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Major Substances of Abuse
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
PCN-100: Foundations of Addictions Counseling
Major Substances of Abuse
Within the United States substance abuse has been an issue to thousands of Americans.
Although there has been some progress, it resulted in lowering rates of substance abuse
(Substance abuse, n.d.). Substance abuse involves drugs and alcohol, it is associated with a range
of damaging social conditions. That includes financial problems, social conditions, family
problems, domestic violence/abuse, and crime (Substance abuse, n.d.). In the United States drugs
such as heroin, cocaine, and alcohol have been a struggle for many people. Heroin
“Heroine is an opioid drug that is made from morphine, it is also a natural substance that
is extracted from the seed pod of various opium poppy plants (National Institute, 2020)”. Heroin
can be taken in many different ways such as injected, smoked, or snorted. People who use
heroin, it can cause a short-term or long-term affect depending on how much it is abused. Short-
term effects include euphoria, slowed breathing and heart rate, dry mouth, and nausea (National
Institute, 2020). Long-term effects include collapsed veins, abscesses, liver or kidney disease,
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pneumonia, and infection of the lining and valves in the heart (National Institute, 2020). Multiple
uses of heroin can cause changes to the physical structure and physiology of the brain. It can
create a long-term inequality within the neuronal and hormonal systems that cannot be efficiently
be reversed (NIDA, 2020). Tolerance arises when more of the drug is needed to complete the
same effects. The withdrawal symptoms from heroin include cold flashes with goose bumps,
vomiting, insomnia, muscle and bone pain, and diarrhea (National Institute, 2020).
“Cocaine is a powerful addictive stimulant drug that is made from leaves of the coca
plant (National Institute, 2020)”. Cocaine can be taken in different ways such as snorted,
smoked, or injected. Depending on how long one abuses this drug it can take a toll on your body
in a short-term or long-term effect. With short-term effects it narrows blood vessels, causes
enlarged pupils, increases body temperature, heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. With long-term
effects it loss of sense of smell, trouble swallowing from snorting, infection and death of bowel
tissue from a decrease in blood flow, and lung damage from smoking. People who are coping
with addiction can develop physical dependence on a drug that can cease to mental changes
(Ackermann et al., 2020). Dependence affectsdifferent variationson how neurotransmitters are
released by the brain. “Once a drug delivers more serotonin, dopamine, and other combinations
of neurotransmitters the brain is less likely to continue to release a process on its own
(Ackermann, 2020)”. The withdrawal symptoms from cocaine include depression, tiredness,
insomnia, restlessness, slowed thinking and movement (National Institute, 2020).
Alcohol often has strong effects on people, but it varies from person to person. It depends
on a various number of factors, how much one drink, age, health status, how often one drinks,
and family history. With alcohol, people drink it to relax, socialize, or celebrate but sometimes
drinking it too much can cause an assortment of consequences like alcohol poisoning and drunk
Major Substances of Abuse
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
PCN-100: Foundations of Addictions Counseling
Major Substances of Abuse
Within the United States substance abuse has been an issue to thousands of Americans.
Although there has been some progress, it resulted in lowering rates of substance abuse
(Substance abuse, n.d.). Substance abuse involves drugs and alcohol, it is associated with a range
of damaging social conditions. That includes financial problems, social conditions, family
problems, domestic violence/abuse, and crime (Substance abuse, n.d.). In the United States drugs
such as heroin, cocaine, and alcohol have been a struggle for many people. Heroin
“Heroine is an opioid drug that is made from morphine, it is also a natural substance that
is extracted from the seed pod of various opium poppy plants (National Institute, 2020)”. Heroin
can be taken in many different ways such as injected, smoked, or snorted. People who use
heroin, it can cause a short-term or long-term affect depending on how much it is abused. Short-
term effects include euphoria, slowed breathing and heart rate, dry mouth, and nausea (National
Institute, 2020). Long-term effects include collapsed veins, abscesses, liver or kidney disease,
, 3
pneumonia, and infection of the lining and valves in the heart (National Institute, 2020). Multiple
uses of heroin can cause changes to the physical structure and physiology of the brain. It can
create a long-term inequality within the neuronal and hormonal systems that cannot be efficiently
be reversed (NIDA, 2020). Tolerance arises when more of the drug is needed to complete the
same effects. The withdrawal symptoms from heroin include cold flashes with goose bumps,
vomiting, insomnia, muscle and bone pain, and diarrhea (National Institute, 2020).
“Cocaine is a powerful addictive stimulant drug that is made from leaves of the coca
plant (National Institute, 2020)”. Cocaine can be taken in different ways such as snorted,
smoked, or injected. Depending on how long one abuses this drug it can take a toll on your body
in a short-term or long-term effect. With short-term effects it narrows blood vessels, causes
enlarged pupils, increases body temperature, heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. With long-term
effects it loss of sense of smell, trouble swallowing from snorting, infection and death of bowel
tissue from a decrease in blood flow, and lung damage from smoking. People who are coping
with addiction can develop physical dependence on a drug that can cease to mental changes
(Ackermann et al., 2020). Dependence affectsdifferent variationson how neurotransmitters are
released by the brain. “Once a drug delivers more serotonin, dopamine, and other combinations
of neurotransmitters the brain is less likely to continue to release a process on its own
(Ackermann, 2020)”. The withdrawal symptoms from cocaine include depression, tiredness,
insomnia, restlessness, slowed thinking and movement (National Institute, 2020).
Alcohol often has strong effects on people, but it varies from person to person. It depends
on a various number of factors, how much one drink, age, health status, how often one drinks,
and family history. With alcohol, people drink it to relax, socialize, or celebrate but sometimes
drinking it too much can cause an assortment of consequences like alcohol poisoning and drunk
