Effects of Substance Abuse

The effects on health and the human body from substance abuse may be temporary or permanent. Effects resulting from substance abuse can worsen with increased frequency and longer duration of abuse, although a fatal overdose is possible even with one time of using a harmful substance. The effects of substance abuse may include domestic violence carried out against family and pets, as well as an increased risk of committing suicide.

Significance

• According to research done in 2005 by the National Institutes of Health, more than 8 percent of Americans age 12 and older had used illegal drugs in the past year. A survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2007 found that 14.8 percent of students in grades 8 through 12 used illegal drugs in the previous month. While substance abuse is often considered to be a mental health condition, it can cause severe health effects on the body.

Types

• According to the Mayo Clinic, the effects of substance abuse may involve both physical health and mental health.

  The physical effects of substance abuse may include changes in the function of the brain and other systems in the body as well as organ damage directly caused by using the drug, such as damage to the nose from inhaled substances or skin infections from injected drugs.

  Developmental effects in unborn children of pregnant women with substance abuse may include premature birth, low birth weight, developmental delays and behavioral disorders.

  Effects on mental health caused by substance abuse include irrational behavior, violence, lapses in memory, and personality disorders.

Time Frame

• According to the National Institutes of Health, the effects of substance abuse can occur after just one use or may require long term use to fully develop. Using narcotics such as cocaine can cause in a fatal heart attack due to an overdose. Substances that are inhaled or smoked, such as marijuana, may have short-term effects such as high blood pressure and increased appetite as well as effects that may last for several months, such as coughing and breathing problems. Substance abuse may also result in addiction to the drug, and symptoms of withdrawal may occur, which may last several days to a year or longer.

Features

• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance abuse increases risk-taking behaviors such as sharing drug equipment or needles and having unsafe sex, which spreads diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. Some effects of substance abuse--such as changes in heart rate or blood pressure--may be temporary, and those problems may stop after quitting use of the drug. Other effects--like liver damage or infections such as HIV--are permanent.

Considerations

• The effects of substance abuse may be worsened by abusing more than one drug at the same time. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, combined effects of alcohol and heroin can damage the liver significantly more than the abuse of just one of those substances would. Mental health changes that result from substance abuse may increase aggressive behaviors and cause people to do things they would not normally do, like steal money to buy more drugs.

Prevention/Solution

• Preventing the effects of substance abuse starts with not using them. Recognizing when use turns into abuse is also important. According to the Centers for Disease Control, dangerous effects associated with substance abuse can be minimized by using a new clean needle for each injection and not sharing drug equipment, which may lower the chance of spreading infectious diseases and skin infections. Treatment centers for substance abuse may help to minimize the effects of substance abuse by replacing addictive drugs with less harmful ones and by providing counseling and support groups to deal with the mental health effects of substance abuse.

Warning

• The substance abuse can cause death when the purity of drugs is unknown or when they are cut with a toxic chemical. The full effects of substance abuse on the brain and mental health may take time to manifest and require a considerable amount of medical and psychiatric treatment. The effects of substance abuse may also include symptoms of withdrawal, which can be worse than problems directly caused by using the drug.