The Physical And Psychological Effects Of Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is the continuous, obsessive and repeated usage of drugs in large quantities with withdrawal symptoms while away from using such drugs. The effects of prolonged drugs addiction can be classified as physical and psychological effects.
The psychological effects of drug addiction primarily affect brain functionality capacity. Ideally, the majority of the drug users started taking drugs to counter stress and pain little did they know that addiction was a result. Psychological effects create a cycle to the user in that while he/she is away from the drugs and encounters pain or stress, they think drugs to offer the best alternative for the challenge.
The effect is known as drug craving a condition that the drug user is enslaved to the usage of the drug. Craving inculcates the belief that one cannot function or work without the application of the drug. This is the major psychological effect of drug addiction. Many other psychological effects of drug addiction include hallucinations, confusion and mood swings resulting from depression, anxiety, and violence.
The complication of mental diseases, psychological tolerance, and creation of the stronger desire to use the drug, engagement in risky behaviors such as chaos, fights and violence and the general decrease of pleasure are the other psychological effects of drug addiction.
The major effects of drug addiction affect the brain functionality capability hence affect how the brain perceives pleasure. The effects of drug addiction are brought to the brain because drugs flood the brain with chemicals. A such, the brain adjusts and depend on the chemicals to function. Ideally, drug addiction induces highs in the brain.
The commonly known effects of drug addiction include the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. Heart irregularities, abdominal pains, constipation, and frequent diarrheas and kidney damage are other effects. Further, respiratory challenges for instance cases of lung cancer, breathing difficulties and emphysema have been reported.
Increased rates of seizures, strokes, damage of the brain, appetite changes, change of body temperature patterns, sleeping patterns and heart attacks are other common challenges brought by the use and abuse of drugs.
The physical effects of drug addiction are also manifested in the babies of drug abusers and the increased child mortality rates. The devastating effect of drug users’ babies is that the babies are affected cognitively and their mental development becomes retarded.
Briefly, drug addiction has devastating effects physically and psychologically. The effects affect both the normal functioning of the body physically and psychologically. As such, the use of drugs without the doctor’s prescription should be abolished to mitigate the effects.