of punitive sanctions. Most people don’t understand the law. This is why going to court without the right lawyer by your side could be detrimental.
In Hamilton, the criminal lawyers never want to see someone enter into a plea deal that where they don’t truly understand the repercussions because they didn’t obtain a lawyer. We believe that our proven success in the courtroom, and attention to detail and to our clients’ needs make us the right lawyer for you.
Our goal is to bring you the best representation possible for your case. Every client is different so our approach to each case is different. With multiple offices throughout Western Ontario, there is a location near to you.