Beautiful Boy - How Do Drugs Work in The Body and On the Mind

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Beautiful Boy - How Do Drugs Work in The Body and On the Mind
Beautiful boy: a father's journey through his son's addiction is a book by David Sheff, who describes his experiences with his son, who had a meth addiction. He was often forced to go through the streets to locate his son and bring him back home safely. David starts the book with the birth of his son Nic and he describes how he created a good foundation for his son as a parent. The drugs have affected the protagonist, which has also had a detrimental impact on the relationship with others around him. Long term methamphetamine or meth abuse by Nic has resulted in adverse effects on the body and brain. It leads to addiction, which is a relapsing, chronic ailment, characterized by compulsive urge to use drugs and usage, is often followed by molecular and functional changes in the brain.
The Effects of Drugs on The Body and Brain
Just like any other drug, continuous use makes it feel more pleasurable, and this influences the person to continue using it repeatedly. Drug abusers have to use higher doses of the substance each day so that it has the desired effect, and they will also try out other substances to get the same result (Todd et al.). In the novel, Nic started using different kinds of drugs while still very young. At age 11, he would try pot and alcohol. Sheff says, “In early May, I pick Nic up after school one day …When he climbs into a car, I smell cigarette smoke. I lecture him, and he promises not to do it again. Next Friday after school…I am packing an overnight bag for him and look for a sweater in his backpack. I do not find a sweater, but instead, discover a small bag of marijuana.” (Sheff, 200). Chronic users will have difficulties in feeling any other type of pleasure apart from what they derive from the drug. It leads to further abuse, and if the individual tries to stop using it, then withdrawal symptoms can arise which includes fatigue, intense craving for the drug and anxiety (Todd et al.,). Nic was a chronic user for six years from ages 17 to 23. Nic had issues with his family and his continuous use makes him suffer from pain and self-hate.
Besides being addicted to methamphetamine, Nic also underwent episodes where he exhibited symptoms of violent behavior, mood disturbances, insomnia, confusion, and significant anxiety. Sheff states, “…they hallucinated. Some become violent” (109). The disease can also be accompanied by several psychotic features, such as auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions (e.g., feeling of bugs crawling under the skin), and paranoia (Todd et al.). The psychotic symptoms can sometimes be persistent for months or years after the individuals stop using the drug, and stress has been linked with encouraging the emergence of methamphetamine psychosis.
Methamphetamine abusers will also experience significant changes in the brain. Neuroimaging studies have revealed that fluctuations in dopamine system can result in impaired verbal learning and declined motor speed (Todd et al.,). Chronic methamphetamine abusers will also have several functional and structural changes in various areas of the brain that are linked with menta...