The Physical & Mental Effects of Drug Abuse

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• The Physical Mental Effects of Drug Abuse

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• Drugs are chemicals that affect the body and
  brain. Different drugs can have different
  effects. Some effects of drugs include health
  consequences that are long-lasting and permanent.
  They can even continue after a person has stopped
  taking the substance.
• There are a few ways a person can take drugs,
  including injection, inhalation and ingestion.
  The effects of the drug on the body can depend on
  how the drug is delivered. For example, the
  injection of drugs directly into the bloodstream
  has an immediate impact, while ingestion has a
  delayed effect. But all misused drugs affect the
  brain. They cause large amounts of dopamine, a
  neurotransmitter that helps regulate our
  emotions, motivation and feelings of pleasure, to
  flood the brain and produce a high. Eventually,
  drugs can change how the brain works and
  interfere with a persons ability to make
  choices, leading to intense cravings and
  compulsive drug use. Over time, this behavior can
  turn into a substance dependency, or drug
  addiction.

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THE EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE ON HEALTH

• Short-term effects
• Drugs are chemical compounds that affect the mind
  and body. The exact effects vary among
  individuals and also depend on the drug, dosage,
  and delivery method.
• Using any drug, even in moderation or according
  to a medical prescription, can have short-term
  effects.
• For instance, c onsuming one or two servings of
  alcohol can lead to mild intoxication. A person
  may feel relaxed, uninhibited, or sleepy.

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• Nicotine from cigarettes and other tobacco
  products raises blood pressure and increases
  alertness.
• Using a prescription opioid as a doctor has
  instructed helps relieve moderate-to-severe pain,
  but opioids can also cause drowsiness, shallow
  breathing, and constipation.
• Abusing a drug, or misusing a prescription
  medication, can produce other short-term effects,
  such as
• ? changes in appetite
• ? sleeplessness or insomnia
• ? increased heart rate
• ? slurred speech
• ? changes in cognitive ability
• ? a temporary sense of euphoria
• ? loss of coordination

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• LONG-TERM DRUG ADDICTION EFFECTS
• The longer an addiction lasts, the more stress
  and strain it puts on the individual. There is an
  overwhelming number of long-term physical and
  emotional effects addiction can have that can
  easily turn a healthy man or woman into a frail
  shadow of their former self.
• Addiction is frequently intertwined with other
  mental health issues, but this relationship
  doesnt always have a clear directionality. For
  example, people who suffer from mood or anxiety
  disorders are almost twice as likely to also
  suffer from a substance use disorder, and people
  who suffer from substance use disorders are
  approximately twice as likely to also struggle
  with a mood or anxiety disorder.1 It isnt clear
  which issue is causing the other, but the
  relationship is strong nonetheless.1

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Depression

• There is a clear association between substance
  abuse and depression, as well as other mood
  disorders.2 This relationship could be attributed
  to pre existing depression that led to drug abuse
  or it could be that substance use caused changes
  in the brain that increased depressive symptoms.2
  Some people use drugs to self-medicate symptoms
  of depression, but this only alleviates the
  symptoms while the user is high. It may even make
  depression symptoms worse when the user is
  working through withdrawal. Many drugs have a
  withdrawal syndrome that includes depression or
  other mood disturbances, which can complicate
  recovery.

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Anxiety

• Addiction is also associated with anxiety and
  panic disorders.1 Again, the cause is difficult
  to discern and can be different among
  individuals. For one person, they could develop a
  pattern of abuse after using drugs (e.g.,
  benzodiazepines like Xanax) to cope with their
  symptoms. Another person could have a
  long-standing pattern of drug abuse and
  consequently develop anxiety problems. Many
  substances, particularly stimulants like cocaine,
  can cause anxiety as a dose-dependent side
  effects.3 Other drugs, like benzodiazepines, can
  bring about increased anxiety as part of their
  withdrawal syndromes.4

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Paranoia

• Some drugs, like cocaine and marijuana, can cause
  feelings of paranoia that may be amplified with
  long-term abuse.3, 5 On top of this, people
  struggling with addiction may feel that they need
  to hide or lie about their substance use,
  indicating a fear of being caught. The fact that
  many substances of abuse are illegal can also
  contribute to mounting feelings of paranoia among
  long-term substance users.

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Summary

• ? Drug abuse can affect several aspects of a
  persons physical and psychological health.
• ? Certain drugs can lead to drowsiness and slow
  breathing, while others may cause insomnia,
  paranoia, or hallucinations.
• ? Chronic drug use is associated with
  cardiovascular, kidney, and liver disease. ? In
  addition to its physical effects, drug abuse can
  affect physically and mentally in a person's life
  who is suffering from the drug abuse.
• ? Care providers should tailor treatment to a
  persons needs. Community-based organizations and
  state-funded treatment programs usually involve a
  combination of behavioral therapy, group therapy,
  and medication