The 15 consequences of drug use

Drug use is usually associated with the very young or with people in a marginal situation; however, psychoactive substances are consumed by people of very diverse profiles and of different ages.

Currently there are many types of drugs (which you can learn about in this article "Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects”), And that produce different effects for our body. But the consumption of these substances is not something recent, as there is knowledge that in ancient times some psychoactive substances such as peyote were already used. Of course, despite its traditional use, its effects are not always benign. In this article we will see the main consequences of drug use, and we will focus on the most popular substances.

Negative consequences of drug use

Drugs can produce different pleasant, exciting and even hallucinogenic effects, but its consumption also causes serious consequences for the physical and psychological health of consumers, and for their social functioning.

Below you can see some sequelae that the drug can leave in regular users.

1. Neurochemical imbalances in the brain

A study led by Volkow in 2003 observed, thanks to neuroimaging studies, that with the drug use permanent neurochemical and functional changes occur in the brain of addicts. The use of psychoactive substances causes the massive release of some neurotransmitters as the dopamine wave serotonin that both in the short term and in the long term usually have consequences at the brain level. At the functional level, there can also be problems due to the neurochemical imbalance that occurs, for example in reference to motivation, memory and cognitive control.

In addition, as a consequence of drug use, synapses they are also altered. Studies suggest that, especially in the case of glutamate, the connections between neurons can be modified. Neuronal loss also occurs, axonal damage generalized, neurodegenerative problems, decrease in glial fibrillar acid proteins and other consequences that directly affect the brain.

2. Mood disturbance

Mood alterations are common with drug use. Not only in the long term, but also in the short term, which means that a person can go from being relaxed to feeling irritated and aggressive very frequently.

This is especially noticeable in the hours after taking drugs or when craving has a more pronounced effect. In the long term, the personality of many people can be altered with the use of psychoactive substances.

3. Family, relationship and social problems

Family problems are quite frequent regardless of the type of drugs used. Of course, with tobacco use it is unlikely that a family will be separated, but it is from the use of alcohol or other hard drugs as the cocaine.

Social problems can also occur when a person is a regular user of these substances, being able to lose friendships and even work. The person who uses drugs may show a loss of interest in her hobbies and other favorite activities. Financial problems are also associated with drug addiction behaviors.

4. Addiction

Addiction is one of the consequences of drug use, and it is what leads people to re-use these substances that have an initially pleasant effect on the system highly strung. The drugs noticeably affect the brain's reward system, which is involved in pleasurable behaviors (for example, sex) and which the brain takes care of us to repeat due to its survival function.

In the case of hard drugs, this addiction can cause a person to do everything in their power to obtain the substance that he wants so much. for example, stealing or having sex for money or for a dose.

• Related article: "The 10 most addictive drugs in the world"

5. Cardiovascular problems

Cardiovascular problems are common with prolonged consumption of the vast majority of drugs, since these substances disrupt the normal function of the heart. While some drugs cause a very high activity of this organ, others do the opposite. In both cases there is a variation in blood pressure. Abusing drugs can lead to heart attacks, blood vessel infections, and other cardiovascular problems.

6. Defects in pregnancy

Drug use in pregnant women has been linked to premature and underdeveloped babies, because the abuse of psychoactive substances deteriorates the health of both the mother and the child. Scientific studies show that drug abuse by the mother is associated with symptoms of withdrawal in the baby, birth defects, learning and behavior problems, among other consequences negative.

7. Sexual dysfunction

Drug use can cause both acute and prolonged erectile dysfunction. This was verified by the Andalusian Institute of Sexology and Psychology. For their study, the researchers verified the consequences at the sexual level of 1,007 men, with the participation of 28 treatment centers for drug addicts spread throughout Spain.

Most of these subjects had used cocaine in isolation (50.92%) or in combination with alcohol (11.14%) or heroin (8.65%). The rest of the subjects consumed: alcohol (12.54%), heroin (4.97%), cannabis (2.38%), stimulant drugs (1.73%), depressant drugs (0.43%), and combination of 3 or more substances (7.24%). The results seem to confirm that men who have been users of addictive substances have erectile dysfunction in a higher percentage (20.84% ​​more) than men who do not drink drug.

8. Weakening of the immune system

Studies show that most drugs weaken the immune system. Many drugs such as opiates that work as painkillers, cannabis, etc; cause a series of negative reactions in the immune system, causing consumers to be more susceptible to diseases and infections of all kinds. This can manifest itself with simple colds or with more serious problems. Some studies suggest, for example, that cannabis use causes an increased susceptibility to cancer.

The behaviors associated with drug use can also cause other diseases, for example, AIDS or Hepatitis in the case of injecting heroin, and lead to reckless behaviors that can cause other types of harmful consequences such as accidents

9. Respiratory problems

Drug use causes increased risk of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. Side effects of some drugs include chest and lung pain or respiratory depression. In addition, the use of drugs such as tobacco or cocaine can cause serious lung health problems.

10. Antisocial behaviors

Drug abuse, as I have already said, causes users to stop practicing activities that they enjoyed with Previously, in addition to having problems at work such as poor performance in their tasks and even their abandonment or dismissal.

In the case of young people, their performance in school or their abandonment is a more than evident manifestation of the consumption of this type of substances. There is also a close relationship between antisocial disorder and use of these substances as a study by Suelves and Sánchez-Turet concludes.

• Related article: "Antisocial Personality Disorder: causes, symptoms and treatment”

11. Isolation

Isolation can be a direct consequence of drug use. On the one hand, young people can isolate themselves from family or work, and in severe cases such as heroin use, Drug addict can isolate himself on a social and even personal level, ceasing to worry about his physical appearance and hygiene. Consumers can live for and for drugs.

12. Anxiety and insomnia

The very common that people who use drugs frequently suffer anxiety and sleep disturbances. In fact, some individuals acknowledge that they are unable to go to bed without using marijuana once they get into the habit of using marijuana before falling asleep. Drugs such as ecstasy or cocaine can alter the quality of sleep, causing nighttime anxiety or nightmares.

• You may be interested: "The top 7 sleep disorders"

13. Other psychological disorders

Anxiety and insomnia problems are some of the psychological problems that drug users can experience. In other cases, in addition, they may suffer more serious disorders such as schizophrenia or paranoid disorder. The Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is a brain disorder due to a lack of vitamin B1 (also called thiamine), is often associated with alcoholism.

14. Overdose

Drug use is dangerous and can cause irreparable damage to the health of those who use these substances. There are many cases in which the doses that are consumed are excessive, which causes serious problems for the person. In some cases, overdose can simply give you a hard time, by cause nausea, vomiting, headache, and even hallucinations (depending on the type of psychoactive substance).

15. Death

The symptoms of the overdose that I mentioned in the previous case are the least serious, but, in other situations, the overdose can lead to patient hospitalization, coma, and even death. Data from the Report on the Situation of Drug Addiction in Spain sent by the Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs to the Congress-Senate Mixed Commission, concludes that in Spain there are, each year, around 800 deaths from substance overdoses illegal.