Substance abuse is a significant problem in America, affecting millions of people. It can lead to many harmful consequences, such as relationship problems and death. Physical dependence also affects the brain’s development, which can make it harder for addicted people to get off drugs.

People addicted to alcohol or drugs often experience physical symptoms when trying to give them up. While these withdrawal symptoms are usually less intense than the initial effects of the drug or drink they replace, they still cause physical and mental distress that can be difficult for some people to handle on their own.

Long-Term Effects on the Body

Cardiovascular System

Stimulants like cocaine have serious consequences for cardiac health, causing damage every time they are used and leading to long-term problems, including heart failure in some cases. Injectable drugs like heroin can cause veins to collapse or serious infections of blood vessels within this vital organ.

Respiratory System

Opioids and benzodiazepines are known to cause respiratory depression. Also, smoking anything, including marijuana, can damage the lungs. Inhalants such as glue and paint fumes also affect your respiratory system in ways that could be irreversible without proper medical attention.

Kidney Damage

Long-term drug use can be devastating to your kidneys. With increased body temperature, breakdown of muscle tissue, and dehydration comes a risk that you may lose kidney function in the long term or develop chronic renal disease.

Liver Damage

Heroin, opioid medications, and alcohol are very harmful to the liver.

Gastrointestinal Damage

Many drugs damage your stomach or intestines and result in chronic pain, acid reflux disease (heartburn), and constipation.

Long-Term Effects on the Brain

Drugs and alcohol work by stimulating the brain’s reward system. They flood the brain with dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates feelings of pleasure and motivation. When the drugs wear off, the brain expects the drug to create more dopamine. So it produces less on its own. This explains why people can feel sad or tired when they stop using drugs. Users also need higher doses of drugs to feel the same effect as time goes on.

The brain doesn’t have to send messages through the nervous system, so stopping drugs like heroin or cocaine can cause painful withdrawal symptoms. These include vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors. Drug cravings can continue long after someone stops taking the substance because the person’s brain always expects more dopamine.

Many drugs cause structural changes in the brain, especially those parts that deal with memory and decision-making.

Drug addiction has severe physical effects on the human brain, especially in adolescence. This means that young people who regularly use alcohol and other drugs may suffer developmental problems that make it more difficult for them to end their addiction later on.

Tolerance to pain medication can cause users to increase their doses, which can lead to dangerous complications.

One of the biggest problems with long-term abuse of opiates is that it causes changes to occur at the cellular level throughout the body.

How Do Drug After-Effects and Physical Dependence Threaten the Recovery Process?

The brain of a person with an addiction is significantly different from the brain of a non-addicted person. For example, if someone has been addicted to alcohol for several years, the part of the brain that enables them to control their impulses is less developed than it should be.

This physical difference also explains why some people relapse even after years of abstinence. Their brains are physically wired for addiction.

When attempting to break free from addiction, it can be difficult to cope with these debilitating after-effects on one’s own and may require professional help. Addiction affects the brain in various ways, which makes it hard for an individual to quit on their own.

Individuals who misuse drugs also often suffer from psychological symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety when trying to stop.

Addiction can also cause changes in brain development that make it harder to stop using drugs

Studies have shown that drug addiction can alter the brain’s normal structure and function, leading to a variety of problems with cognition and behavior, including:

• Impaired control
• Impaired ability to shape behavior appropriately in response to environmental cues
• Impaired ability to maintain focus
• Mental disorders such as paranoia
• Tolerance to pain medication

The After-Effects of Drug Abuse

Individuals recovering from physical dependence often suffer from depression, paranoia, apathy, and anxiety disorders, and are at risk for suicidal thoughts or actions. Recovery requires mental health care, including therapy, psychiatric treatment, and self-help groups.

How Transformations Treatment Center Can Help

The stigma and shame surrounding drug and alcohol abuse make it difficult for many people to get help.

Transformations Treatment Center provides a holistic, individualized treatment plan for each of its patients. At our facility, users detox safely and work toward full recovery. We also provide counseling sessions for family members or friends who are affected by their loved one’s behavior.

If you’re struggling with addiction or know someone who needs help, let us show you how we’ve helped thousands of individuals and their loved ones overcome this challenging condition through our unique approach to recovery-based therapy and education services. Contact us today to start developing a treatment plan.