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Substance Abuse And Its Effect On Your Brain Development

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Many substances can be abused such as, marijuana, prescription drugs, meth, cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Substance abuse is the inability to stop using a substance despite the negative consequences. Death is the main leading cause of using any substance along with jail time, injuring the individual, others, or damaging the brain cells in the body. There are many different ways or reasons that contribute to an individual’s reason to begin substance abuse, such as, peer pressure in social gatherings, family problems, or the environment they are in as well as their own mental state.
Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the United States. It also affects your brain development. When users begin as teens, there is a …show more content…

Which these prescriptions cause a drowsy sensation and can lead up to respiratory depression and even death.
Meth is a highly addictive drug, whether snorted, injected, or smoked, that affects the brain and central nervous system. It increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, that stimulates brain cells, enhancing body movement and mood. Long term, meth can cause irreversible harm such as: high blood pressure, increased heart rate, damaged blood vessels in the brain that can cause strokes or irregular heartbeat that can cause cardiovascular collapse or death. It also can cause liver, lung, and kidney damage. Often users may suffer brain damage, as in, memory loss and an increasing inability to grasp abstract thoughts. The ones who recovers usually are subject to extreme mood swings and memory gaps. Some short term effects include, confusion, anxiety, hallucinations, paranoia, and in some cases, can cause convulsions that lead to death.
Cocaine is an addictive stimulant drug that is made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. Although cocaine is an illegal drug, health care providers can use it for medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries. As a street drug, cocaine looks like a fine, white, crystal powder. Street dealers often mix it with things like cornstarch, talcum powder, or flour to increase profits. Other names that it is called are, blow, coke, crack, rock, and snow. The short term effects are, extreme

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