Health Effects of Substance Abuse - Essay Example

Addiction Insert Insert Addiction is a kind of disease, and as such it can pose a series of negative consequences on emotional wellbeing, physical health and professional life of an individual. People suffering from addiction do not have self-control of what they are doing, taking and using. Addiction may reach a situation at which it is harmful to the life of the addict. In addition, habits do not only include physical things we consume, such as drugs, but also include virtually anything. In addition, addiction is also known as a substance dependence or behavioral addiction like gambling addiction. Addiction is as a result of many addictive things in the life of a person. For instance, peer pressure is a major contributor to dependency. An individual can abuse a drug or alcohol because one is forced to do so by the group of friends. Introduction There are different forms of addiction, and each of addiction poses its series of risks. While alcohol and drug use often begin as voluntary behaviors, addiction prompts chemical alterations in the brain of an individual. It affects memory, behavior, as well as perception of pleasure and pain (Hollander, 2012). If not controlled in time, addiction can have a lot of adverse impacts on the life of an individual. It is, for this reason, individual’s responsibility as well as of the government to control addiction at all cost. It is, for this reason, individual’s responsibility to ensure that one avoids peer influence at whatever cost. Technology is also another factor that can contribute to addiction, and can also be another form of dependency. Once an individual keeps on looking the deeds of other people in other countries will in one way or another distort the mind of a person. Being on the internet every time is also another addiction. However, once a person is affected, there will be greater consequences that will significantly affect once lifestyle. Health Effects of Substance Abuse Combination of compulsive cravings with prolonged substance abuse can prompt physical consequences in the entire body of an individual (Haugen & Musser, 2013). In addition, the effects of drug addiction can include stress on the organs, respiratory system and venous that can cause a series of physical health issues. Furthermore, medical concerns like depression and anxiety can severely interrupt social and professional life, contributing to mood swings, chronic fatigue and low interest in previous hobbies and significant life events. Physical effects of substance abuse include: • Hormone Imbalance • Gastrointestinal Disease • Organ Damage • Cancer • Pre-Natal and Fertility Issues • HIV / AIDS Apart from the above medical concerns, chronic use of certain substances can result in long-term neurological impairment. That will cause serious damage to the life of an individual. Neurological and emotional effects of drug addiction include Depression, Memory Loss, Mood Swings, Anxiety, Aggression, and Paranoia. Legal Consequences of Addiction There are high regulations of addictive substances and even banned by local and federal governments in particular situations. The government does so in order to reduce damage caused by chronic substance abuse and protect the well-being of the citizens of a particular country. Some of the most common legal penalties of addiction in most countries are: Probation and arrest records. Once an individual is has been in the court of law for abusing drugs, it will be very hard for one to find a new job elsewhere because of poor records (Thakkar, 2006). In addition, if an individual is a driver and is an addict, then license will be canceled immediately. That means that if the authorities catch an addict, then one will be declared not fit to drive. Apart from the above, a user can also be given high penalties. For this reason, the users will try to control themselves and hence stop abusing the drugs and any other thing that can cause addiction. An extensive jail sentence is another form of penalty that an individual can get if got abusing drugs. In addition, the government should also ensure that there are strict community service requirements to control addiction at any given time. Social effects of Addiction Addiction is a disease that is very is hard to hide. As chronic substance abuse continues, it will affect almost every aspect of the life of an individual. Individual’s ability to concentrate may be reducing; the mood may fluctuate as well as the interests will also change as drug cravings become compulsive. Addiction may negatively affect your life through loss of Job. There will be no employer who will be risking retaining an addict in the place of work, for a user person can be more of a liability in an organization than an asset (Schaefer, 2008). In addition, the relationship between the addict and the family members as well as friends will immediately change to the contrary. Addiction can also lead to divorce; if there will be no understanding in the marriage one partner can leave the other because of addiction. Psychological Effects of Addiction Addictions often change the way an individual reasons about things. The thoughts or cognitions can serve many functions. One is defensiveness. An addict who may not be willing to acknowledge the addiction may feel a need to defend the continued use of addictive substances. One technique of doing it is to deny in ones thoughts that the addiction is a problem. Alternatively, a person may use the thinking processes to rationalize the continued use of an addictive behavior or substance in spite of the negative consequences. In addition, thoughts may become obsessive as an addict pursues the use of the addictive substance to reduce the cravings. Denial Addicts use denial to provide a false sense of security for an individual tries to have the conviction that that everything is under control. For friends and loved ones, the addicts denial is very unsatisfying. From the outside looking in, they can obviously see that there is nothing that is under control of the user. Facing an addicts denial may lead to a great deal of anger. A user does not want to be convinced otherwise for they believe that they are on the right track, and they are doing right. Confronting as well as facing denial requires courage and honesty on the part of the addict and those who care about the addict. Obsessive Thinking Obsessive philosophy is thinking basing entirely on a particular object, for instance, an addictive substance or behavior. Obsessive thinking can prevent other thoughts that one should pay attention. The addiction commands how the person spends time and money. In addition, it tells one whom to hangs out with socially, what one has to do to acquire more of the substance. In addition, it gives room for excuses one has to make to cover up the obsession (Berger, 1992). All means are towards obtaining the object of the passion, which is the addictive behavior or substance. For this reason, addiction is a disease that affects the mind of an individual, forcing the mind to do what it normally does to each and every day. Grandiose Thinking In any obsessive thinking, there is always the companion that is grandiose thinking. In other words, grandiose thinking delivers the idea that its all about me! For the addict who engages in grandiose thinking, there is nothing more important in his life than himself and his addiction. There are false assumptions that others will feel the same way and put their needs aside opposed to the addict. A lot of the wrangles that come up in the addicts family together with social circle are causing a lot of problems as others decide not to support this type of thinking. Facts Cerebral cortex in the human head and it is the area of our brain that plays a significant role in thinking, planning, problem-solving and decision-making. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it states that chronic exposure to drug abuse may cause disruptions in the brain, thus negatively affecting a persons capability to make right decisions. The brains drive to take drugs also increases. Thought Distortions Distorted thoughts are those thoughts that may contain an element of truth and also misinformation. Thought distortions can also include black-or-white thinking and can lack the perspective that there could be some truth between both sides. For example, an alcoholic addict might have a successful treatment, but six months later it relapses. One might see himself as a failure that doesnt have a chance of overcoming the addiction, but that can change with the aid of a specialist. In another example, a man that was fired from his job only that because of his boss getting pornography on a business computer. As a result, distorted thinking would be that in the industry, people will likely get to know about his pornography addiction, and he would never find work in his field again. The truth behind it is that, with treatment, many bosses would likely hand him a second chance if for in any case he had the job skills they were seeking from that specific employee. In addition to that, distorted thinking should be firmly and lovingly challenged the addict to restore his thinking to a realistic view of himself and the world around him. Learning and Memory The cerebral cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus in learning and memory are prone to damages as a result of addiction. It is important to know that brain channels that involve addictive processes are responsible for learning and memory. Ways in which memory is affected by addiction; First, habits interfere with the neurological connections in the brain hence negatively affect learning and memory. Secondly, behavioral relationships brought by addictive substance and pleasurable responses recorded in the memory. In addition to that, as the reminders of those pleasurable reinforce in the environment, memories are recalled and makes the addict yearn for the substance yet again. It is a very depressing experience for an addict who is fighting for recovery. It is very hard for one to ignore these memories of pleasurable responses so as to forge forward to a clean and sober life. It is also discouraging when an addict discovers that the learning capacity and ability to remember things has failed. Korsakoffs syndrome It is a syndrome that causes memory disorder usually caused by a thiamine deficiency linked with alcoholism. Individuals who drink excessively often neglect healthy nutritional hence multiple vitamin deficiencies develop. In Korsakoffs syndrome, one can recall minute details of his past, but cannot remember what he had for breakfast. Cognitive functioning, which can also imply the capacity of the brain to think, reason, recall, and make decisions, is altered by another neurotransmitter referred to as glutamate. It has an influence on the pleasure flow in the brain, which is not as important as dopamine. Also glutamate helps one get into the pleasurable memories of addictions. The work of glutamate is in relation to addicts habits to relapse because pleasurable memories result in drug-seeking behavior. Tempering with the brains concentration of through substance abuse, the absorption of glutamate will be slow, memory and learning activities will also be negatively affected. It appears that once such damage occurs in the brain, the results are extensive and long-term. It clearly indicates that addictions affect the persons entire physical, emotional, and psychological being. If an addict understands the effects and interactions, then one has higher chances of engaging in successful recovery. Withdrawal It is the bodys reaction when one abstains from a habit- forming substance that has become dependent and tolerant. Without it, physiological drives that were dependent on the content will act upon because of the bodys dependence on the merits. More so, if there is no proper introduction of substance More Chemical, and hormonal imbalances may come up. One can also expect Physiological and psychological stress if the same if there will be no proper control. Recovery To add to traditional behavioral self-help groups with programs available for rehabilitation, varied array of preventive and therapeutic approaches to combating addiction is available. For example, the commonly known treatment option for opiate addiction is methadone upkeep. The process is through administering the drug, a potent opiate with the ability for abuse. In addition, another method of treatment for addicts that are being studied is deep brain stimulation. A careful procedure, aiming several brain regions namely; the nucleus accumbent, subthalamic nucleus, dorsal striatum, together with medial prefrontal cortex among others is under examinations to find a better cure for addiction. Annotate Bibliography Berger, G. (1992). Addiction. New York: F. Watts. Obsessive philosophy is thinking basing entirely on a particular object, for instance, an addictive substance or behavior. Obsessive thinking can prevent other thoughts that one should pay attention. The addiction commands how the person spends time and money. In addition, it tells one whom to hangs out with socially, what one has to do to acquire more of the substance. Haugen, D., & Musser, S. (2013). Addiction. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. The book analyses the combination of compulsive cravings with prolonged substance abuse that can prompt physical consequences in the entire body of an individual. It illustratively shows the effects of drug addiction can include stress on the organs, respiratory system and venous that can cause a series of physical health issues. Note that medical concerns like depression and anxiety can severely interrupt social and professional life, contributing to mood swings, chronic fatigue and low interest in previous hobbies and significant life events. Hollander, B. (2012). Addiction. New York: Rosen Pub. Addiction according to the author affects memory, behavior, as well as perception of pleasure and pain. If not controlled in time, addiction can have a lot of adverse impacts on the life of an individual. It is, for this reason, individual’s responsibility as well as of the government to control addiction at all cost. It is, for this reason, individual’s responsibility to ensure that one avoids peer influence at whatever cost Schaefer, W. (2008). Addiction. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press. Addiction is a disease that is caused by chronic substance abuse continues, it will affect almost every aspect of the life of an individual. Individual’s ability to concentrate may be reducing; the mood may fluctuate as well as the interests will also change as drug cravings become compulsive. Addiction may negatively affect your life through loss of Job. There will be no employer who will be risking retaining an addict in the place of work, for a user person can be more of a liability in an organization than an asset. Thakkar, V. (2006). Addiction. New York, NY: Chelsea House. The author gives a portrayal of the offense in drinking and driving which results in penalties. For this reason, the users will try to control themselves and hence stop abusing the drugs and any other thing that can cause addiction. The author suggests that an extensive jail sentence is another form of penalty that an individual can get if got abusing drugs. The book develops into principles concerning community service. Read More