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Dr. Daniel Headrick
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Drug, Alcohol and Pain Medication Addictions
DEFINTION OF DEPENDENCY: The definition of chemical dependency is the continued use of a chemical despite the negative consequences. There are many other ways to describe and define a chemical dependency. There are many types of chemically dependent people. All of them fit the criteria of – continued use despite the negative consequences. I like this definition because it is very simple and has nothing to do with how much drug or alcohol you are taking or how frequently you are taking it or what type of drug or alcohol you are taking. This phenomenon of continuing to take a chemical knowing that there are negative consequences associated with it, i.e., motor vehicle accidents, DUIs, jail, job loss, divorces, liver loss, depression, nausea, vomiting, emergency room visits, falls, increase in depression, is what all my patients do. Most people that take any alcohol or drug and have a negative consequence will stop.
Approximately 10% to 20% of the work population is born with a brain that has an unusual experience when they take a drug. These people have what is almost like a “potato chip effect.” If they have one, they want a second one. If they have a second one, they want all the rest. These people are set up to become addicted and dependent easier than other people. It runs in families. Anybody could become a drug addict or alcoholic if they work at it hard enough. It is just that some people do not have to work at it. Some day science will be able to identify these people before they even start their first drink or drug.
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DANIEL HEADRICK, M.D.
Medical Director and Co-Founder Pacific Coast Recovery Center