The Psychological Effects Of Drug Abuse And Its Effects

Drug abuse is an addiction to a drug that can lead to harmful effects for the user and the people around him or her. Drug abuse has been around long before most of us were alive. Almost everyone that has a drug problem does not think they will get addicted when they try the selected drug for the first time. Drugs do things to people without them realizing it and hurt them in the long run

Individuals who suffer with mental illnesses are more likely to abuse drugs. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research there is a “Definite connection between mental illness and the use of addictive substances.” Alone people who are afflicted with some sort of mental illness, are thought to consume 38 percent of all alcohol, 44 percent of all cocaine, and 40 percent of cigarettes. There are many reasons and theory's to why this trend occurs. Depending on the case, the involvement of drugs can cause mental illness. Drugs such as meth, cocaine, and heroine, can change the way a brain works. The use of these drugs, and others can cause a multitude of different mental illness's, ranging from depression or anxiety, all the way to schizophrenia and cognitive impairment. In other circumstances, an individual may turn to drugs to help them manage their symptoms. Another reason is that mental illness, and addiction are caused

Drug abuse is on the rise. While the use of drugs like cocaine and heroin is in a state of decline in certain parts of the world, prescription drugs abuse is on the rise (UNODC, 2013). Prescription drugs that were prescribed with the intention to do well are now one of the leading causes of self-harm. Drug abuse has no gender or social class, it can affect people regardless of social status and wealth, and now more than ever we need to understand the reason behind the abuse. What psychological factors could cause an individual to abuse drugs in the first place? In this research essay, I will discuss how each one of the major school of psychology perspectives could attempt to explain a

Substance abuse and mental illness are connected in a few ways. Regularly, a man experiences dysfunctional behaviors, for example, sadness and post- traumatic anxiety issue (PTSD) utilizing alcohol or drugs to self-sedate. At times utilizing the drug itself prompts psychological instability, as may happen with the delayed utilization of stimulating drugs. At last, dependence on drugs and alcohol themselves are viewed as dysfunctional behaviors in their own right. The connection between substance abuse and mental illness is frequent to the point that individuals who are getting treatment for drug dependence are normally accepted to have basic emotional well-being issues. The casualties of nervousness issue frequently turn to depressants, for example, alcohol and prescription narcotics to diminish stress and help in relaxation. So also, individuals who have chronic depression once in a while depend intensely on stimulants and drugs that adjust state of mind to dormancy self-cure and defend you from unhappiness. The combination of substance abuse and mental illness often makes it impossible for the victim to function normally in daily life. The effects of substance abuse often include difficulty maintaining personal

There are many variables when it comes to talking about substance abuse and addiction. According to (L. Lagoni, 2010), links are present between mental illness and self-medication referred to as the self-medication hypotheses. The research in this peer reviewed article was comprehensive and viewed psychiatric disorders from many different angles. They looked at illicit drug and alcohol users and found that many mental health disorders such as Thought, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD, and APD are connected to many societal issues which include homelessness, health issues, unemployment crime, and early deaths.

Drug abuse is an illness of the brain, and it has a negative impact on the body system. It weakens the immune system making is difficult for the body to fight diseases. Drug use also affect other organs of the body which includes the heart, liver kidney and the brain. This illness can cause paranoid, aggression, impaired judgment, hallucination and suicidal ideations. The statistics available shows that annual number of people with substances dependency in 2013 is 21.6 million. The figure has been fluctuating between 20.6million to 22.7 million from 2002 to 2012(National Survey on Drug use and Health 2013) Adolescent who use drugs are more likely to engage in unprotected sex and have unwanted pregnancies. The Affordable Care Act made health care accessible for substance abuse patient, sometimes all the coat is not covered. People without insurance will not seek for help because of healthcare cost.

The resulting behaviors weaken the person’s ability to control impulses, disregarding the negative consequences (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2). It happens quite frequently that one with a drug addiction has a co-occurring mental illness because often times, one will lead to the other. Many people who are addicted to drugs are also diagnosed with a mental disorder or vice versa. For example, compared with the general population, people with severe mental illnesses were approximately “four times more likely to be heavy alcohol users, 3.5 times more likely to use marijuana regularly and 4.6 times more likely to use other drugs at least ten different times in their lifetime” (National Institutes of Health 7). In addition, people who have a drug addiction are about two times as likely to suffer from a mood or an anxiety disorder (National Institute on Drug Abuse 3). It is clear that drug abuse may show symptoms of mental illnesses. In reverse, mental disorders can lead to drug abuse, commonly as a means of “self-medication.” Drug abuse is a mental illness in itself, and many times it is a sign of additional underlying mental

According to the American Psychiatric Association chronic drug abuse may occur together with any mental illness that may include some of the following disorders. “Some common serious mental disorders associated with chronic drug abuse include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and antisocial personality disorder” (Center, 2004). Some of these disorders carry with them an increased risk of drug abuse. Another example of a drug that can cause a mental disorder, is MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) which is commonly known as ecstasy. It produces long term deficits in serotonin function in the brain, leading to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.

One of the most devastating side effects of drug addiction and abuse is depression. Depression is the result of chemical imbalance, environmental influence, or a combination of both. Using heavy and very highly addictive drugs as heroin, cocaine, opium and many other will cause sudden mood changes, deterioration of the immune system, nervous breakdowns, unusual flares of temper and many other side effects. Besides physical side effects, drug addiction can create problems in a person's social circles. The person may run into many conflicts with his family and friends, resulting in desire for isolation. This in turn will create more problems since the person will have no social support. Furthermore, drug addiction is a financial strain especially for teenagers. When a person is addicted to drugs he will do anything to obtain money to fulfill his needs.

Drug abuse is a major public health issue that impacts society both directly and indirectly; every person, every community is somehow affected by drug abuse and addiction and this economic burden is not exclusive to those who use substance, it inevitably impacts those who don't. Drugs impact our society in various ways including but not limited to lost earnings, health care expenditures, costs associated with crime, accidents, and deaths. The use of licit or illicit drugs long term, causes millions of deaths and costs billions for medical care and substance abuse rehabilitation and the effects of drug abuse extend beyond users, spilling over into the society at large, imposing increasing social and economic costs.

Drug abuse is an illness that causes a damaging pattern of using any substance that will in turn bring about substantial issues. Some of the major concerns are the tolerance of the substance and the withdrawal from it. The issues caused can be either work/school related or socially.

Through studying multiple papers that have assessed the genetic contribution to addiction of drugs and alcohol, it is easy to show that genetics does have a major influence. Some people are born with a predisposition to become addicts, but genetics does not determine if you will become one. Environmental factors do show some effects as to whether the genes responsible for certain behaviors or tendencies are expressed to the point of addiction. By looking at twins, we can see that genetics can have a direct affect on symptoms within the same substance and cross substance effects. There are some receptors that could be potentially used to treat behaviors of addiction, but we are still a long ways from developing the right techniques and methods to safely alter genetics to help treat those who suffer from the effects of drug and alcohol addiction. This paper should serve to show that genetics does have an impact.

Mental illness is another major reason why individuals start using drugs and eventually become dependent. Chronic drug abuse may occur in concurrence with any mental illness identified in the American Psychiatric Association (DSMIV). Some common serious mental disorders associated with chronic substance abuse include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and generalized anxiety disorder (National Drug Intelligence Center). Some people may use drugs on a regular basis as ways to self- medicate themselves if they are dealing with any

Persons who suffer from untreated and/or undiagnosed mental illness are prone to turn to substance abuse in their attempts to self-medicate. Due to the mood-altering effects of substances, those who may experience anxiety, depression, and psychotic symptoms, tend to find temporary relief from such symptoms in their drug usage, however the adverse effects

Have you ever dealt with the effects of drug addict? A drug is a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, which has a psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. The effects of drug use can vary depending on the person. According to “Causes and types of narcotic addiction: A Psychosocial View” in the Psychiatric Quarterly it says, “The causes of drugs stem from the manner of which you were introduced to it whether it be by abnormal curiosity, chance encounters with addicts and narcotic peddlers, or prolonged illness” (Ausubel). The effects of drugs can be have different effects on everyone differently depending if its for pleasure or for relieving pain Most of the effects of drugs occur in the brain, where it increases the level of dopamine at a specific site possibly giving the addict the pleasure they were feigning for (Robbins). As a child I didn’t know much about drugs except for what your parents and teachers at school tell you which is, “Just Say No.”