What are some of the drawbacks of addiction?
Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by the inability to stop using a substance or engaging in particularly harmful behaviour. It has a variety of negative psychological, physiological, and personal consequences.
Addiction issues are frequently determined by the substance or behaviour used. For example, if you have a sex addiction, you’re more likely to engage in sexual practices that can lead to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Injecting intravenous (IV) drugs with non-sterilized needles can spread hepatitis C, HIV, and other infectious diseases.
Various complications frequently disrupt a person with addiction’s daily life. These factors often feed off one another, resulting in increased health risks.
Physical complications
Excessive use of mood- or physiology-altering substances might harm you in various ways.
Snorting cocaine through the nose, for example, can destroy nasal cartilage, and ingesting opiates can cause opiate-induced constipation, a persistent and potentially fatal form of constipation if not treated.
Tobacco usage has been linked to various malignancies, and smoking methamphetamine has been related to a severe form of tooth rot known as “meth mouth.”
Injury: Depending on the approach, this can happen during a medicine delivery. Injecting heroin with a needle, for example, can cause skin and muscle damage at the injection site, and many people use narcotics via smoking, which can cause lung damage and respiratory infections.
While drunk, accidents can happen. Drug use frequently impairs coordination and balance, resulting in falls and accidents. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is illegal in most countries, and it was responsible for 28 per cent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States in 2016.
Some substances cause people to have violent reactions and make them more likely to engage in dangerous or aggressive conduct.
Overdosing occurs when a person consumes too much of one substance or when two or more substances are mixed. While drugs and pharmaceuticals can cause this, it is more likely to happen in someone who uses a sense to change their mood or recreational purposes.
Overdosing can cause unconsciousness and death. On average, 115 people in the United States die from overdosing on opioid pills every day.
Blood pressure and heart rate spikes are caused by various substances, putting stress on the heart and blood vessels and raising the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death.
Loss of hygiene and routine: Addiction can take over a person’s life, and the brain’s reward circuits can rewire to prioritize the substance or behaviour at the heart of the addiction over nourishment, resolving stressful circumstances, and sanitation.
Addiction can also mean that a person spends a significant amount of money each month on the substance, putting them at risk of malnutrition.
Addiction can sometimes lead to homelessness, which reduces protection and resources while also increasing exposure to the elements.
Damage to the foetus: If a woman uses substances while pregnant, the foetus may develop congenital abnormalities or even die.
Psychological complications
Drugs and mental health have a two-way link. Addiction may be preceded by mental health concerns such as sadness and anxiety.
On the other hand, drug usage can trigger the symptoms of these illnesses and cause them to develop when they weren’t previously present.
Addiction affects not just a person’s physical processes but also their mental state. Some brain circuits are altered as a result of drug usage.
Problems of a personal nature
Addiction has the potential to alter relationships with those closest to the addict. These factors can exacerbate addiction’s effects on the brain and body.
Relationships: Obtaining the substance or engaging in the behaviour at the foundation of addiction frequently takes precedence over commitments to others, including family and dependents.
Finances: Addiction can push a person further away from their place of employment and financial responsibilities, not to mention the costs of routinely acquiring narcotics or pursuing behavioural inclinations. This can lead to complications, which can exacerbate the various health problems that can occur due to addiction.
Many psychoactive chemicals are illegal, and merely possessing them can lead to incarceration. People may turn to criminality to pay for their drug abuse, especially when drug addiction can lead to unemployment as the substance or behaviour begins to take the place of personal duties.