The signs of drug addiction and abuse involve changes in behavior, personality, and physical appearance. If you were concerned about the loved one’s substance use, here are few of a red flags to watch out for:
• Changes in school or working performance
• Secretiveness
• Relationship issues
• Risk-taking behavior
• Legal issues
• Aggression
• Mood swings
• Changes in friends or hobbies
• Sudden weight loss or gain
• Unexplained odors on body or clothing
Drug Addiction in Men and Women
Men and women were equally likely to develop drug addictions. However, men were more likely than women to usage illicit drugs, die from the drug overdose, and visiting the emergency room for addiction-connected health reasons. Women were more susceptible to intense cravings and repeated relapses.
Effects of Drug Addiction
People could become addicted to some psychoactive (“mind-altering”) substance. Common addictive substances involve stimulants, alcohol, tobacco (nicotine), opioids and hallucinogens.
Many of the effects of drug addiction were similar, no matter what substance someone usage. The following were few of the most common effects of drug addiction.
Effects of Drug Addiction on the Body
Drug addiction could lead to the variety of physical consequences range in seriousness from drowsiness to organ death and damage:
• Shallow breathing
• Elevating body temperature
• Rapid heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Drowsiness
• Impaired coordination and slurred speech
• Increased or Decreased appetite
• Tooth decay
• Skin damaged
• Sexual dysfunction
• Infertility
• Seizures
• Kidney damage
• Liver cirrhosis and damage
• Various formats of cancer
• Stroke
• Cardiovascular issues
• Lung problems
• Death and Overdose
If left untreated drug addiction could lead to serious, life-altering effects on the body.
Dependence and withdrawal also impacts the body:
• Withdrawal: When someone with the dependence stops usage the drug, they could experience withdrawal symptoms such as excessive sweating, tremors, panic, difficulty breathing, fatigue, irritability, and flu-like symptoms.
Effects of Drug Addiction on Brain.
All basic functions in the body were regulated by brain. But, more than that, the brain was who you are. It controls how you interpret and responded to life experiences and the ways you behave as the result of undergoing those experiences.
Drugs alter significant zones of brain. When someone continues to usage drugs, their health could deteriorate both neurologically and psychologically.
Some of the most usual mental effects of drug addiction were:
• Cognitive decline
• Memory loss
• Mood changes and paranoia
• Poor self/impulse control
• Disruption to zones of brain controlling basic functions (heart rate, breathing, sleep, etc.)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Psychosis
Effects of Drug Addiction on Behavior.
Psychoactive substances impacts the parts of the mind that involved risk, reward, and pleasure. They produced a sense of well-being and euphoria by flooding the mind with dopamine.
This leads humans to compulsively usage drugs in search of other euphoric high. The consequences of these neurological changes could be either permanent or temporary.
• Difficult concentrating
• Irritability
• Aggression
• Angry outbursts
• Lack of inhibition
• Decrease pleasure/enjoyment in the regular life (e.g., eating, socializing, and sex)
• Hallucinations
• Excessive crying
• Tremors
• Sleeping and feeding problems
• Seizures
Kids exposed to drugs before birth might go on to create issues with thinking, behavior, and attention. It’s unclear whether prenatal drug exposure continues to impact behavior and the mind beyond adolescence.
Treatment
While there was no single “cure” for the drug addiction, there were ways to treat it. Treatment could support you control the addiction and stay drug-free. The primary procedure of treating drug addiction involve:
Psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or family therapy, could support someone with the drug addiction develop healthier ways of behaving and thinking.
Medication.
Certain prescribed medications support to ease withdrawal symptoms. Some examples were naltrexone (for alcohol), bupropion (for nicotine), and methadone (for opioids).
Hospitalization.
Few people with drug addiction might required to be hospitalized to detox from the substance before starting longer-term treatment.
A combination of behavioral and medication therapy had been found to have the high success rates in preventing relapse and promoted recovery. Forming an individualized treatment plan with a healthcare provider’s support was likely to be an effective approached.