Drugs can be a source of pleasure and relief, but they can also cause serious physical and psychological damage and in some cases, abuse of drugs can result in serious consequences, including overdose and death. Drugs are chemical substances that have an effect on a person's physical and mental health. The effects may be short term or long term. Some long-term drug effects can be permanent, and they may continue after a person has stopped taking the substance. This article will cover the short and long-term effects of drug addiction and  its mental, psychological and physical effects. It will also mention the treatment options of drug addiction, as well as explain the process of withdrawal and detoxification. 

What is drug abuse? 

Drug abuse or addiction, clinically known as substance use disorder is caused by the habitual taking of addictive substances. It is also defined as the use of illegal drugs over a prolonged period of time for non-medical reasons. Drug addiction include cocaine abuse, adderall abuse, meth abuse, opioid abuse, heroine abuse, prescription painkillers, sedative abuse, xanax, ativan, and valium abuse, hallucinogens, and ecstasy abuse. It’s important to note that drug abuse and drug addiction are also considered a relapsing disorder, meaning that users can return to drug use after attempts to stop.

What are the short term side effects of drug abuse ? 

Because drug addiction affects both the mind and body, short-term side effects can be both mental and physical. Short term physical effects include; shallow breathing, body temperature above normal, tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeat), high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping at night, drowsiness, dysarthria, loss of appetite or decreased appetite. 

Although drugs produce a sense of euphoria and flood the brain with dopamine, they also cause short-term mental consequences. Short term mental effects are the following: hallucinations, having troubles concentrating, irritability, aggression, angry outbursts, and lack of inhibition. 

What are the long term side effects of drug abuse? 

Untreated drug addiction can lead to serious long-term mental and physical effects including organ damage and in some cases death. Long term physical effects include; kidney and liver damage, cirrhosis, infertility, cancer, stroke, seizures, cardiovascular and lung problems, tooth decay, skin damage, sexual dysfunction, and death. 

Addiction and abuse can also lead to neurological, psychological, and behavioural problems that persist over the long term. Long term mental effects include: depression, memory loss, anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis. 

How to tell if a person is addicted to drugs? 

There are many signs that indicate whether a person is a drug addict or not.

 

• Patients often continue to take prescription drugs when they no longer need them for health reasons.
• With continued exposure to a substance, the person taking drugs develops tolerance to its effects and starts taking larger doses before experiencing a response.
• When the effects of the drug wear off, the person taking drugs can experience a range of symptoms including nausea, weakness, headaches, dizziness, sleepiness. In severe cases, the patient experiences seizures and fever. 
• The person taking drugs may have bloodshot eyes, bad breath, tremors, and in some cases frequent bloody noses.
• Drug users also exhibit persistent itching in a specific area of the body, frequent sniffling and slurred speech.
• The person taking drugs will spend a lot of time thinking how to get more, when they will take it, and how good they will feel after taking it. In other words, it’s when the drug starts dominating their thoughts. 
• As the addiction progresses, the person taking drugs starts losing interest in things he/she liked, such as activities that once brought pleasure. 
• Signs of mood swings are also noticeable among drug users. They might either be hyper and manic, or depressed and miserable. 

How is drug addiction diagnosed? 

In order to assess the general condition of a patient’s organism, the doctors will require patients to take urine and blood tests to evaluate drug intoxication and overdose, as well as to monitor treatment and recovery. The patient is required to take a toxicology test, which is  used to detect the presence of drugs in the body. The test detects 30 different drugs all at once, including cocaine, heroine, marijuana, prescription and non-prescription drugs. 

How can drug addiction be treated ? 

Drug users seek treatment to become drug-free and function more effectively within their families, communities, and workplaces. 

However, treating drug addiction is not easy, since it is a chronic disease. Stopping for a few days will not cure the addiction, as patients require a long-term approach involving both medical treatment and psychotherapy. Treatments for drug addiction include; behavioural therapy, medication, treating withdrawal using medical devices, treatment for recurrent mental issues such as depression and anxiety, relapse prevention treatments. 

What are some of the drug withdrawal symptoms? 

Drug withdrawal is the process in which the drug user abruptly stops taking a drug to which he or she has built up a tolerance. The symptoms of drug withdrawal are different for every substance and can range from mild to severe. Withdrawal symptoms can occur all at once, or they can manifest gradually over the course of several days after an individual stops using the drug. Withdrawal symptoms can be physical, behavioural, gastrointestinal, psychological, and cognitional. The physical symptoms include fatigue, sweats, shivers, and muscle pains. Behavioural symptoms include agitation, irritability, and frustration. Gastrointestinal symptoms also occur during the withdrawal process such as experiencing loss of appetite, difficulty in eating, stomach cramps, and vomiting may occur. As for the psychological symptoms, the patient will mainly experience hallucinations. They will also feel nervous, anxious and in some cases feel paranoid. The last symptom is cognition, which can cause confusion, disorientation, difficulty in concentrating and slow thought processes. 

How does the detoxification process work and how long does it take? 

Detoxification is the first stage of recovering from drug addiction. Detoxification is a process by which drugs and the substances resulting from their breakdown are removed from the body, reducing the deprivation syndrome. The process of detoxification may take from a couple of weeks to several months. It all depends on the amount of substance the patient consumed, how often the patient has been using drugs, and whether different kinds of substances were abused. It also depends on the patient’s age, gender and his/her prior medical history. 

Conclusion 

To conclude, drug addiction is a serious medical disorder that can lead to death if left untreated. It’s important to mention that drug abuse and addiction not only damage your mental and physical health but also your relationship with your family and friends, cause financial difficulties, and in many cases can lead to legal problems when using illegal drugs. Fortunately, doctors and counsellors have developed a variety of successful treatments for drug addiction. Many drug rehab centres have helped addicts overcome their addictions within a couple of weeks or months. Although quitting drugs can be one of the hardest decisions people make, but, once they decide to take that step forward, they are truly on their way to a better life and future.