Effects of Drug Addiction

The effects of drug addiction changes the user’s brain, body, and sprit. Addiction is an ever increasing epidemic spreading throughout the United States. People are addicted not only to street drugs such as heroin, cocaine, crack, meth, and marijuana but also prescription drugs including Valium, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax, and Ritalin.

The effects of drug addiction vary depending on the drug that is being used. Some effects of drug addiction might include increased blood pressure, hyperactivity, and an initial rush or high. Addictions can occur from using heroin, cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana, among other legal and illegal drugs. Here are some of the most common drugs of addiction and their effects:

• Effects of Drug Addiction: Heroin
  Heroin is a highly addictive opiate (like morphine). Brain cells can become dependent on this drug to the extent that users need it in order to function in their daily routine. While heroin use starts out with a rush of pleasure, it leaves the user in a fog for many hours afterwards. Users soon find that their sole purpose in life is to have more of the drug that their body has become dependent on.

• Effects of Drug Addiction: Cocaine
  Cocaine, both in powder form and as crack, is an extremely addictive stimulant. An addict usually loses interest in many areas of life, including school, sports, family, and friends. Use of cocaine can lead to feelings of paranoia and anxiety. Although often used to enhance sex drive, the physical effect of cocaine on the receptors in the brain reduces the ability to feel pleasure (which in turn causes the dependency on the drug).
• Effects of Drug Addiction: Alcohol
  Alcohol is no safer than illegal drugs. It impairs judgment and leads to memory lapses. It can also lead to blackouts. Alcohol distorts the user’s vision, shortens their coordination, and can damage the user’s brain and every other organ in the body.
• Effects of Drug Addiction: Marijuana
  The parts of the brain that control emotions, memory, and judgment are affected by marijuana. Smoking it can not only weaken short-term memory, but can block information from making it into long term memory. It has also been shown to weaken problem solving ability.
• Effects of Drug Addiction: Methamphetamine
  Known on the street as meth, speed, chalk, ice, crystal, and glass, methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. User’s find they are compelled to use meth for extended periods (days at a time) known as a “run”. Once they stop, they “crash” and feel terrible while they sleep of the drug’s negative side effects.
• Effects of Drug Addiction: Ecstasy
  Extended use of this amphetamine causes difficulty differentiating reality and fantasy, and causes problems concentrating. Studies have found that ecstasy destroys certain cells in the brain. While the cells may re-connect after discontinued use of the drug, they don't re-connect normally. Like most drugs, this one impairs memory and can cause paranoia, anxiety, and confusion.
• Effects of Drug Addiction: Ritalin
  This drug is often prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder and is an illicit street drug as well. Drug users looking for a high will crush Ritalin into a powder and snort it like cocaine, or inject it like heroin. It then has a much more powerful effect on the body. It causes severe headaches, anxiety, paranoia, and delusions.

Drug addiction comes with a heavy price. The effects of drug addiction on the user can range from mild itching to comas and death. In addition to the physical effects of drug addiction, there are many psychological consequences too. The worst of which is of course one’s drug addiction. Addicts find that they are no longer able to distinguish between right and wrong and make poor judgment choices.

Scientists have determined that most addictive drugs initially affect the brains reward system. This part of the brain rewards us when we do the things necessary to survive--eating, drinking, having sex to perpetuate our species, and so on. Cells in this part of the brain release chemicals that make us feel good (reward us) when we engage in these behaviors and teach us to repeat them. Drugs mimic the brain's natural chemicals. Instead of teaching us to repeat survival behaviors, drugs teach us to take more drugs. If use continues, the harmful effects of drug addiction gradually change the user’s brain and lead to drug addiction.

Another one of the effects of drug addiction is tolerance which means increasing amounts of the drug are needed to duplicate the initial effect. Other effects of drug addiction include sharing hypodermic needles. This dramatically increases the risk of contracting AIDS and some types of hepatitis. In addition, increased sexual activity among drug users, both in prostitution and from the uninhibited effect of some drugs, also puts them at a higher risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Many drug users also engage in criminal activity, such as burglary and prostitution, to raise the money to buy drugs. Some drugs, especially alcohol, are often associated with violent behavior.

Lastly, the effects of drug addiction can lead to the user's preoccupation with drugs, which causes changes in their mood and performance in life. This in turn can lead to marital problems and poor work performance or dismissal. Drug use can disrupt family life and create destructive patterns of codependency. That is, the spouse or whole family, out of love or fear of consequences, inadvertently enables the user to continue using drugs by covering up, supplying money, or denying there is a problem.

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