Drug addiction when left untreated can lead to various complications. Dealing with complications of drug addiction can be difficult. Early signs and signals can help you combat complications due to drug addictions. One needs to understand the seriousness of drug addiction. There are various phases of drug addiction : From making a choice of drugs to getting dependent on drugs. Addiction itself is very complex. With a range of emotions from euphoric feeling that makes you feel ”high” to restlessness, the addict goes through various mood and behavioural disorders. Stopping drugs abruptly can also increase the complexity of the problem.
Long term effects on the brain
Drug addiction overstimulates the brain. It produces a great sensation of pleasure making you feel happy and euphoric. Drugs produce a feeling that targets the reward and the pleasure system of the brain. They cause a neurotransmitter dopamine to be released in large quantities triggering extreme sensation of happiness. Because of this extreme sensation of pleasure, the person gets inclined to use the drugs and indulge in it again and again. Overtime stimulation can cause changes in the brain circuit and brain chemistry making you more dependent on drugs. With long term usage and overindulgence in drugs, the reward and pleasure system go into a state of depression and the person becomes lifeless.
Weak memory
Drugs result in ageing of the brain. As there are changes in the brain chemistry, the neurons which are the brain cells tend to die. This leads to defects in the neuronal activity or the signalling of the brain. Problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s is very common. Dementia or loss of memory may set in at an early stage. Thinking and cognitive function becomes difficult and begins to decline. Your thought process is very important to analyse things and for reasoning out. With long term drug addiction, the brain tends to go weak losing its thinking capacity.
Brain cells die.
Drug addiction creates a toxic environment for the cells of the body. Poor circulation to the brain can cause lack of nutrients and oxygen to the brain. This may cause the brain cells to die. You may also have dizziness and hangover headaches which are very common in alcohol addiction. Brain has every power to rule and regulate your functions of cardiac, respiratory, digestive and kidney. As the function deteriorates, the body parts also degenerate with age causing multiple health problems and co-occurring diseases
Damaging behaviour
Behavioural change is very normal with addicts. They are prone to have sensitivity to emotions from being angry to the outburst of crying. Understanding the range of emotions of drug addicts is very important. This can affect the mental well-being of the person. For example, addiction of alcohol can result in depressing the CNS (Central Nervous System) which causes the negative impact on the behaviour. The addict loses the control over behaviour leading to more damage to the system. Your behaviour is a part of your personality. It depicts you and projects you. The way you communicate and behave shows your personality. With addiction, for example alcohol addiction can result in dizziness and slurred speech.
So preserve your brain function today and develop a strategy with us to quit and defeat addiction from the root cause. We are here to help you with our therapies and treatment programs. Intervening at an early stage can help you a great deal. Just anti- psychotic medicines is not enough, you need comprehensive care along with counselling that can help you to beat addiction. Engaging in self-care and healthy lifestyle will help in overcoming addiction. Speak with us to achieve addiction free life.
Contact ICare foundation – Best Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in Mumbai and Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Mumbai, India.
