Addiction is one of the highest killers around the world. In the USA alone, statistics show that over 7 million people suffer from substance use disorder. Additionally, one out of four deaths witnessed across the state often results from drug abuse-related complications. The numbers are scary considering that addiction isn’t easy to defeat, and more and more people are introduced to substance abuse every day. However, there’s hope in getting medical and emotional support to retake charge of your life. Read more about drug and alcohol rehabilitation here.
What is Drug Addiction?
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Alcohol and drug addiction, medically known as substance use disorder, is a complication that affects a person’s brain functioning and behaviour. It comes from the continued illegal use of prescription medication or illicit drugs and substances. Addiction can affect anyone from any ethnic group or age, regardless of why they started using drugs. According to CDC’s research, youths are even at more risk, and most adult addicts began using the drugs in their youthful years.
Most people start by experimenting with recreational drugs out of curiosity, abusing drugs to fit into a group of friends, or controlling stress and anxiety. Whichever the reason, if you don’t pull out early enough, you may find yourself swimming in the sea of addiction. Here, the drug manipulates your brain’s functioning, impacts your ability to make choices, and becomes very hard to stop using.
Every attempt you make to revert things at the addiction stage leads to intense cravings and, sometimes, physical pains, also called withdrawal effects.
What are the Signs of Addiction?
Drug abuse starts with a voluntary one-time sip, jab, or puff. At first, you only need a small quantity to feel high, and you can control how much you take and how frequently. However, addiction breaks all the rules and limits you set for yourself.
Also, the duration it takes to start noticing the signs may depend on the strength of the drug you’re using. Powerful Opioid painkillers, for example, may manifest sooner. Here are some pointers that you may need help with your substance abuse.
- When you can’t voluntarily stop taking the substance
- When you spend quality time using the drug or recovering from its effects
- When you need a higher quantity than you used to feel high
- When you keep trying to convince yourself and others that the drug isn’t a problem
- When you intensely crave for the substance, enough to disrupt other thoughts from your mind
The Effects of Alcohol and Substance Addiction
The effects of substance abuse disorder can range from the minor falls and scratches to severe health issues that could end or alter your life forever. The gravity of the effects and how soon they start to affect your health may depend on the drugs you’re abusing and the form of admission. Effects of injections, for instance, manifest sooner and maybe more severe since the substances go directly into the bloodstream.
Similarly, people suffering from this condition often associate with domestic violence and suffer unintentional accidents and injuries. Here are health complications that arise from excessively using the drugs.
- Weakened immunity
- Lung disease
- Abdominal pains
- Nausea and loss of appetite, which causes weight loss
- Struggles in keeping memory, attention, and decision-making
- Brain damage
- Seizures
- Mental Confusion
- Behavioural problems, including impaired judgment, hallucinations, paranoia, etc
- Risk of developing liver failure or damage
While many people think that drug addiction is a habit you can effortlessly stop, those suffering from the disorder know for sure that that’s almost impossible. However, it’s possible to recover from excessive use of drugs. It all starts by acknowledging that your substance abuse is a problem to you and the people around you and that you need help. Once you’ve made the verdict, there are several organizations and institutions that can help you fight the condition through medication and emotional support. Join and start your journey towards reclaiming your life.
