Substance abuse has both long and short term effects which can be physical or mental. Lack of early symptoms may encourage the user to continue abusing drugs, but in the long run, it becomes glaring.
Johnson City suboxone treatment center can help with long-term effects of substance abuse. Keep reading to uncover some long-term effects of substance abuse on the body and mind.
Long-term Effects of Substance Abuse On The Body
Substance abuse can be instrumental in causing damages to the body of the user, some of them include;
1. Respiratory Issues
The respiratory system can be greatly affected by the constant intake of substances that can be smoked or sniffed. The initial stage of substance abuse may be void of such effects, but at the long run, it surfaces and may take a while to cure.
Diseases associated with the respiratory system like lung cancer, prolonged bronchitis, and tuberculosis have long-term impact on the user.
2. Damaged Kidney
The content of most drugs have terrible impact on the kidney; long-time users of opioids, cocaine, and alcohol do have kidney failure. Kidney failure among users can be as a result of dehydration, severe fever, or breakdown of muscle tissue.
3. Cardiovascular Issues
Substances that are injected have the possibility of causing great damage to the heart. Effects like increased blood pump, heart attack, collapsed veins, abnormal heart beat, and unstable blood pressure may occur frequently in the long run.
Substances like cannabis, cocaine, and mephedrone can stimulate heart diseases in the long run.
4. Liver Damage
Alcoholism is known to be a major substance responsible for liver failure, this does not rule out other liver damaging drugs. The work of the liver is to cleanup toxic waste from the body, the high intake of drugs can overwork the liver.
This can also lead to the collapse of the liver, or diseases associated with it.
5. Gastrointestinal Damage
This has to do with the stomach and intestines; constant intake of substances can damage the stomach and intestines, causing decay and impotency.
Adverse effects like acid reflux, indigestion, vomiting, constipation and loss of appetite come as a result of substance abuse.
The Long-term Effects of Substance Abuse On The Mind
1. Depression
Then manifestation of depressive feelings could be as a result of the type of substance abused – substances that generate temporary euphoria- and also because of an initial experience of depressive feelings. Cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine, and antidepressants can stimulate depression.
2. Altered Memory
Some substances have a long-term effect on the mind of its users. It starts by conditioning the mind of the user to always abuse drugs which will also affect their ability to retain information.
3. Anxiety And Panic Disorders
Drugs that create temporary euphoria or energy among substance abusers have a way of causing anxiety. Anxiety could be as a result of the withdrawal effect of some drugs. Substances like cocaine, Xanax, and marijuana fall under these stimulants.
4. Death of Brain Cells
Consumption of hard drugs sends toxins to the brain and if substance abuse is not curbed, the brain cells can be damaged. The adverse effect of a damaged cell is that they cannot be revived.
Life threatening illnesses like brain tumor and cancer can also surface if the impact of substance abuse is acute.
