Addiction is a difficult thing to live with, for the people who are addicted to something and the people in the lives of those with addiction. Addiction is a brain disorder, and once a person becomes addicted they need the thing they are addicted to, sometimes in order to live. Therapy is the only real way to help relieve the pain and drive of addiction.
Addiction, though, doesn’t just affect your mind. Addiction destroys the mind and the body. While it does depend on what your addiction is on how it will affect your body. All addiction can bring more stress into your life.
Your Brain On Drugs
Different drugs can do different things to your brain. Some of them can make you feel happy and even give you more energy, but they come with a crash that can put you into a deep depression. That crash is what makes you want to keep coming back for more.
Even gambling and shopping can trigger those same feel good receptors that a drug like cocaine can, but you also experience that same down when the thrill wears off. That makes you want to keep spending, keep risking, until you have nothing left to give.
Alcohol can have some other effects on your brain. If you drink in excess or binge drink you may pass out and lose time. Binge drinking can actually lead to permanent brain damage over time.
Your Internal Health
Drugs and alcohol damage your organs, especially your liver. These things need to go through your liver before they get flushed out of your body. Chronic drinkers often die a slow and painful death because they are literally killing their liver.
Cirrhosis of the liver is irreparable, and your only hope, once part of your liver has died, is for a liver transplant. If you stop drinking now you can start to repair your body, but your living could still be permanently damaged and cause you health problems in older age.
Your heart health is also at risk. There are some drugs that can cause heart attacks. Even the drugs used to help people get off hard drugs can cause a heart attack.
The Visible Signs
There are also visible signs of the effects of addiction. You may suffer from depression or mood swings. On or off your “drug” of choice you could be suffering from anger issues and irritability.
You may feel tired often. Or you may not be able to get enough sleep. This can take it’s toll on your internal health as well. A lack of sleep could add to your irritability as well.
If you are an addict, seek help. No matter what you are addicted to you can get clean, if you want to.
