Sometimes what was just a fun time activity can soon become a lifetime problem.Â
Drug addiction takes its beginning in a group of peers who feel the urge to experiment and explore something new for themselves.
One such forbidden enigma people seek, is usually recreational drugs.
For others, drug addiction develops unintentionally, or rather as a result of taking irreplaceable prescription drugs.
While some people take measures to distance themselves from drug dependence, others fall into the trap of persistent drug abuse.
Drug addiction doesn't happen all of a sudden...
It is a long process that starts from tolerance to dependence and only then progresses to become a life-threatening irresistible habit.
Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Your desire to become your previous self is well justified, and treatment programs do exist so you can get professional support.
This article is a guide to drug addiction, its main types, effects, and symptoms. It also teaches how to prevent addiction and what treatment is available to help you overcome substance use disorder.
What Is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction isn't necessarily about illegal drugs like LSD, heroin, and cocaine either. A person may become addicted to legal substances like sleeping pills, antidepressants, and other prescription drugs.
Taking drugs may seem harmless at first when a person gets 'high.' However, after a few uses, addiction signs become more pronounced in the brain and body but not as visible to the human eye. Read the following sections to discover the symptoms and effects of substance use disorder.
7 Types of Drug Addiction and Their Symptoms
Cannabis-Containing Substances
When used with alcohol, a person may experience short-term and long-term negative consequences.
Marijuana
Some states in the US support legalization of cannabis sale for recreational use -- however, continued abuse may lead to psychological dependence and other side effects.
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
Short-term Symptoms
Central Nervous System Depressants.
It makes a person forget about existing problems, troubling thoughts, and anxiety. Most depressant drugs are prescribed medications aimed at treating mental health disorders.
People with mental illness are prescribed medications like barbiturates and benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepines
When a prescription drug is taken for a long period, your brain can develop tolerance to the substance and later dependency.
Withdrawal symptoms happen when the substance's dose is reduced, potentially causing insomnia, panic attacks, aphasia, and weight loss. However, it is still unknown whether physiological dependence always leads to withdrawal phenomena.
Common types of Benzodiazepines include:
Xanax
Xanax is a high-potency but short-acting benzodiazepine that targets the central nervous system.
To battle anxiety and insomnia, healthcare providers prescribe Xanax knowing that it is an effective substance when used correctly. The medication provides a feeling of sleepiness and relaxation.
Xanax has become a problematic substance. It is very efficient when it comes to issues with sleep and stress. However, Xanax misuse is prevalent among adolescents. Young adults misuse drugs by taking them orally or crushing and snorting them. Taking a higher dose than usual can be fatal. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2021, 12,499 people died because of taking fatal doses of antidepressants.
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Adderall
Not following the guidelines of a mental health professional and taking a higher prescribed dose may lead to tolerance and later dependence. For this very reason, Adderall is classified as a Schedule II drug: effective, but can be potentially misused.
College students without ADHD or other mental illnesses tend to seek Adderall to induce euphoria or help them deal with the stressful academic environment. The substance keeps a person awake and improves attention.
When Adderall isn't taken to treat any condition, it can induce short-term physical effects as well as adverse psychological side effects.
Cocaine
When snorted, cocaine releases a huge amount of dopamine to the synapse, creating a build-up of chemicals in the brain that cannot be recycled all at once. This is why cocaine gives such an immense boost of energy and the feeling of euphoria.
Continued cocaine abuse has many long-term side effects like poor decision-making, appetite loss, and increased risks of stroke and heart attack, among other life-threatening symptoms.
Meth
There is also legal, medical methamphetamine used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD symptoms, but, to prevent addiction, medical professionals prescribe low doses of the drug.
Street meth is produced in improvised laboratories using cheap materials and may be combined with toxic chemicals like battery acid, ammonia, etc.
The effects of meth addiction include brain, liver, and lung damage, heart attack, stroke, psychosis, and more.
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
Opioid Painkillers
Heroin
Heroin provides a feeling of immense euphoria and pleasure, along with short- and long-term side effects. Some of them include severe itching, insomnia, liver and kidney damage, semiconsciousness, etc.
Tramadol
Tramadol is a highly effective medicine for reducing chronic pain, but it is no less addictive. As the tolerance develops, the brain will require a higher dosage to have the same effects at all times. Consequently, the drug will have visible side effects like sleepiness, fatigue, vomiting, and headache.
Lyrica
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
Hallucinogens
Some hallucinogenic narcotics can alter the mind but also make a person behave in an irrational and self-harming way.
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
Short-Term Effects
Dissociative Anesthetics
Examples of dissociatives are ketamin, phencyclidine (PCP), methoxetamine, and others.
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
Inhalants
Adverse Signs and Symptoms
How Substance Use Disorder Affects the Brain and Body
Frequent drug abuse makes the brain get used to the substance. This means a person will have to double the dose to feel good again.
Since the brain receives such a big outburst of dopamine, other activities that a person enjoyed before become dull and uninteresting.
Drug abuse also influences human behavior, harming some of the brain's chemical systems and circuits. It leads to such problems as poor judgment and decision-making, memory loss, and worsened ability to learn new things.
Since there are 7 main categories of drugs, each of them affect the body in a different way. Some of them have short-term and long-term effects.
For example, prolonged abuse of cannabis-containing substances can make a person feel relaxed and happy but also reduce fertility and concentration abilities and even cause anxiety. In comparison, an addictive drug - cocaine - has more adverse effects on the body: the drug gives an immense boost of energy, but, in turn, it can overstimulate the heart and nervous system and may result in a stroke, heart attack, or seizure.
In short, drugs have adverse effects on the body, which may include:
Red Flags of Substance Abuse
Successful recovery is easier and faster if a drug addict gets treatment at the early stage of addiction. Here are the signs you should look out for if you suspect your loved one suffers from substance use disorder:
How to Prevent Addiction to Prescribed Medications
Get Drug Abuse and Addiction Treatment Now
If you feel like you, or your family member suffers from drug misuse, it is always better to address the problem at its early stage.
Our facility is designed to create a feeling of comfort and safety for our patients while medical professionals are screened and trained to provide professional support throughout your journey. Get in touch now with our Admissions Team and learn how we can help you win over substance use disorder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Substance misuse means infrequent episodes of taking drugs. In comparison, drug addiction is a fixed pattern of a person constantly seeking drugs; it is also described as a severe substance use disorder.
A person may take drugs occasionally without developing an addiction to them. However, there are certain substances that the brain develops tolerance to and later dependence. After that, there is a thin line between taking a recreational drug sporadically and risking one's life to obtain the drug.
Cannabinoids
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants
CNS stimulants
Opioids
Hallucinogens
Dissociative Anesthetics
Inhalants