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In some cases, it gets to the point where a drug user thinks that he or she cannot live without taking the drugs. This kind of case is called drug addiction. Drug addiction is somewhat the same with drug dependency. Since the person cannot stop by will, there are organizations and facilities that can help him or her. One of these facilities is the drug detox center.
A drug detox center is a place where drug victims who couldn’t stop taking their drugs are brought to. It is a part of a rehabilitation facility where the new ones are put through. In a drug detox center, the medical help uses a method called drug detox.
Drug detox is the first step of a comprehensive rehab program. It main focus is to help the drug victim stop using drugs through getting rid of the drug in his or her body and treating withdrawal symptoms shown by the victim. One of its processes is taking prescribed drugs that would fight off the withdrawal symptoms.
“I don’t have a problem,” says a teenage boy after being caught sniffing methamphetamine.
If you agree with this statement and you, too, are taking drugs in greater amounts than what is prescribed or in purposes other than the use intended by the manufacturer, then you are both in denial. If you are a parent, a brother or a friend who has a drug addict for a loved one and agrees that he or she doesn’t have a problem, then, you are also in denial. Pretending to have no problems doesn’t solve anything. It will only prolong the problem and worsen it.
Those who take illegal drugs or drugs in general in an illegal way have problems and their problems create chains of problems that would drag into the future. Drug abuse and drug addiction themselves are problems.
The drug user does not only inflect problems to himself or herself but also to the people around him or her. The problems would range physically, mentally, socially, and financially. Therefore, the main problems which are drug abuse and drug addiction are no easy matter.
General Effects of Drugs in the Body
There are many types of drugs that, when abused, can lead a person to a dangerous situation. If you think minor drugs that are very common such as caffeine and nicotine are not that dangerous, then you are wrong.
When any drug is used in illegal purposes, the body will experience ghastly results. For example, when the drug is taken through absorption, the possible results would be gastritis, lung damage, runny nose, ulcerated membranes, scarring, hepatitis, AIDS and other infections. When it is distributed throughout the body, there could be a long-term storage of drug, a long term strain on liver or other organs, an impairment of memory or other mental function and emotional effects. When the drug disrupts the normal function of a cell, there could be a change in heart rate, slowed reflexes, loss of appetite, depression, mood swings, and loss of memory. When the drug leaves the body of the individual, kidney problems could arise.
Therefore, any type of drug shouldn’t be taken easily.
High-Profile Drugs
High-profile drugs are drugs that are very dangerous when taken. There should be precautionary measures made before taking the drugs or letting the drugs be taken. These drugs were once used widely before because of their great functions and help to the generation of patients they treated. Some of them are not applicable any more because of replacement drugs that are safer and more effective. Some are still used but with a lot of caution, mostly by the doctors who perform surgical operations. These drugs are prohibited by the public unless they have permission to use them. But permissions are rarely given because, as was said, they are very dangerous.
Some of these drugs are marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and morphine.
Marijuana. Marijuana is known to help treat illnesses and diseases but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine because its specific uses are yet to be determined. It contains a mind-altering chemical that makes doctors wary of its use. Marijuana has short term effects on the individual. These are: altered perceptions, dilated pupils, lack of concentration and coordination, craving for sweets and increased appetite, severe anxiety, and occasional non-stop laughter. If there are short term effects, there are also long term effects in the usage of marijuana and these are: increased heart rate, impaired short-term memory, lung damage and psychological dependence.
Cocaine. Cocaine is used by medical professionals to numb parts of the body before a medical procedure. It causes blood vessels to narrow to decrease bleeding and swelling from the procedure. Its short term effects are anxiety, nervousness, irritability, tightening of muscles, shallow breathing, fever, euphoria that leads to depression, and tremors. Its long term effects are convulsions that may lead to death, respiratory problems and heart problems.
Methamphetamine. Methamphetamine was once used during World War II to keep soldiers awake. Because of its effects when abused, the drug is strongly prohibited to be used by the common people. Its short term effects are loss of appetite which often includes loss of weight, anxiety and disturbed sleeping patterns, irritability, rapid speech, disorientation, severe depression, paranoia, tremors and feeling of “high” or “power” followed by a crash. Its long term effects are malnutrition, increased blood pressure and hallucinations. The effects often lead to violence and violence could lead to illegal crimes and imprisonment. Since methamphetamine is associated with frequent sexual activity, another long term effect could be HIV or AIDS.
Heroin and Morphine. Heroin and morphine are used by medical professionals because they are good painkillers. They were used widely before but because they can be very addictive and can have dangerous effects on the body, the purchase of these drugs has become illegal unless with authority. Their short term effects are euphoria, insensitivity to pain, sedation, nausea, vomiting, itchiness, watery eyes, weight loss and runny nose. Their long term effects are lethargy, hepatitis and AIDS (from shared needles). In the most serious case, this drug can lead to certain death when combined with a barbiturate, another type of drug that is used as a depressant.
Other Long Term Effects of Drugs
There are many more drugs that are dangerous when abused that are not mentioned earlier such as caffeine, nicotine, diet pills, crack, LSD and PCP. But one thing is for sure and that is they bring great distraught to your body and life-threatening dangers.
There are other long term problems that drugs can inflect to the user. One of these is addiction. Drug abuse can lead to addiction. In most cases, problems vary on the user, its lifestyle, its physical and emotional condition, and its environment.
- If the user is pregnant, there is a possibility that she will have a miscarriage. Because the life inside the user is still weak, it can’t fight against the great toll brought by the drugs. If by any chance that the child will be successfully born, physical or mental effects may be apparent. In most cases, children who were born whose mothers were drug users lack a few fingers or toes or arms or other parts of the body. Some children suffer from a hydrocephalus condition. Others have mental defects.
- If the drug user is full of bad vibes from his or her friends or family, crimes would arise. Such of these crimes are theft and murder. In this case, not only the drug user inflects pain on to himself or herself but also to other people. Not only that he or she creates problems to himself or herself but also to the country.
- If the drug user takes the drug through smoking, he or she also contributes to one of the crises that the world is facing today, pollution.
- If the drug user was brought up by very violent parents, the effects of the drugs he or she is using increases the level of violence that he or she will experience. Most likely, the drug user will engage in many brutal fights and probably, killings.
- If the drug user is a very emotional person, he or she most likely make suicide attempts that would more than worry the people caring for him or her.
Drugs greatly contribute to the mortality rate of every country. They make the sanest man crazy. They break friendships and family relationships. They call to isolation and loneliness. They dig a deep pit to the user where no one and nothing can fill. They only make one feel discontentment and rage to the harsh world. The user doesn’t control the drugs. The drugs control the user.
Call A Stop To It
Those effects that are mentioned earlier are reasons enough to stop taking drugs. The earlier you decided to stop, the better.
If one is just about to start, then hopefully he or she wouldn’t attempt to try anymore given how dangerous drugs can be. If one has already started and continues taking drugs, hopefully that person would stop to pervert more serious and dangerous results in the future.
Taking drugs is not the answer to any problem. It may relieve the pain of your problems through taking them but it would only be for a short time and it would never eradicate the problems at hand. It will only worsen and prolong your problem and create another series of problems.
There are now many drug detox centers in the world. One only has to search the internet or asked your nearest medical facility where you can find one.
Life is not just about problems. It is also about renewal and hope. Do not be deceived by what you only see. Darkness may cloud your heart and life but always remember that a ray of joy and happiness lurk nearby.
