If you or someone you love are suffering from the effects of drug abuse, we are here to help. When someone abuses drugs, the effects are felt not only by the abuser, but by the people who are close to that person. For the person who is using, the effects of drug abuse can be physical and are always psychological. Families and friends are often affected as well, because they are hurt by the person they love that’s using.
Knowing the Effects of Drug Abuse
Drug abuse occurs when someone uses illicit drugs or misuses prescription drugs for a period of at least a year or longer. This use, or misuse, causes an addiction to the drug of choice. This abuse causes a psychological addiction to the drug. Psychological addictions can make the abuser think he or she needs this drug in order to function normally. The abuser may use as a means to escape personal problems, depression, or anxiety.
A person who abuses drugs is putting their lives in great danger. Drugs affect how the heart functions and can cause hypertension. The effects of drug abuse can further cause seizures, brain damage, kidney damage, and liver damage. Sometimes a person who is using drugs will stop breathing and die. In any case, the body’s systems are damaged after a person has abused drugs. Families of drug abusers are also affected. Spouses of abusers often hide what his or her spouse is doing or deny the problem really exists. One of the most common co-dependent behaviors of loved ones is the tendency to give money to the abuser for whatever reason. The abuser often makes promises to his or her loved ones, only to break those promises repeatedly.
Get Help if You Notice These Effects of Drug Abuse
There are both short-term and long-term effects of drug abuse. These effects happen to the abuser, as well as his or her loved ones. Psychological dependence makes the abuser think he or she needs the drug in order to function, while families tend to hide the problem for as long as possible in order to make life easier for everyone. Get help if you notice these effects of drug abuse in yourself or a loved one.
To learn more about the effects of drug abuse and how we can help with your problem, please contact us today.