Drugs affect your whole life
Drugs don’t just affect your physical body and health, they can affect your mental health, your finances, your relationships, your social life and your criminal record.
Physical effects can vary
The way a drug affects you depends on:
- the drug itself
- what type of drug it is
- how you took it
- how much you took
- how strong or pure it is
- how often you take it
- your own body
- your gender
- physical size
- mood
- personality
- expectations
- how recently you ate
- your general health
- have you become tolerant?
- what other drugs you took with it – for example, alcohol.
each drug causes different physical reactions, depending on the type of drug. Some will make you feel more awake, alert and energetic. Others will give you a calm, relaxed feeling. Some alter your perceptions and can cause hallucinations. Others may make you feel numb.
Long-term use and larger doses have negative effects that can seriously harm your health, even cause death, including disease risks from sharing needles, and permanent damage to the brain and other organs.
Visit the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website to learn about individual drugs and their effects.
Other effects
Mental health
Studies show that drug use increases your risk of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and psychosis. People with mental health issues also have a higher rate of drug use problems.
Financial issues
Some drugs can be very expensive – the street price of illicit drugs depends on availability and demand. If you have become dependent on a drug, you could end up in financial trouble.
illicit drug use causes a significant burden to the economy. For example, the estimated total social costs for methamphetamine alone are around $5 billion annually – through crime, loss of productivity and increased health care costs.
Relationships
Because drugs can change your behavior, they can affect your relationships with family and friends. There is an increased risk of injury and/or assault to both yourself and other people.
Legal issues
Many drugs are illegal and you can be fined, or sent to prison, for having them. If convicted of a drug offense, you could end up with a criminal record – this can make it harder to get a job, apply for a job.
Drugs in sport
Sports people and professional athletes who use illegal substances risk damaging not only their physical health, but also their reputation and the integrity of their sport.
- Family history of addiction. Drug addiction is more common in some families and likely involves genetic predisposition. ...
- Mental health disorder. ...
- Peer pressure. ...
- Lack of family involvement. ...
- Early use. ...
- Taking a highly addictive drug.
drug addiction be cured or prevented?
As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, treatment for drug addiction generally isn’t a cure. However, addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment approaches tailored to each patient’s drug use patterns and any co-occurring medical, mental, and social problems can lead to continued recovery.
More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction. Although personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, when young people view drug use as harmful, they tend to decrease their drug taking. Therefore, education and outreach are key in helping people understand the possible risks of drug use. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction.
drug addiction be cured or prevented?
As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, treatment for drug addiction generally isn’t a cure. However, addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment approaches tailored to each patient’s drug use patterns and any co-occurring medical, mental, and social problems can lead to continued recovery.
More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction. Although personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, when young people view drug use as harmful, they tend to decrease their drug taking. Therefore, education and outreach are key in helping people understand the possible risks of drug use. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction
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