Drug Abuse and Addiction Symptoms, Facts on Health Effects

Drug abuse and addiction have become a menace to societies across the world. Formerly addressed differently, drug abuse and addiction are now grouped under drug use disorder. Drug use disorder is a condition that is known to be characterized by a self-destructive pattern where the user of a substance experiences distress and significant mental and physical health problems, which may include dependency, tolerance and withdrawal from a particular substance or drug.

Drug abuse and addiction disorders are pretty common. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as much as 12 percent of the world's population suffers from drug abuse and addiction at one point or the other in their lives.  

The dual diagnosis that includes lab based drug tests that identify the presence of mental health conditions and the presence of drug use issues in individuals are the most standard methods of diagnosing drug abuse and addiction problems. People can abuse virtually any substance whose ingestion can result in a euphoric ("high") feeling. As a matter of fact, people have been known to abuse inhalants and household cleaners and chemicals regularly.

While it is difficult to identify the specific psychological and physical effects of drug abuse and addiction, the fact is they tend to vary based on the type of substance being abused, and it is essential to note that the general effects of substance use disorders involving any kind of drug can be devastating. For example, while drug abuse and addiction have no single cause, various researchers have identified a number of biological, psychological, and social risk factors that can predispose a person to develop a chemical use disorder.

Symptoms:

Symptoms for drug use, abuse and addiction vary. For example, it may include recurrent drug use that results in legal problems, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, using a lot of the drug or for an extended period of time, persistent desire to use the drug, occurs in potentially dangerous situations, interfere with important obligations, results in social or relationship problems, unsuccessful efforts to stop using the drug, neglecting other aspects of life because of their drug use, and spending inordinate amounts of time or energy getting, using, or recovering from the effects of the drug.

While the specific effects of abused drugs on the brain can vary depending on the drug being used, almost every abused substance impacts the functioning areas of the brain. Specifically, drugs affect the brain's ability to inhibit actions that the person would otherwise delay or prevent.

Since there is no single lab based drug test that can be used to diagnose someone with a chemical use disorder, health care professionals tend to assess drug abuse and addiction by gathering comprehensive medical, family, and mental health information, as well as securing a physical examination and lab based drug tests that can provide in-depth details of the sufferer's medical state.

Treatment options for drug abuse and addiction disorders are yet to be fully explored and remain largely underutilized by a lot of people struggling with drug and addiction problems. The primary treatment goals usually involve recovery, which is based on abstinence, preventing relapse, and severe physical and mental rehabilitation.

During the initial stage of abstinence, a person who suffers from chemical dependency may require treatment based on detoxification which helps them avoid or lessen the effects of withdrawal. On its part, psychological addiction is much more challenging and time-consuming when compared with recovery from the physical aspects of addiction.

Following dual diagnosis, treatment is usually more effective when the mental illness of the sufferer takes place along with the treatment of the person's chemical dependency.

Lastly, it is important to note that drug addiction, when left untreated, has the potential to increase the risk of a number of negative life stressors and conditions. This is why drug abuse and addiction problems must be diagnosed at the earliest possible times to help tackle and prevent the severe outcomes that come with dependency and addiction.

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