Welcome to the TRN Drugs Home Page

Welcome to the TRN Drugs home page. From here you can access the drugs chat room and forums, register for any drug specific group therapy, read articles on education or relapse prevention and check for any drug specific TRN Events.

An Introduction to Drug Addiction

Drug abuse is seen as one of the major social problems of our age. Nearly 35% of the UK population has tried illegal drugs. That’s nearly 19 million people. Of those, about 330,000 are addicts. Some drugs have a calming effect, others make us feel more alert and energetic – but what they all do is to take us away from the reality of everyday life. Anyone can become addicted, be it to illegal drugs or prescribed ones, and the consequences are often devastating.
 
 The Government divides medicinal and illegal drugs into three classes, A, B and C, with Class A being considered the most dangerous. Class A drugs include heroin, cocaine, crack, ecstasy, LSD and magic mushrooms. Heroin initially produces a pleasant euphoria but this is soon replaced by extremely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. The brief high experienced by cocaine and crack users is often followed by fatigue and depression. If you smoke crack regularly, you risk lung damage and bronchitis, paranoia and depression.
 
Class B drugs include amphetamines and barbiturates. Amphetamines initially increase energy, alertness and confidence but as they wear off you feel tired, anxious, weak and unwell. Large doses cause depression, paranoia and even hallucinations. Barbiturates can cause hostility and anxiety, slurred speech and loss of co-ordination. There is a high risk of overdose because as few as 10 tablets can be lethal.
 
  Class C drugs include cannabis, anabolic steroids and tranquillisers. In the UK, more than 22,000 people a year are being treated for cannabis addiction. Use of the drug, particularly the most potent form skunk, has been linked to mental health problems. About one in seven people in the UK are prescribed tranquillisers sometime each year. One in 40 become dependent on them.
 
The issues of addiction are complex but there are many sources of knowledge and therapy to help you understand and overcome them. With help, many addicts make a lifelong recovery. If you find yourself addicted to drugs, you are not alone, and The Recovery Network can help.