How Addiction Can Affect Your Life

Addiction & Recovery
the effects of addiction

Have you been suffering from addiction? How are you coping? Is life as good as it gets or does it gets worse every day? Perhaps you’ve answered this question already. If not, then it’s time we talk about the effects of drugs in your life and what it can do.

Physical Effects

How a person is affected by substance abuse will depend on their mood, health, gender, previous experiences with substances, personality, as well as many other factors. A person who is abusing substances regularly will show physical, emotional, and mental signs of use. Here’s what addiction to drugs or alcohol may look like:

  • Rapid breathing
  • Palpitations
  • Hyperactivity
  • Profuse Sweating
  • Chills or body pains
  • Chest pains
  • Increased level of temperature
  • Difficulty in urinating
  • Disorientation
  • Vomiting
  • Severe headaches
  • Delusions or being delusional
  • Paranoia and other psychotic behavior
  • Agitation or irritability
  • Convulsions

These signs and symptoms may differ depending on the type of substance a person has taken.

Mental Health Effects

Addiction does not only cause harm to your body, but it also does major damage to your psyche. That is why it is not surprising to see addicts take their own lives or even sometimes take other lives. There is a link between addiction and mental health. Those who abuse substances are most likely to fall victim to mental health issues and those who have mental health issues are more likely to fall into substance abuse.

One of the most common reasons why people abuse substances is to fight off anxiousness or anxiety. Keep in mind that anxiety is related to fight or flight response and some people have poor coping skills when it comes to socializing or making conscious decisions. The more anxious you are, the less likely it will be for you to leave the house and socialize or do tasks on your own. It can also be a side effect of the substances that people are addicted to. That being said, medications prescribed to calm the nerves and reduce anxiety can easily be abused. This is why some addicts feel helpless whenever they can’t take their medications. As a result, their dependency on their medications later becomes an addiction.

Depression is also another side effect that many addicts exhibit. It is a feeling of sadness and lack of motivation to do things. Drug addiction can create a chemical imbalance in the brain which can lead to more serious mental health issues if not corrected. Suicidal thoughts are often the end result of depression.

Psychosis can also be exhibited by an addict. This is when they have an impaired perception of reality and is usually caused by stimulants. A person with psychosis often exhibits disorganized or bizarre behavior and may have a sudden burst of psychotic episodes. They may also experience hallucinations and many others.

Effects on Your Finances

Besides the effect on your mental and physical state, drug addiction can also drain your savings. Drugs and alcohol can often be expensive and can lead to financial problems even if you are an occasional or regular user. Addiction cannot be avoided and oftentimes, users find themselves in debt because of their need to “keep up” with their drug habits.

Problems in Relationships

One of the most common reasons why drug addicts stay in their addictive behaviors is because they tend to push supportive/loving people out of their lives. Relationships with friends, families or significant others are often strained because of their addictions. Not only that, the side effects of addiction like aggressiveness, anxiety, and depression are also among the many reasons why a drug addict cannot maintain healthy relationships. Often times, those people who are willing to help them with intervention are considered a threat to their addictive habits rather than a friend/loved one who wants to help them.

Problems with the Law

For some who suffer from addiction, they may get to a point in their lives where they have nothing left to lose mentalities. This may result in them starting to perform criminal behaviors. It could start with petty crimes to fuel their addictions and later escalate to more serious offenses. Serious offenses could hinder your future plans of getting into a good university or even a good job.

Final Thoughts

Addiction is everywhere these days, no doubt. But, stay away from substance abuse, nothing good will ever come from it. If you wish to keep your relationships, have a stable job, have friends and even have that sense of freedom from not doing anything bad, then you must avoid addiction at all costs. It will not only ruin you, but it will also destroy everything you have and lose the people you love. Do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life? Of course not, so stay away from addiction. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done though. If you’ve tried to fight your addiction with little to no success, it may be time to seek professional help. Cutting cold turkey is never easy, so if your addiction is serious enough, consider a rehabilitation center or therapy.

If you are addicted to a substance or know someone who is, seek medical assistance right away. It’s not too late to turn your life around. You still have time to withdraw from it and start your life all over again. After all, we all need a second chance and start on a clean slate and this is your time now.