How drugs affect you

How Drugs Affect Your Life

How Can Drugs Affect Your Life? Learn About the Effects of Drug Addiction and How You Can End Them | Call Today if You Need Help

From the moment when a drug first enters your body, the consequences begin. For some, addiction is right around the corner. This struggle can continue for months or years as you look to break free from the hold that a substance has on your life. How do drugs affect your life? They take over every aspect of your world, creating physical, professional, and behavioral problems that often take a long time to unravel and heal from. Now is the time to learn how drugs affect your life and find a way to achieve a successful recovery. Our accredited facility can help.

Health Risks

The body is the recipient of many of the negative effects of drug use. Each substance causes its own problems in the body. Many create ideal conditions for a heart attack or stroke. Some substances damage vital organs in the body, causing them to eventually shut down. Over the years, it isn’t uncommon to see heart disease, lung disease, or even cancer stemming from addiction. There are also health risks associated with overdosing: In these instances, the result can be death.

While the body works to handle the changes that drugs are making, the mental health of an individual is also at stake. Depression, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide aren’t uncommon for an addict. Sometimes, these issues were present before the substance abuse: In these cases, dual-diagnosis treatment can help patients deal with psychological issues while also working through a program for addiction. Other times, the mental health concerns are a result of a life run by drugs or alcohol.

How Drugs Can Affect Your Life at Work

If you’re physically struggling, there’s a good chance that you aren’t producing at the highest levels at work. Add to thing like blackouts, erratic behavior, and a lack of responsibility and it’s the perfect storm that could ruin your professional life. Things can get even worse if criminal charges come into play. For many, the final result is a lack of employment. Without an income to supply their habit, theft from family members or other crimes may be the next logical step.

Trouble With Relationships

It isn’t easy to hide a drug habit from family and friends. They may not always know that you’re on drugs, but they’re likely to notice changes in your physical appearance or your behavior, causing them to question what is going on. From there, things like dishonesty, harsh words, unpredictability, and a roller-coaster of emotions can put a strain on the relationship.

How do drugs affect your life? Look around at the people you care about: your family and friends. Your struggle with a drug isn’t just about you anymore. The consequences have spilled over onto others who often aren’t sure what to do.

How Can Drugs Affect Your Life Choices?

At some point, drugs become the factor that determines the choices you make. Instead of looking out for your best interests or the best interests of others, you begin to see drugs as the defining factor in your life. You aren’t concerned with taking care of your own needs or safety anymore, aside from your need to get more drugs. This is a slippery slope, quickly bringing you closer to losing everything. How can drugs affect your life? They can take away everything that you love and leave you empty, alone, and hopeless as your life choices move you farther and farther away from a happy life.

It’s Not Too Late: Get Help Now

Learning how drugs can affect your life is the first step toward getting clean. It’s important to understand just what substance abuse can do to every aspect of your life and the lives of those around you. It’s never too late to get help. Call WhiteSands Treatment Center today. We’ll help you through the evaluation process and create a personalized program that is suited to your needs. While some services, like detox and counseling, are to be expected, we also bring together alternative options like yoga and nutritional assistance to help you regain control of your life.

How Drugs Affect the Mind

The effect that a drug has depends on how much of it a person takes. A small amount acts as a stimulant (increases the activity of part or parts of the body). A larger amount is a sedative (lessens the activity of part or parts of the body). But if he takes an even larger amount, the drug becomes a poison and can kill him.

Arsenic is a much more harmful drug than caffeine and is known as a poison. Yet a tiny amount of arsenic is a stimulant. A larger dose puts one to sleep and a few grains of it are enough to kill someone.

All drugs, then, have a bad effect on the body. That effect may be small or great. But there are many drugs which cause other problems as well because they have a bad effect on the mind.

THE MIND

To understand how drugs affect the mind, you need to know something about what the mind is and how it works.

The mind is not the brain. The brain is simply that part of the body inside the head that uses the nerves to send out instructions to different parts of the body.

Your mind is what you use to think, remember and decide. It contains recordings of everything that has happened to you from the very beginning of your life until now. By recording we mean an exact copy of something.

For example, a person remembers having breakfast that morning. Most people, recalling this memory, would see a mental image picture of the table, the food and the room. They would see in their mind the color of the tablecloth and the objects and people in the room. If their ability to recall is good, they would also be able to smell the food and hear the voices of others at the breakfast table.

If they had decided to have another cup of coffee, they would remember making the decision to have a second cup.

All these perceptions of that moment are part of the mental image picture.

For example, a person trips and bangs his head against a wall. Even though he is not seriously hurt and soon recovers, there was a moment of pain and unconsciousness when his head struck the wall. The mental image picture of that moment, complete with all perceptions, is recorded in the mind even though it is below his awareness.

One of the effects of taking drugs is to make a person unconscious. The extent to which he is unconscious may be great or small. But a person under the influence of a drug is not fully aware of what is happening around him.

Let us say he took the LSD at an outdoor rock concert on a hot summer day. He experienced a number of effects from taking the drug. His heart rate increased and his emotions kept changing. He also felt nausea from the smell of cigarette smoke nearby. Sometime during the day he was separated from his friends, panicked and felt anxiety. He also suffered delusions, “hearing” colors and “seeing” sounds. His mind would contain mental image pictures of the whole day’s experiences, including the delusions caused by the LSD.

He might be outside on a hot day and hear loud music playing. Someone nearby might light a cigarette and blow the smoke in his direction. His heart might suddenly begin racing and he would probably feel nauseous. He might feel anxious for no obvious reason. He could also experience again the delusions of “hearing” colors and “seeing” sounds. He has not taken any more of the drug. But the mental pictures have been restimulated.

On this occasion it was events in the man’s surroundings that caused the restimulation. But there is another way in which the restimulation can occur.

Take again the example of the person who took LSD. Sometime later—perhaps years afterward—the residues of the drug that are still in his body can cause a restimulation of what happened when he took it. He experiences the same sensations of a racing heart, nausea and anxiety. Of course, he does not know why. He might also perceive mental images of the persons he was with and the sights and sounds and smells from the incident. Again, he has taken no more of the drug. But this restimulation, which can occur again and again, cuts down his awareness and his abilities. It can even change for the worse his attitudes toward himself and others.

THE TIME TRACK

The continuing record of mental image pictures through a person’s life is called the time track. It is made up of the moment-to-moment events one experiences as he moves through life. However, a person who has taken drugs has mental image pictures not only of what was happening in his surroundings when he took the drug but also of what he experienced as a result of taking the drug. His time track for the period while he was under the drug’s influence is very confused. For example, the mental image pictures of the person’s experiences after taking LSD would include the delusions as well as the events that were actually going on around him at the time.

DRUGS AND PRESENT TIME

Present time means now, or the things that are happening right now. A sane and happy person has his attention in present time and is aware of his surroundings.

If a person is leading an unhappy life, he may feel that present time is too painful to face. So he takes drugs to avoid it. For example, he may drink alcohol to “forget” about his troubles. This sends him out of present time and makes him less conscious so he is not fully aware of what is happening around him.

The problem is that the drug-taker does not afterwards wholly return to present time even after the effect of the drug appears to have worn off. Thus, right there before your eyes, apparently in the same room as you are, he is really only partly there and partly in some past events. His perception of what is happening now is mixed up with the mental image pictures from then, when he was under the influence of drugs.

Let’s say that you are cleaning a floor and you are being helped by a person who has been using drugs. The drug user may be sure that he is helping you repair a floor that needs fixing. But you are cleaning the floor, not repairing it. So when you ask him to hand you the mop, he thinks you mean “hand me the hammer.” So he picks up the mop, thinking it is really a hammer, and tries to give it to you. But a mop is different from a hammer. The handle is longer and its weight and shape are not the same. So he misjudges the effort needed to give it to you and knocks over the bucket of water that you are using to clean the floor.

Because a drug-taker is not in present time, he often makes mistakes of this kind. They may be small mistakes which make him seem clumsy, such as knocking over the water bucket. At worst, the person can be insane. The events apparent to him are completely different than those apparent to anyone else.

From his point of view, however, other people are the ones who are stupid or unreasonable. As they don’t agree in their actions with what he sees is occurring, “they” aren’t sensible. Example: Several people are moving furniture. To all but him they are simply moving furniture. He sees himself to be “moving shapes into a cloud.” Thus he “makes mistakes.” As the others don’t see inside him and only see another person like themselves, they don’t understand why he keeps making mistakes.

These facts explain the odd behavior of a drug user. We have all known people like that. The sudden remark which makes no sense, having nothing to do with what is being spoken about; the blank stare when given an order or remark—behind these lie the different world in which he lives.

Such a person threatens the survival not only of himself, but of any group, whether it is a family, a business or even a nation.

The bad effects of drugs, then, continue long after the person has used them. The result can be harmful to many others besides the user. Also, it is not only illegal street drugs that are the problem. Medical drugs that are meant to help people have similar effects when they are abused.

PAINKILLERS

Doctors and others prescribe painkillers such as aspirin, tranquilizers and soporifics (a drug or medicine that makes someone sleep) in an understandable wish to relieve pain.

However, no one knows exactly how or why these drugs work or what they do. Such drug compositions (made by combining different things) come from accidental discoveries that “this lessens pain.”

These drugs often have very bad side effects.

Let’s say a person was given the drug to lessen pains or discomforts. When the drug wears off or starts to wear off, the pains or discomforts become much worse. One of the answers a person has for this is more drugs. He feels he has to take more to get rid of the pains and discomforts and other unwanted sensations. But as he continues taking it, he becomes less and less able to feel good, needing more and more of the drug.

It is also common for someone taking drugs to be very excited sexually at first. But after the sexual “kicks” at the beginning, sexual sensation becomes harder and harder to achieve. The person tries more and more to achieve it but it is less and less satisfying.

People take drugs to prevent unwanted sensations. But there are many desirable sensations in life as well. Drugs prevent all sensations so they prevent the desirable ones too.

The only good thing that can be said about drugs is that they give relief from agony (very great physical or mental pain) for a brief period. If a person is very badly injured, this allows doctors to perform necessary repair. But a person who is aware of what is going on around him and skillful at what he does is unlikely to injure himself. A person who takes drugs is not aware of his surroundings and loses much of his skill. So drugs make it more likely that a person will hurt himself. Then they prevent him from regaining the awareness and skill that would keep him safe.

Anyone has a choice in life between feeling “dead” with drugs or feeling alive without them. Drugs rob life of the sensations and joys which are the only reasons for living.

How Do Drugs Affect Your Life?

Substance use disorder is characterized as a progressive disease that can cause a person to lose control of their lives in ways they never thought possible. The effects of substance misuse and abuse can have a critical impact on several aspects of a person’s life. As a complex disorder, it can cause more than health issues. But just how do drugs affect your life?

For anyone dealing with substance use disorder or caring for someone who suffers from it, you’ll know how invasive the effects can be on everyday life. The impact of substance use can lead to dependence, tolerance, and addiction which can become a catalyst for a host of negative effects that hold the potential to affect all areas of life from relationships to financial stability. This article will explore the changes which can happen in relation to substance misuse, how it impacts life, and how to get the right help to help you focus on getting life back on track.

How Drug Affect Your Life & Relationships

Battling with substance abuse is a daily struggle and sometimes without realizing it, the effects of the way the substance interacts with the body can begin to impact multiple areas of life.

The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics states that out of 8.1 million people using drugs, 25.4% of them suffer from a substance use disorder.

Substances are used in various ways. Sometimes used as prescribed, sometimes for self-medicating, and other times for recreational purposes. Whatever the reason, there is a risk of substance misuse regardless of whether the use of the substance was initially a form of healing a physical wound or used as a way to relax. The misuse of substances is unfortunately common.

The disease of addiction isn’t a simple one. In fact, it’s incredibly complex and can effectively impact all areas of life. However, many of the effects of substance abuse are not always explicit, hence it can be difficult for family and friends to recognize that someone they love may be suffering from a substance use disorder.

For some who are suffering from substance abuse, they experience a state of denial in which they too are unaware of the effects the substance use is causing in their life. It is at this point that loved ones need to step in to recognize the symptoms and ultimately get the required help for recovery. Some of the most common symptoms and signs of a person suffering from substance use disorder include:

There are often noticeable signs of addiction, however, understanding how to help a loved one suffering from substance use disorder can be extremely challenging. AspenRidge Recovery can help in offering the right support for you and your loved one.

Physical Impacts Of Substance Abuse

Left untreated, continued substance misuse can have a critical impact on physical health-damaging both the mind and the body. The negative effects of substance misuse can include:

Not only do drugs work to interact directly with the body causing such effects as the above, but many also directly interact with the central nervous system which has critical psychological effects that negatively impact mental health. Some symptoms of mental impacts include:

Some of the effects listed can become long-term effects as well as catalysts of having negative effects on other areas of life. Many who suffer from substance use disorder experience entering a cycle of negativity. From physical symptoms of lack of sleep and increased fatigue, they may become irritable, this can become a catalyst for performing poorly at work as a result of a lack of concentration. Not only is their performance at work affected, but also their relationships with their colleagues. Hence, each symptom has the potential to become a catalyst in another area of life from financial stability to how one interacts with their relationships.

Significant Impacts of Substance Abuse

Substance use disorders are associated with a wide range of short- and long-term health effects. They can vary depending on the type of drug, how much and how often it’s taken and the person’s general health. Overall, the effects of drug abuse and dependence can be far-reaching. They can impact almost every organ in the human body.

Emotional and Psychological Effects:

Effects On Financial Stability:

Social Impact:

Taking Back Control With Addiction Treatment

Substance use disorder is a disease and should be treated as such. Though its effects can have a significantly negative impact, it’s important to understand that the behaviors exhibited by those suffering from substance misuse do so because of the substances’ chemical reactions.

The journey to recovery is a tough one and requires support from loved ones. Hence, though the effects can be damaging, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf and rebuild bridges. The first step to recovery is recognizing the signs of substance abuse and getting the relevant help, whether this is for yourself or someone you care for.

How AspenRidge Recovery Can Help in Recovery

AspenRidge Recovery is a leading addiction treatment facility that is dedicated to offering clients and their families the support they need to reach recovery. AspenRidge Recovery consists of a dual diagnosis approach that works to tackle both the physical and psychological effects of substance misuse. The addiction center provides evidence-based treatment programs that include counseling for clients and their families, partial hospitalization, or intensive in-patient hospitalization. For more information on the treatments available and when you can get started, call us today at (855) 281-5588 to get started on making a change.

Learn more about the effects of alcohol use disorder at Reasons to quit drinking.

How Does Drug Abuse Affect Society?

Too often, people struggling with addiction are looked down upon and shunned by society — the assumption is that their drug abuse is their own problem and they are just hurting themselves. But that is a narrow view of what is a large-scale societal issue.

Drug addiction is not just a compulsion but an actual disease that requires treatment and compassion, just like any other chronic health condition. And addiction affects many more people than just the addicts themselves. Drug abuse touches many corners of society — and most likely even your life, though you may not realize it. An addiction to drugs comes at a great cost, on both an individual and community-wide scale.

How Drugs Affect the Brain

Drugs have a powerful effect on the human brain, and the roots of addiction take shape there. In essence, drugs have the capability to impact how the brain receives signals and messages via its system of neurons and neurotransmitters. Neurons are cells in the brain that communicate information, and they do so by sending and receiving the neurotransmitter molecules.

Which Parts of the Brain do Drugs Affect?

Drugs impact many parts of the brain, which means substance abuse affects many normal bodily functions. The brain stem, basal ganglia, extended amygdala and the prefrontal cortex are just some of the parts of the brain that can be negatively affected by drug use. Because these areas control everything from stress response to decision making to heart and breathing rates, drug use can take a terrible toll on the human body and mind.

Even knowing this, it’s very difficult for people to just stop abusing drugs cold turkey. That is because drugs create a pleasurable effect that is activated in the brain’s reward center, located in the basal ganglia. Typically, this area receives the neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is released when we are experiencing a situation or a sensation we find enjoyable. This dopamine trains our brain’s reward center to recognize this pleasurable activity, which reinforces our desire to repeat it. This is all well and good when, say, someone is eating chocolate cake. But when someone is taking drugs, it creates an overwhelming tide of dopamine, much larger than normal. Thus the cue between pleasure and drug use is formed and reinforced—the brain is training itself to crave that drug, and to use it over and over again. Regular dopamine surges connected with normal, non-drug-related activities, can’t compare, and soon these everyday pleasures of life are not sought out anymore. The focus is on using the drug for the incredible euphoria it can produce.

Drug Use Frequency and Tolerance

The problem, however, is that the more often a drug is used, a greater tolerance level develops. That means that if a person typically takes cocaine once a day to get high, eventually they won’t get the same kind of high as when they first started using. So they might increase their frequency of use to two times a day, and perhaps take a greater quantity of the drug each time. This ever-increasing cycle of tolerance and frequency continues to snowball until a dependency develops, one in which the drug overtakes most of the person’s waking hours. Without intervention and treatment, this drug abuse can spiral into addiction, and carry with it an increased risk for overdose and even death.

Health Effects of Drug Use

Obviously, drug use can ravage an individual and has the capacity to destroy someone’s life. That destruction can take many forms. There is, of course, the health cost. Overdose and death are on the extreme end, but there is an inherent risk of both every time someone takes drugs. In addition, there are other health issues that can be caused by drug use. Physically, these can include

There are also emotional and mental costs, too. Drug addiction can cause:

How Drug Use Affects Relationships

Drug abuse can also be detrimental to a person’s relationships. Drug addiction can overtake someone’s life, which means they don’t have the capacity to maintain healthy relationships with friends, family members, or even acquaintances. The addict may be gone for long periods of time and no one knows his whereabouts. Or perhaps the person lies to cover up the drug use, and that leads to an eradication of trust. In some relationships, the drug user and a partner, child or sibling enter into a co-dependent or enabling relationship that is unhealthy for both parties involved. Many times, it is only through treatment and therapy that these relationships can possibly be repaired.

Finally, drug addiction can erode one’s self-esteem and their sense of value. Drug addiction can detract from job performance—if the person can even be bothered to show up for work. As basic life functions are lost in the swirl of drug use and the person lacks any interest in the pursuits or passions that used to be enjoyed, they can lose their sense of self and cease to be a productive member of society. But society loses out in other ways, too.

How Drug Use Affects Communities

The impact is wide-ranging and staggering. For instance, a greater amount of substance abuse-related crimes means a community has to fund more police officers, and jails have to increase personnel staffing because of an increase in the number of inmates. Courts can become overburdened with too many drug cases, and the victims (for instance, a business that was robbed or burglarized) may also incur costs. If a community experiences a rash of drug-related crimes, it could gain a reputation for its “bad” neighborhoods and experience a loss of property values and sales tax revenue as people move out or avoid visiting or living there.

How Drug Use Affects the Economy

The High Cost of Drug Abuse

In essence, the most effective way to reduce all costs related to drug abuse is to focus on addiction prevention and treatment programs. It has been calculated that treatment programs can lead to a savings-to-cost ratio of 12 to 1 in regards to crime and health care. Plus, individuals who successfully complete an addiction treatment program have the opportunity to improve their health, successfully repair dysfunctional relationships and re-enter the workforce with renewed productivity.

The key is finding a rehabilitation program that focuses on individualized, whole-person treatment that equips someone for life in recovery. Casa Palmera has proven success in helping people who are struggling with drug addiction and the toll it is taking on their lives. If you or someone you know needs help, contact us today.

What are Impact Of Drugs On Your Life

Drug use can impact your life in many ways.

Health effects and risks

The effects of drugs will vary depending on:

Visit the Drug Types page to find out about the specific effects of each drug.

Physical health issues

Tolerance

Regular use can lead to tolerance. This means that a person needs more of the drug to achieve the same effects they did previously with smaller amounts.

Dependence

Regular, use can lead to dependence. This means that the drug becomes central to a person’s life and they feel they cannot function properly without it.

Withdrawal

When the use of a substance is reduced or stopped, withdrawal symptoms may occur. These symptoms can include fatigue, hunger, depression, reduced energy levels, irritability, agitation, insomnia, paranoia, aggression, anxiety or cravings for the drug.

Overdose

Overdose occurs when the level of intoxication from the drug reaches a point where it begins to produce physical and/or psychological harm.

There are a number of signs and symptoms that point out someone is in trouble. These differ with the type of drug used:

Stimulant Drug Overdose: (e.g. Ecstasy, speed, cocaine, amphetamines)

Depressant Drug Overdose: (e.g. Heroin)

It is not necessary for someone to have all of these signs or symptoms for them to be overdosing. Only a few could still mean they are in trouble and need emergency help.

Mental health issues

The link between drug use and mental health issues is common. Compared to the general population, people who have problems with their drug use also have an increased risk of mental health issues. Likewise, people in the community with mental health issues have a higher rate of drug use problems.

Anxiety

Anxiety is something most people will experience at some point in their life, usually when you find yourself in a situation that is new, difficult or frightening. Anxiety is related to the fight or flight response, which increases adrenaline and then alertness which allows you to respond in life threatening situations. However, when you feel high levels of anxiety or it goes on for a prolonged time you may become scared to do everyday tasks such as go to work, leave the house or socialise with friends.

Some common symptoms of anxiety include:

Depression

Depression is a medical condition that can include feelings of sadness, low mood and lack of motivation, that won’t go away or are unexplained. Depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and is a serious condition which impacts people’s life greatly.

Symptoms of depression can include:

Psychosis

The term psychosis describes a condition in which a person’s perception of reality is impaired. It is often associated with amphetamine type stimulants.

Financial issues

The street price of illicit drugs change depending on availability and market trends. The cost of purchasing drugs can lead to financial problems for both occasional and regular users.

Relationship issues

Drug use can lead to social and emotional problems and can affect relationships with family and friends. Drugs affect people in different ways. Some people may become depressed, angry, aggressive, sleepy, unmotivated, paranoid, anxious or talkative. These re actions will affect how they relate to other people, such as friends, parents, siblings and may have negative effects on these relationships.

Visit the Drug Types page to find out about the specific effects of each drug.

Drug testing

Types of tests

A drug test is a test to find out if you have used a drug or drugs. They look for very small amounts of drugs in the body.

There are different types of drug tests:

If you are asked to have a hair drug test, approximately 40–50 strands of your hair will be cut from the scalp line at the crown of your head and sent to a laboratory to test your hair sample for drug use.

Factors affecting drug tests

Drugs affect every person differently. The drug you use (strength, dose, how and how often you use it and other drugs) can affect how long it stays in your system. It can also be affected by you as an individual depending on your tolerance, age and gender, overall health, metabolism, mood and environment you are in and if you have taken other drugs (including legal drugs such as prescription drugs or alcohol).

Testing negative

There is no way to mask drug use in a drug test. To test negative on a drug test, other than not taking drugs, you need to make sure your body has eliminated all of the drugs you have taken by metabolising them.

How long can drugs be detected for?

The table below gives an indication* of the length of time each drug can be detected for: