The moment that you drink any alcoholic beverage, smoke a cigarette or joint, pop a pill or inject any chemical substance into your body, you’re already conscious of the fact that you’re taking in foreign substances, even the dangerous kinds. At the heat of the moment, it seems like it’s the only thing to do, especially if it’ll help you feel better, get you high or acceptance among your peers. If you’re unaware of it yet, then do know that taking in addictive substances will put your health, and ultimately your life, in danger.
To paint a clearer picture, here are some common health impacts of substance addiction:
- Brain function decline
The brain is wired in a way that if you do something pleasurable, it’ll command you to repeat the action. And this applies to any other activities like eating and exercising. Unfortunately, addictive drugs target the brain’s pleasure centres. So if you use a drug regularly, your brain will get used to the effect. If left unchecked, the drug will re-wire the chemical structure in your brain, changing how it reacts to pleasure. That’s why you may gradually crave a higher dosage to feel any effects.
Furthermore, since your brain is already dependent on a specific drug, you might find quitting difficult, especially since the withdrawal symptoms can be painful or difficult to manage. Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with withdrawal symptoms, so it’s still best to navigate through this road than become dependent on a dangerous substance.
- Prone to cardiovascular and kidney diseases As mentioned earlier, drugs can affect any organ in your body. Although any problems regarding your organs are a serious matter, one organ that deserves a spotlight is your heart. Drugs can affect your heart in numerous ways––from an abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Additionally, injecting drugs can result in a collapsed vein and even bacterial infections of both your heart valves and blood vessels.
Here are some narcotics that can affect your heart:
- Marijuana
- Inhalants
- Methamphetamine
- Steroids
- Cocaine
- Heroin (4)
Furthermore, the use of MMDA drugs or any psychoactive drugs like ecstasy can interfere with your body’s ability to regulate your temperature. If abused, these drugs can result in temperature spikes (hypothermia), in turn leading to severe dehydration and long-term kidney failure or damage.
- Cancers
Generally, smoking any type of substance, like marijuana or tobacco, is linked to mouth, stomach, neck and lung cancers. Secondhand smoking will also increase the chances of an individual’s chance to develop lung cancer, among other health problems. If you don’t want to be prone to any type of cancer, it’s best to quit smoking and know some ways to detox your body properly.
- Harms the foetus
Substance addiction will pose a significant risk for both pregnant women and their babies. For one, drugs and alcohol contain toxic chemicals that are highly dangerous to an unborn baby. Also, a pregnant woman who uses drugs will harm the foetus due to the common side effects of drug they’re using, like exhibiting risky behaviours and neglect of one’s nutrition.
Drugs can also result in premature birth. Lastly, when a woman is addicted to a substance while they’re pregnant, the baby is prone to birth defects, as well as behavioural and learning problems.