Alcohol and drugs aren’t new to a person’s vocabulary. While occasional drinking and preventive medication may not be considered a concern, misuse and abuse may pose a severe threat to one’s overall wellness. Drug abuse is clinically known as substance use disorder caused by frequent use of addictive and harmful substances. Drugs are substances that may affect the body and brain. This disorder is not limited to drugs but can also include alcohol, marijuana, solvents, over-the-counter medications, and coffee and cigarettes. So the question that comes is how do drugs and alcohol affect your health?
Throughout history, it is undeniable how alcohol played a key role during social gatherings and events. However, the statistics of alcohol-dependent individuals are already alarming. There are 107 million people worldwide who suffer from alcohol use disorder, and 7 million people are considered to have drug disorder.
Three million deaths annually are caused by alcohol abuse. In England alone, around an estimated 586,780 people who are alcohol dependent in the year 2017, and 20% of these people go to alcohol rehab centers to address their condition.
These substances have short-term and long-term effects on the body that may affect one’s physical and mental health. It may lead to chronic diseases and can harm the mental health of the person. The only light to this dark tunnel is that addiction is curable. Help is available, check out mallardlakedetox.com Healing won’t happen in a snap of a finger, but it takes time, effort, and patience.
If you are ready to make that change, seeking medication is always a good idea. One may also find treatment through visiting drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and consulting counselors or therapists. Once you already made the first leap of change, your progress may be guided and aided through life coaching.
While occasional drinking and taking prescribed medication may not be considered a concern, misuse and abuse may pose a severe threat to one’s overall wellness. It affects the body’s general wellness: physically, mentally, and emotionally. How does it affect the body?
1.It weakens the immune system.
Drug and alcohol abuse may damage a person’s body, making it hard and incapable of fighting germs and viruses that may trigger more severe diseases.
2.It can lead to chronic diseases.
It is a health condition that persists for a long duration. These may include arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In the long run, these chronic ailments may lead to more severe health conditions such as damage to the digestive and circulatory system.
Alcohol and drug abuse may cause illness to a person’s central nervous system as well. It reduces communication between the body and the brain. Memory and thinking are also affected when there is an abuse and misuse of drugs and alcohol. When left untreated, one may suffer Wernicke-Korsakoff disease (WKS). It is a disorder that affects the brain’s capacity to retain memory.
3.Sexual and reproductive health is at risk.
While most of us think that getting a little tipsy helps us have more fun in bed, excessive alcohol drinking and drug use may lower one’s libido and weakens sex hormone production. Men may experience erectile dysfunction. On the other hand, women may stop menstruating. These occurrences may lead to infertility.
4.Mental and emotional health is also a concern.
Drug and alcohol abuse may cause memory loss, paranoia, depression, and other mental health conditions. Some people use drugs and alcohol as an escape from their current situation. Whatever these reasons are, it may harm one’s mental health. Drugs can make a person unwell, which may lead to self-harm.
Our irresponsible use of drugs and excessive alcohol drinking may lead to more severe health conditions that may affect how we live and interact with others. Thus, it is vital to seek treatment when signs and symptoms of addiction show up. Help is always but available. It is one’s willingness to be treated that is now of question.
