There is no harm in having a healthy obsession. But if you are addicted to drugs, it can be a significant threat to your physical and mental health. It has long-term effects on your mind and body that also disrupt your personal and professional life.
Consumption of any drug impacts your health. From weed to heroin, cocaine to crystal meth, every drug affects your physical and mental capabilities in different ways. Nobody gets addicted to drugs overnight. All drug addicts develop this unhealthy habit slowly due to the wrong company or peer pressure. Some people start taking drugs to look cool and modern, but they do not understand the life-threatening side effects. Let’s explore different health issues and effects that drugs cause and why you should quit them.
- Effects on Brain
The brain is our body’s primary organ that controls us by giving instructions on what we have to do. When you are high on drugs, your brain is not in control, and you are not aware of your surroundings. That is why it is essential to consider treatment options in the early stages of drug addiction to avoid any significant brain issues. The brain is one of the most sensitive parts of the body. So, it is essential to look for different treatment programs in your area or city as early as possible. There are several groups available, like the Delphi Health Group, that allow you to explore your treatment options.
Drugs generate pleasure sensation that affects the functioning of the brain. It produces the neurotransmitter known as dopamine that triggers extreme feelings of pleasure. Such a sense of joy forces a drug addict to consume drugs again and again. Eventually, it leaves harmful effects on the brain as a person struggles to feel any pleasure at all as time goes by. Once it happens, drug users start feeling constant depression and lifeless which harms their overall mental health. Apart from variable dopamine levels, long-term drug abuse also affects the brain in different ways. It includes memory loss, damaged brain cells, impaired cognitive function, and changes in neurons. But if you seek proper treatment to quit drugs and detox your body, your brain can recover and regain its strength.
- Effects on Immune System
Drugs injected through intravenous procedures badly affect your immune system and cause different infections due to sharing dirty syringes. Snorting or smoking different kinds of drugs also causes respiratory diseases.
Alcohol, cocaine, and different types of drugs harm the immune system’s ability to create new white blood cells. It also decreases the immune response to any particular infection. A poor immune system makes your body vulnerable, and you can quickly get ill. You cannot expect your body to fight infections or viruses continuous drug abuse. So, you must leave drugs to strengthen your immune system and regain old strength back.
- Effects on Cardiovascular System
Taking drugs for years affects your cardiovascular system and the circulation of blood in your body. It also causes unstable blood pressure associated with problems like blood clots, coronary arterial dissection, and ischemic injury. Many people die every year due to an overdose of drugs like methamphetamines and cocaine that causes cardiac arrest.
Just like the brain, your heart is also the vital organ of the body. If it is not working correctly, then your life is under a severe threat. According to medical experts, continuous drug consumption causes cardiac valve infections, vascular inflammation, and the risk of different blood-borne diseases.
- Effects on Respiratory System
Smoking different types of drugs affect alveoli in the lungs that weakens your respiratory system. You become susceptible to various breathing infections. For example, if you overdose on opioids (a class of drug), it can cause hypoxia, a condition where oxygen does not reach tissues and cells in the body. Most of the addicts face breathing problems due to long-time drug abuse. Their body becomes starved of oxygen that also affects other organ systems.
- Effects on Liver
The liver is responsible for the detoxification of different consumed substances and nutrient metabolization. Taking a high quantity of certain drugs affects the liver tissues, and it starts to break down. Constant consumption of heroin, steroids, inhalants and alcohol damages the liver and causes hepatitis and cirrhosis. Especially alcohol consumption can lead to different liver issues such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, and in worst-case scenarios, it can cause liver cancer.
- Effects on Kidney
The primary function of the kidney is to filter the toxins out of your blood. The presence of any drug in your blood is harmful to your kidney. It prevents your kidney from functioning correctly and filtering out the toxins. There is a condition known as rhabdomyolysis in which muscle tissue breakdowns and the toxic level of cells increases in the body. This condition is associated with heavy alcohol consumption that also damages your kidney.
Once toxins are not filtering out of your system, it can cause permanent kidney damage, and then you will need dialysis. Drugs like opioids and heroin cause respiratory depression that also results in kidney damage. The impurities and additives that enter your body through heavy drugs usage also damage the vessels that supply blood to the kidney. It can also harm other vital organs of your body that can result in different health issues.
It is one of the toughest challenges to quit drugs and get your life back on track. The pleasure of drugs only lasts for few moments, but its harmful effects remain with you for an extended period. You must seek professional assistance to leave drugs and to begin an everyday life again. The role of parents and all family members is also crucial in this situation. They have to take the proper measures to ensure improvement in the condition of the patient. Doing research also helps you find the best rehab center where you can get quality treatment under the supervision of experienced medical experts. It may seem an impossible task, but if there is a will, there is a way. Remember that tough times don’t last, but tough people do.