Using drugs and alcohol may seem like an easy way to escape from everyday life, but it can actually do a lot of damage. Eventually, it can turn into a full-blown addiction and affect your entire life.
Drugs and alcohol can cause permanent damage to your body and brain. They can also lead to blackouts, overdoses and death.
Long-Term Damage
Long-term effects of drug and alcohol use can impact a person’s health in a number of ways. These can include altered brain chemistry, health complications, infections, legal issues, financial problems and even accidental injuries or death.
Many people do not realize how much these substances can change a person’s life. Understanding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse can help a person make better choices about their drinking habits, whether that means cutting back on the substance or getting help for addiction.
The long-term effects of drug and alcohol abuse can have serious consequences on a person’s life, but many of these impacts are preventable. If you think you might be abusing drugs or alcohol, contact a licensed addiction treatment center for advice and support.
One of the biggest threats to your health is the fact that these substances can cause severe, permanent damage to your body and brain. While there is some hope that these changes can be reversed over time, they can take years to happen.
Alcohol, for example, is a depressant that slows down the central nervous system and reduces the brain’s ability to process information and regulate basic functions of the body. This includes the ability to control breathing and circulation, allowing oxygen to reach the cells in the brain and lungs.
This can lead to respiratory failure and oxygen deprivation, which can cause suffocation or choking and eventually brain damage or death. In addition to causing breathing difficulties, alcohol can also increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
These risks can be especially damaging for young people, who are still developing their brains. In fact, NIH is currently launching a national study to explore the ways that drugs affect teen brains.
The study will examine how underage substance use changes the brain and how these changes can impact a teenager’s academic achievement, IQ and thinking skills. It will also track how these changes affect the student’s mental health and well-being over the course of a decade.
Over time, this can affect a person’s personality and behavior, affecting their mood, thinking abilities and decision-making skills. This can lead to anxiety and depression. Moreover, it can change the levels of chemicals in the brain that are known to be linked with mental illness and disorders.
Short-Term Damage
Drugs and alcohol can have a serious impact on your health. They can cause both short-term and long-term problems. The effects of these substances can vary from person to person and depend on the type of substance, amount taken, and how long you have used it.
When you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your judgment can become impaired. This can lead to poor decision-making and risky behavior. These decisions could result in a crime, relationship issues, or even physical harm.
Drinking too much alcohol can also affect your internal organs. It can weaken your immune system and make it harder for you to fight off disease.
In addition to causing damage to your organs, drugs and alcohol can also negatively impact your mental health. These substances can interfere with your ability to think clearly and function normally, causing symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
They can also disrupt your sleep patterns, affecting your mood and ability to focus. This can lead to irritability, anger and anxiety.
Many drugs and alcohol can also reduce your inhibitions, allowing you to act in ways that you wouldn’t otherwise. You might become impulsive or antisocial and do things that are inappropriate or embarrassing for your family, friends, or work.
You may also be more likely to commit a crime or get into a fight when you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. These behaviors can be difficult to break free of once you have been drinking or taking drugs for a while, so it’s important to stop using them as soon as possible.
Your heart, liver, and brain can also be damaged by overuse of drugs and alcohol. This can lead to problems such as high blood pressure, stroke and a heart attack.
Some drugs can interfere with your breathing, putting you at risk for acute respiratory failure. This is most common with benzos, opioids, amphetamines, cocaine and alcohol.
Other types of drugs can affect your ability to resist unwanted contact or remember what happened to you. These include GHB and flunitrazepam, which are referred to as “date rape” drugs.
Addiction
Drug and alcohol addiction is a disease that causes long-term health problems, often including death. People who develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol are unable to control their drug use even when they want to stop. They often have trouble with relationships, jobs and other aspects of life because of their drug use.
Addiction is a medical condition that affects the brain’s reward center. Over time, repeated drug use causes the brain to lose its ability to produce normal amounts of dopamine, a chemical that makes people feel happy and relaxed. This means addicted people become more and more dependent on drugs to get the same feelings.
Many factors can lead to addiction, but the most common ones include:
Environmental and lifestyle conditions such as poverty, violence, having access to drugs, taking drugs during adolescence and experiencing extreme stress or trauma. Genetics can also play a role in developing an addiction.
The type of drug used is important as well, since some drugs are more harmful than others. For example, opioids such as oxycodone are dangerous because they can cause serious mental health issues and even death.
A person who becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol will need treatment to stop using and live a healthy life. This includes detox, medication, counseling and rehabilitation.
Medications and other therapies can help alleviate symptoms of withdrawal, and a rehabilitation program will teach you new coping skills to manage your addiction. Your provider can recommend a program that is best for you and your needs.
Physical signs and symptoms can include:
Changes in your appearance, such as bloodshot eyes, shaky tremors, or frequent bloody noses; fatigue and poor concentration; increased sweating and irritability; nausea and vomiting; or changes in weight. These can be signs of an underlying medical problem, such as a liver or heart condition, and should not be ignored.
Emotional signs and symptoms can include:
Loss of hope or feeling of emptiness; anxiety, sadness or depressed mood; thoughts of self-harm; loss of interest in other things; difficulty sleeping; and feeling guilty about using drugs.
Withdrawal
When you suddenly stop taking a drug or drink, your body begins to undergo a withdrawal process. This process can have serious and even fatal effects on your health, which is why it’s important to seek help during this time.
Withdrawal symptoms may last from days to weeks, depending on the type of substance you’re withdrawing from and your overall health. Some symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, are easily treated with over-the-counter medications, while others require professional medical intervention.
Medications that reduce the severity of withdrawal can help you get through this difficult time and prevent relapse. These drugs include anti-anxiety medications, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics.
A healthy diet can also help to alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms, as it provides you with plenty of nutrients and energy. It’s also a good idea to stay hydrated during this time, as drinking enough water can help you feel better and keep your brain functioning properly.
You can help to alleviate some of the symptoms of withdrawal by focusing on eating nutritious meals, exercising and getting enough sleep. You should also talk to a doctor about how to best manage your symptoms so that you can avoid relapse in the future.
Some alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur within the first few hours after the person stops using, while others can develop several days or even months later. The most severe of these symptoms, delirium tremens (DTs), can be life-threatening if left untreated.
This condition occurs in about 1 out of 20 people who have withdrawal symptoms, and it can be fatal if not treated immediately. The symptoms can include a fever, headaches, dizziness and seizures.
The most common causes of DTs are withdrawal, chronic illness and trauma. Other risk factors include cirrhosis of the liver, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Withdrawal is an inevitable part of addiction, but it’s important to receive professional treatment when you are experiencing it so that it doesn’t cause further damage or relapse. It’s also helpful to have a support system, such as family members or friends, that will check in with you throughout the detox process and offer advice.