Though drug addiction is a disease related to the brain, it can be treated and reversed through medication, counseling, therapy, exercises and also meditation
There are many substances that are abused, some of which are known to most people while others are lesser known. All these drugs have bad effects on the physical and mental health of the person in a number of ways. Though drug addiction is a disease related to the brain, it can be treated and reversed through medication, counseling, therapy, exercises and also meditation. Sending the addict to the recovery center like New Found Life Sober Living House of Delray Beach Florida the details of which are available at http://www.soberliving-delraybeach.com, can also be useful for the person to come out of addiction.
Some of the commonly abused drugs and their effects are:
1) Nicotine: Nicotine is a stimulant found in tobacco, which can be taken in by cigarette smoking and direct chewing. Smoke of tobacco causes life threatening diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, bronchial and lung related disorders, emphysema. Chewing of tobacco can additionally cause mouth cancer. As per National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIMA), tobacco addiction is linked with one of the highest mortality rates throughout the world. In the 20th century about 100 million people died because of tobacco addiction and if the mortality rate of this substance continues at the similar rates, the total number of deaths due to it would reach one billion by this century.
2) Alcohol: Alcohol is a fuel and it burns all the internal parts of the body. It damages the important parts of the brain like cerebral cortex (responsible for important functions like problem solving and decision making), hippocampus (responsible for learning and memory), and the cerebellum (coordinates the movement of various body parts). Long-term intake of alcohol causes irreversible damage of lever (cirrhosis), which eventually leads to untimely death.
3) Marijuana: It is the most commonly abused illegal drug that affects the person physically as well as mentally. Physically it has direct impact on the heart, damages the lungs and increases the risk of psychosis. It also affects person’s memory, learning abilities, coordination of body parts and ability to focus.
4) Inhalants: The inhalants are lesser known substances abused as the drugs. These include household products like oven cleaners, gasoline, spray paints, and other aerosols that have the mind-altering effects on the person. Most of the inhalants are toxic in nature and cam damage heart, kidneys, lungs and brain. Even a healthy person can suffer heart attack and death within minutes of single prolonged use of inhalant.
5) Cocaine: Cocaine is acute short-acting stimulant that drives the addict to take the drug many times in single session. Abuse of cocaine causes severe problems related to heart and those related to the respiratory, nervous and digestive system of the person.
6) Amphetamines: Amphetamines are strong stimulants that give the feeling of euphoria and alertness. They have long-term effects on brain and heart, cause high body temperature and can lead to seizures.
7) Ecstasy (MDMA): It acts as stimulant and has mind-altering effects. It increases body temperature, heart beat rate, blood pressure and heart wall stress and is highly toxic to nerve cells.
8) LSD: It creates hallucinogenic or perception altering effects on the person. It creates false feelings of vivid colors and images, sounds and sensations. The abuser also gets traumatic experiences and emotions that could last for many hours. Intake of LSD causes high body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth and tremors.
9) Heroin: Heroine is an opiate drug that produces euphoria and false feeling of relaxation. It reduces the respiration rate and increases the risk of infectious diseases. Other opioid drugs include morphine, OxyContin, and Vicodin that have legitimate medical uses; however their abuse results in severe consequences like heroine.
10) Prescription medications: A number of prescription drugs are being used illicitly. These can be highly addictive and lethal. Some of the abused prescription drugs are painkillers, sedatives, and stimulants.
11) Steroids: Steroids are prescribed for certain medical conditions but are abused to improve physical appearance or performance. Abuse of steroids causes acne problems, heart disease, damage of liver, infectious diseases, depression, and suicidal tendency.
