Drug Abuse and Addiction

  

Consequences of Drug Abuse-

Drug and alcohol use is a complex game of Russian roulette. The signs of abuse may not be immediately apparent and your issues can fly under the radar for weeks, months, or even years. Eventually, without notice, an addiction may develop and everything can fall apart. This can make a previously bright future become incredibly hazy.

Overdose-

Even short bouts of substance use have the potential to wreak havoc on a person’s body. While different drugs and substances can affect the body in a variety of ways, sickness can occur for even those who use these casually. In some cases, even one use may be enough for an overdose, which is when the user’s bloodstream is teeming with toxins and the body can’t detoxify itself quick enough to be able to function properly. Overdose can be fatal. And all of that could happen with just one use. Prolonged abuse of drugs and alcohol can have even more significant side effects on the body.

How the Immune System Is Affected-

Abusing drugs and alcohol over an extended period of time can have significant side effects on the immune system.

Long-term alcohol abuse can impair several aspects of the immune system in several ways, including:

• Digestion – It can damage cells in the digestive tract, greatly inhibiting how the body secretes enzymes for digestion.

• Handling of vitamins and protein – Along with slowing down how the body absorbs necessary protein, it can slow down and damage the liver, which affects how effectively it stores essential vitamins.

• Reduction in white blood cells – It can greatly reduce the body’s white blood cell multiplication rate, which can impact how the body responds to cancers and other life-threatening diseases

• Respiratory and lung damage – Because of inhalation — especially concerning the toxins of marijuana smoke — the damage to the lungs can be dramatic. Inflammation of the lungs and damage to the bronchioles are common.

• Dehydration – Certain drugs — methamphetamines in particular — can dry out the body’s mucous membranes, leaving the user vulnerable to infections and diseases

• Exhaustion and insomnia – Certain drugs greatly affect the body’s sleeping habits. When sleep deprivation occurs at dangerous levels, the immune system is weakened and the body becomes susceptible to all sorts of diseases.

While different kinds of drugs have varying effects on the immune system, long-term drug abuse is dangerous. Its effects include:

Any and all of these effects greatly elevate a teen’s risk of acquiring HIV and AIDS. The liver is also vulnerable to infections such as Hepatitis B and C. All of these can have snowball effects on the body, Further pushing the body to susceptibility to infections, tumors, and other health problems.

How the Heart Is Affected-

By elevating heart rate and disrupting heartbeat (i.e. causing arrhythmia), certain substances can deliver their highs at the expense of heart health. Even casual and recreational use over time can have profound effects on the heart. An addiction only amplifies these effects.

Cocaine in particular is dubbed “the perfect heart attack drug” for a number of reasons. Abusing the drug can cause an 18% increase in the thickness of the ventricle wall and over a 30% increase in the stiffening of the aorta — 2 major factors that increase risks of heart attack and stroke.

Other drugs like amphetamine and ecstasy also impact long-term cardiovascular health by elevating heart rate and increasing blood pressure, both of which increase risks of heart disease and stroke.

How the Brain Is Affected-

The effects of drug and alcohol use are perhaps strongest in the brain, which is where the initial rush of toxic chemicals is first felt. Prolonged abuse of these substances impacts the structure and function of the brain. And considering that adolescence is when the brain is malleable and still developing, any alterations to the brain during this time can have long-lasting implications. In particular, heavy drug or alcohol use during this time in the teen’s development can hinder motor skills, logic, reasoning, and memory function. These effects may manifest in your teen even as they mature into adulthood.

Studies indicate that there may be a correlation between heavy drug use and co-occurring mental disorders In some instances, how the brain is remapped and reconfigured over years of drug- or alcohol-dependent behavior can keep the brain in an altered state. This is what happens in certain cases of long-term cocaine or meth use, where panic attacks and hallucinations persist even after the person has long stopped using the drugs.

Most glaringly, a teen’s mental health can deteriorate over time with substance abuse and addiction, leading to issues like depression, withdrawal, and extreme irritability. The risk of teen suicide increases when substance abuse causes chemical imbalances in the brain. This dependency on drugs — especially the craving of the effects of those drugs — can make the user feel low when the high wears off. These severe highs and lows contribute to feelings of depression, a general lack of interest, and worries that the world is out to get them. Studies show that 70% of teen suicides are influenced in one way or another by drug and alcohol abuse.

How Finances Are Affected-

Money issues are often associated with addiction. As problems arise with work, law enforcement, and your health, it can also drain the family’s financial and emotional resources, causing tension and stress. Under the spell of addiction, individuals may resort to stealing money straight from the pockets of loved ones. The potential consequences of their substance habit can be traumatic enough; when an addiction pushes loved ones out of the picture, countless users are left to deal with their problems alone.

So that's all about it .