Drug use can have many short- and long-term health issues like addiction. Drug use can ruin relationships, bank accounts and careers. The effects of drug use vary based on the type of drug used, the quantity used and a person’s health.
Full Answer
Is drug addiction a disease?
Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting. These changes in the brain can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who use drugs. Drug addiction is also a relapsing disease.
What is drug addiction and how can it be treated?
What is drug addiction? Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting. These changes in the brain can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who use drugs.
What are the dangers of drug abuse?
These dangers will vary depending on the kind of drug used, the length of use, and many other factors. One thing that many of these dangers have in common is that they affect not only the user but also have a negative impact on those around them. Physical dangers to the user include: Developing a tolerance to the drug.
What are the effects of drugs on the body?
Drug abuse has devastating effects on the mind, behavior, and relationships, but the permanent effects of drugs on the body can slowly destroy vital systems and functions, culminating in permanent disability or even death. Even legal drugs, taken to excess, can cause significant problems...
What are the harmful effects of drugs to community?
Drug abuse is often accompanied by a devastating social impact upon community life. The present article focuses on the adverse effect of drug abuse on industry, education and training and the family, as well as on its contribution to violence, crime, financial problems, housing problems, homelessness and vagrancy.
What are the problems of using drugs?
Drug use is dangerous. It can harm your brain and body, sometimes permanently. It can hurt the people around you, including friends, families, kids, and unborn babies. Drug use can also lead to addiction.
What is drug abuse and its effect?
Drug abuse or substance abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals for the purpose of creating pleasurable effects on the brain. There are over 190 million drug users around the world and the problem has been increasing at alarming rates, especially among young adults under the age of 30.
How do drugs affect society?
Drug abuse costs the nation more than $120 billion per year in lost productivity, according to The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). 5 Included in that lost productivity are reduced labor participation, incarceration, premature mortality, hospitalization, and participation in treatment programs away from work.
Why is personalized care not common in the substance use disorder field?
Personalized care is not common in the substance use disorder field because many prevention, treatment, and recovery regimens were created as standardized “programs” rather than individualized protocols. (p. 1-24) Let’s consider additional concerns.
Can evidence based therapy be used in groups?
Most evidence-based treatments have been tested in individual or couples sessions, but most facilities attempt to use them in groups. What was intended as a treatment tailored to one individual or couple becomes something much less. The tailoring can only happen when a well-trained therapist is delivering the treatment one on one, or with a couple.
Checking Your Insurance Benefits
If you are worried that you or your loved one is struggling with addiction, it can feel overwhelming to look for help. As you consider your options, knowing exactly what your insurance plan covers can give you peace of mind while you or your loved one is in rehab.
Phases of Addiction
The term “drug” refers to any chemical substance that alters the chemistry of the brain, affects feelings and perceptions, or changes the way the body functions.
Damage to Health
By the time someone reaches the addiction stage, he or she may have stopped caring about how drugs are affecting the body’s health. On the other hand, some people may be terrified of what is happening to their bodies yet feel that they are powerless to stop the damage.
Addiction and Pregnancy
Illegal drug use by the mother poses serious dangers to her unborn baby. Using street drugs while pregnant may cause: 4
Damage to Relationships
Some of the greatest dangers of addiction don’t involve injury, illness, or homicide but the death of close personal relationships.
Addiction and Crime
It’s no coincidence that drug-related crime has become a growing concern of government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.
Loss of Self
The final danger of addiction is the loss of self. This loss of self happens when personal relationships are abandoned, integrity is destroyed, and dreams are given up for the sake of drugs. Many addicts feel like they’re fighting an internal battle between the part of them that wants to recover and the part that’s intent on destruction.
What are the long term effects of cocaine?
Among the long-term (and possibly permanent) effects of cocaine are a decrease in bone density and muscle mass, ...
How does meth affect the body?
Other long-term, physical effects of meth include damage to blood vessels, which impedes the regular flow of blood to all parts of the body . Without the ability to heal itself, even minor injuries can become infected and worsen, and the skin itself loses many of its healing and protective properties. Many users develop small sores all over their body, which, coupled with the formication, can become open and oozing. As with most stimulants, meth causes bursts of involuntary activity, including teeth-grinding. Coupled with the poor diet and bad hygiene that are symptoms of a substance abuse problem, heavy meth addicts tend to have broken and rotting teeth. Meth dries the salivary glands, which removes the protective layer of the mouth’s natural acids; any sugary or acidic foods consumed during a meth binge further damage the teeth, causing numerous cavities. Former addicts require extensive dental work and careful dietary supervision in order to ensure that their teeth and gums grow (back) properly during recovery. While some of the effects of severe methamphetamine abuse may be cosmetic and can be reversed, what the drug does inside the body is much less forgiving. The extreme stress on blood vessels increases the risk of stroke, which can cause permanent brain damage or death.
How does alcohol affect the liver?
Too much alcohol can damage and even destroy the cells of the liver. Under normal circumstances, the liver simply breaks down alcohol for removal by the body, but too much alcohol overwhelms the liver, causing a number of conditions that threaten the rest of the body, such as alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis.
What are the factors that influence the long-term physical effects of cocaine?
Some of these factors include: Timespan (the duration of the cocaine use) Frequency of consumption. What type of cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride versus the freebase “crack” form of the drug)
What are the effects of alcohol on the body?
Alcoholic-Induced Strokes. Alcohol and Liver Damage. Life-Threatening Effects. Drug abuse has devastating effects on the mind, behavior, and relationships, but the permanent effects of drugs on the body can slowly destroy vital systems and functions, culminating in permanent disability or even death. Even legal drugs, taken to excess, can cause ...
What is the condition where the body is progressively weakened and its muscles thinned by constant alcohol consumption?
Conditions include alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease where the organ is progressively weakened and its muscles thinned by constant alcohol consumption. This affects the efficiency of the heart’s blood-pumping mechanisms, causing a lack of flow to the body’s major organs and systems.
Does cocaine affect your body?
On its own, cocaine can also cause lasting damage to food and liquid intake, resulting in permanent changes to body weight (or a “profound metabolic alteration,” in the words of the Appetite journal) regardless of diet.
What is the result of abuse of drugs?
A result of abuse of many drugs is addiction, especially if that drug is taken illegally or improperly. Luckily, there are many dedicated drug rehab treatment providers that can help.
Why do people take diet pills?
Diet pills are designed to help users lose weight and keep it off once it is gone. The primary role of diet pills is to suppress appetite, but they can also cause increased energy and euphoria. Diet pills vary tremendously in terms of their addictive potential, but most come with some risk.
How do inhalants work?
Inhalants include a very large number of substances, linked primarily by how they are taken. Inhalants are sniffed or huffed, causing chemicals to enter the body through the nasal canal. When some chemicals enter the body in this way, they create a short, generally mild high.
What is the purpose of stimulants?
Generally, man-made stimulants are designed to enhance performance or treat mental disorders. However, the surge of dopamine caused by many stimulants can result in feelings of intense pleasure. The combination of temporary pleasure and perceived performance enhancement make many stimulants popular choices for abuse.
What is a stimulant?
Stimulants, also known as “uppers,” are a class of drug that provides extra energy and concentration. These drugs typically provide a rush to users and make them more active. There are a wide range of stimulants, most of which are man-made. Generally, man-made stimulants are designed to enhance performance or treat mental disorders. However, the surge of dopamine caused by many stimulants can result in feelings of intense pleasure. The combination of temporary pleasure and perceived performance enhancement make many stimulants popular choices for abuse.
Why is ecstasy considered a club drug?
Ecstasy is known as a club drug because it is very popular at raves. Ecstasy is dangerous on its own, as it causes major damage to the body, especially the brain and the heart. However, Ecstasy is very often mixed with other substances such as LSD and heroin, making the drug even more dangerous.
Can stimulants be addictive?
Unfortunately, some stimulants are among the most addictive of all substances. These drugs are notoriously difficult to stop using and can lead to years of abuse and dependence. Stimulants also have highly damaging effects on the body after long term abuse, with heart and lung problems being especially common.
What is the most dangerous drug?
1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Common names for Acetaminophen include Tylenol, Mapap, and Feverall. This drug is regularly used for pain relief and is considered to be the most dangerous on this list due its potential to cause liver damage and toxicity.
How much higher risk of dying from antidepressants than people who are not taking the drugs?
Those taking antidepressants have a 33% higher risk of dying prematurely than people who are not taking the drugs. Additionally, antidepressant users are 14% more likely to have an adverse cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart attack. 6. Anti-Hypertensives.
How many people die from acetaminophen overdose?
Analysis of national mortality files shows about 450 deaths occur each year from acetaminophen-associated overdoses; 100 of these are unintentional.
How many people died from heroin in 2016?
In 2016, opioid overdoses, including those related to heroin, accounted for more than 42,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. 15.
What is the drug that is used to treat bacterial infections?
8. Clarithromycin. Clarithromycin, also known as Biaxin, is an antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
How many people die from alcohol?
An estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually. In addition to causing health issues such as cancer, liver damage, hypertension, heart disease, and fetal damage, alcohol abuse increases the risk of injuries, suicide, violence, and motor accidents.
Can NSAIDs cause death?
These drugs have been linked to cardiovascular issues, acute renal failure, prostate cancer, and new-onset diabetes in consumers – all of which can result in death. When combined with NSAIDs or diuretics, the possibility of experiencing these health risks is amplified and can lead to fatality. 7.
Ranking the Harm Done by Drugs
Alcohol is the most dangerous drug, but how can that be determined? A study conducted by members of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs ranked 20 different drugs on a scale of 100 to determine which were the most harmful.
Why Alcohol Is so Harmful
There are a handful of factors that make alcohol the most dangerous drug, including:
How Gateway Foundation Can Help
Though it may be difficult to decide you need help or to help a loved one get the support they need, there are ways to safely and effectively address addiction. Gateway Foundation is dedicated to helping people find their way out of the difficult cycle of addiction.
