Health Consequences of Drug Addiction You Must Know

Different drugs affect a person’s body in different ways, and the health effects of drugs also vary from person to person. How a drug affects a person also depends on his body size, general health, and the amount of strength of the drug he abuses. Illegal drugs are non-controlled substances, and their quality and potency may vary from one batch to another. Drug abuse can have both short and long-term effects on a person’s physical or physiological health, which also includes dependency. Remember that there is no safe level to use a drug. Here are some potential health consequences of drug addiction you must know. (1)

Physical Complications:

Overusing drugs can cause damage in a number of ways.

· Direct Effects:

For instance, snorting drugs through the nose can damage nasal cartilage and opiates can cause opiate-induced constipation, which can result in chronic and potentially fatal constipation if the person doesn’t receive treatment. Moreover, tobacco addiction can cause a range of cancers.

·  Injury:

This depends on the method of taking drugs. For example, using injections to take heroin can lead to skin or muscle damage, and can also transmit diseases through the needle. Abusing drugs by smoking cause lung damage and respiratory illness. Moreover, a person may unconsciously injure himself while under the influence of drugs. That’s because drugs impair balance and coordination which may result in falls and injuries. Some substances can induce violent reactions in the addicts and increase the likelihood of risky or injurious actions. (2)

·  Cardiovascular health risk:

Most of the drugs lead to spikes in heart rate and blood pressure, causing strain on the heart and blood vessels, therefore increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.

·  Loss of Hygiene and Routine:

Drug addiction can rewire the reward systems in the brain, and the abuser starts prioritizing addiction over nutrition. Addiction badly affects the hygiene of the abusers resulting from poor nutrition. Therefore, drug addiction becomes an all-encompassing feature in a person’s life that spoils his normal routine.

·  Overdose:

Taking too much of one drug or mixing substances results in an overdose. An overdose can result in a coma or death. Get the help of Palm Beach drug rehab to overcome drug addiction.

· Fetal Damage:

If a pregnant woman takes substances, it can cause congenital anomalies or even death of the fetus.

Psychological Complications:

Drugs and mental health are highly correlated. Drugs are mostly abused because they set off the symptoms of depression and anxiety. They may also cause these symptoms to develop when they were not present in a person before. Drug addiction impairs a range of bodily functions and also changes the way of thinking. That’s because drug abuse alters the normal function of some brain circuits.

·  Depression:

Although many people start taking drugs to relieve the symptoms of depression and gradually become abusers, prolonged substance dependency also results in increased levels of depression, anxiety, restlessness, shame, and guilt. This explains why drugs are not the solution to depression; they only increase it.

·  Loneliness:

Drug addicts tend to push away their families and closest people, which results in a reduction of the support network they need the most. The abnormal and unacceptable behaviors,  resulting from drug abuse cause loneliness in an abuser that fuels further drug abuse resulting in more severe complications.

·  Adverse Circumstances:

Drug addiction can also lead to financial problems, homelessness, illegal or criminal activity, and prison. These adverse circumstances further upsurge stress levels, depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.