The negative effects of drug use on one’s health, whether immediate or delayed, may be devastating. Your internal mechanisms rely on a delicate chemical balance, and any disruption to this balance may lead to unpleasant symptoms, no matter how little.
This might be because drug addiction can either create or exacerbate mental health disorders, and the risk factors for both substance misuse and mental health are similar.
Keep reading to find out what are some of the most essential effects drug abuse has on your mental and physical health.
Depression and Addiction
Depression is a severe mental disorder that is closely linked to addiction. There is a direct correlation between these two issues, although it is unclear which arises first.
Major depressive disorder symptoms include lack of motivation, lack of sleep, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, as well as dysregulated emotions.
It might be challenging to diagnose coexisting addiction before substance use treatment has begun since specific withdrawal symptoms are similar to depression symptoms. To overcome depression, most people need to participate in ongoing therapy.
Change in Body Weight
Any change in a person’s weight or hunger levels is accompanied by a corresponding change in their body mass index.
An individual’s metabolism might be affected, and their priorities might change to concentrate only on using drugs they are addicted to and not eating at all.
Substance misuse alters the body’s fat-burning and fat-storing mechanisms, which in turn may lead to poor eating habits, making it imperative for individuals to seek support such as online addiction treatment in Coconino County to address both the psychological and physiological aspects of their condition.
Changes in appetite and weight may last until a person stops using drugs, although relapse and subsequent weight gain are possible outcomes.
Effects on Unborn Babies
No woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding should ever use drugs or alcohol. The placenta and breast milk may transport any food or drink consumed.
Babies may develop neonatal abstinence syndrome once they can no longer receive the substance used.
Just as with regular addiction, the agonizing withdrawal symptoms seen in neonatal abstinence syndrome are real.
A newborn may have tremors, disturbed sleep, and trouble eating. Seizures may occur in the worst-case scenarios. These are far from the only possible consequences.
Addiction leaves an effect in the form of premature birth, small head circumference, low birth weight, SIDS, and congenital impairments. These are all connected with drug or alcohol use during pregnancy.
Also, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be prudent when quitting alcohol or drugs since some ways can have adverse effects on the baby. It would be best to talk to your doctor first to choose the most secure action.
Cycle of Escapism
When you look at it objectively, it seems like someone with an addiction is consistently rejecting advice and making poor decisions.
But the reality is considerably more complex and subtle, to the point that it may be challenging for individuals to recover from a drug use problem without access to treatment.
Someone who is addicted to drugs finds escape in it when they can’t find it anywhere else. As they sober up and deal with the consequences of their behavior, remorse and shame will inevitably replace this emotion. Nevertheless, many turn to narcotics for comfort as a result of the burden of these emotions.
Conclusion
Wrapping things up, the article brings to light four crucial points: addiction’s close link with depression, its impact on body weight, the threats it poses to unborn babies, and the cycle of escapism it creates.
Addiction takes a heavy toll on people’s lives, and it’s not just financially. It’s a wake-up call for getting the help needed to tackle these issues head-on.