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The Effects of Drug Abuse on Your Body

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It is no surprise that abusing substances, whether they be cocaine, heroin, or prescription medication you received from your doctor, can be dangerous. You may not be aware of how this drug abuse can affect your body.

It is not just the threat of addiction or danger to your mental state that can occur. Your body can also go through a variety of changes, many of which are life-threatening when you abuse drugs or alcohol. When you learn more about the severity of these effects, you can begin to understand why you may need a proper treatment plan at a local drug rehab facility.

Signs of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse occurs when you begin using drugs or alcohol more at each occurrence or more often. Someone abusing drugs often goes out of their way to get more, even doing things that are illegal such as faking an illness to get prescription drugs or using illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or meth.

There are physical, emotional, and behavioral signs of drug abuse. These symptoms will vary depending on the drug being abused, but physical signs include weight loss or weight gain, tooth decay, hair loss, and poor grooming habits, or reduced personal hygiene.

There are also behavioral signs of drug abuse like skipping work or class more frequently, mood swings, violent outbursts that seem random and uncalled for, social isolation, and a sudden lack of interest in hobbies.

Emotional signs include being anxious, paranoid, lethargic, depressed, or showing personality changes like becoming pessimistic when you used to be positive and optimistic.

Physical Effects of Drug Abuse

Your body goes through a variety of changes when you begin abusing drugs. These effects include short-term and long-term effects that range from mild to severe. Depending on the drug being abused, short-term effects include dilated pupils, bloodshot eyes, body tremors, muscle spasms, insomnia, headaches or migraines, nausea and vomiting, confusion, poor concentration, and slurred speech.

Long-term effects can include poor hygiene and declining dental health, memory loss, irregular heartbeat, seizures, and behavioral changes such as mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or depression. There is also a higher risk for hallucinations, respiratory failure, heart palpitations, psychosis, stroke, and heart attack.

Treatment for Drug Abuse

If you or someone you know is showing signs of drug abuse, treatment should be sought immediately. You should be able to find a local drug treatment center that will provide a variety of treatment options in any sort of rehab facility.

You may need medication therapy during the withdrawal and detox period, counseling and support groups, or cognitive behavioral therapy. Regardless of the treatment option you choose, seeking treatment is the first step.

Carly is an aspiring writer who is constantly looking to expand her portfolio by creating content on a plethora of subjects. She has a wide variety of interests and loves writing about anything and everything. She loves that blogging allows her to share her writing with people all over the world.