Get Rid of Harmful Drug Addiction – Disadvantages of Illegal Drugs

Reviewed by: | Author: Manoja Kalakanti

Drugs have become a part of our culture since the last century. It was popularized around 1960’s by the mass media and music, as they invaded all aspects of the society. Around 208 million people around the world consume illegal drugs. It is important to know what the side effects and harm drugs can cause to the body. You may know someone who is under the influence of drugs directly or indirectly. The most commonly used drug in the world is alcohol. A drug is a substance that is consumed to change the way the body and mind function. The drugs that can change your mood are called ‘psychoactive drugs’. They have an affect on the way a person feels, thinks and acts. These drugs also have physical effects on body organs.

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Drugs Effect on Life

Young people now-a-days are exposed to drugs easily. Usually people in depression tend to get addicted to different kinds of drugs. People consume drugs in order to change something about their life. The other reasons for taking drugs could be:

  1. To relax your mindDrugs Effect on Life
  2. To escape from problems
  3. To rebel against elders
  4. To relieve yourself from boredom
  5. To experiment and try something new
  6. To prove that you are a grown up
  7. To fit in with ‘cool’ bunch of people
  8. To follow the recent trends

Are drugs really the solution? Are drugs really that cool to try? If so, then why isn’t everyone taking them? Drugs seem to be a solution in the beginning, but eventually they become the biggest problem in your life. You need to make yourself aware of the facts first, before you can even think about taking drugs.

Legal Drugs

Some drugs, like alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and other prescribed and over-the-counter medicines are legal. Although they are legal, there are certain laws that restrict the availability, price and quality.

Legal Drugs

Illegal Drugs

Drugs like cannabis, heroin, amphetamines, ecstasy and cocaine are illegal. They are not prescribed; the price and quality of the drugs remain unknown. People using illegal drugs cannot be sure of how strong the drug is, or what is present in it. Different types of illegal drugs can have great amounts of unidentified additives. There are laws against the making, using, or selling of drugs.

illegal drugs

How Drugs Work

Drugs act like poison! The more you consume, the most you experience its effect. A little amount is enough to stimulate your senses and will help to speed you up. A bigger amount will act as a sedative, which will slow you down. A much bigger amount will act as poison that will eventually kill you. Any drug will have the same effect on the body. Only the amount of consumption to achieve the effect will differ.

Some drugs can have a direct affect on the mind. They can completely change the user’s perception of the world around him or her. As a result of this, the person may behave oddly, irrationally or inappropriately. Drugs will block all sensations, whether desirable or unwanted. Along with providing short-term help in relieving pain, they will wipe out the ability and alertness of one’s thinking.

How Drugs Work

Medicines are drugs that intend to change something about your body. They help in better working of the body. They are often necessary to help you from disease and disorders. However, they are drugs! They can have a negative effect on the body with increased consumption. Keeping the intake under control is extremely important. You need to use them as prescribed by the doctor.

Affect of Drugs on the Mind

To remember something, the mind needs to be very fast as information is quickly transferred. Drugs tend to blur memory by causing blank spots. Trying to remember something will become impossible through these blank spots. Drugs will slow down thinking and make a person feel stupid. Since the person can’t think straight he/she will experience failures in life. As life seems to get harder, consuming more drugs will become a solution.

Affect of Drugs on the Mind

Drugs as Creativity Destroyers

One strange lie told about drugs is that it will help a person become more creative. The actual truth is exactly the opposite. People who are sad often get addicted to drugs, as they think that it will make them happy. Drugs do lift a person into fake happiness for a while. But, once the drug wears off it can depress the person much more than they were before. Every intake will bring the emotional level lower. At the end, the drug will destroy creativity completely.

Effects of Drug Use – Immediate and Long-term

Many people are confused about taking drugs. Media has completely changed the notion of drugs, by showing it as cool, fun or fashionable. There are a huge number of negative side effects by consuming drugs. Using drugs is a choice one makes for the time being, but there are long term effects. You may start depending on the drugs, to function everyday. Here are the side-effects of drug-intake.

Damage to Your Body

Drugs will have some immediate and long-lasting effects on your body. They can harm your physical health and well-being to a great extent.

Damage to Your Body

Violent Behavior

Some drugs can trigger violent behavior. Violence is not the right way to react in any situation. Drug-induced violence will lead to serious injury to others and yourself.

Internal Problems

Some drugs can severely damage your internal organs. The liver, lungs, brain, throat and stomach are mostly affected by drugs. Ordinary household glue can become a drug if sniffed. The chemicals present in the glue can cause loss of hearing and kidney damage. This will happen if the glue is inhaled for a long period of time. The continuous use of marijuana can harm the parts of your brain, which will make your memory weak and dissolve the attention and learning.

depression

Infectious diseases

Some drugs are injected into the body. Sharing of needles will put you at a major risk of getting diseases like Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and other infectious diseases.

Addiction

You can become dependent on the drugs you take. You may feel that you can’t operate without drugs in your body. You may also experience withdrawal symptoms after you stop consuming the drug. Your tolerance to the drug will increase by regularly consumption. This means that you will need a greater amount each time to receive the same effects.

Addiction

Injuries

People do some things under the influence of drugs which they wouldn’t normally do. This will increase the chances of getting hurt. Since the mind does not work properly, drug addicts usually meet with accidents.

Mental Well-Being

Drugs can alter your mood. They can trigger stress, depression, mental illness, or aggravate existing issues.

Mental Well-Being

Stress

You may use certain drugs to help you relax and forget about stressful issues. However long-term drug use will have a great impact on your brain. This can lead to increased stress and anxiety.

Depression

You can feel low after using alcohol and other drugs. You may feel depressed due to the drug itself. Drugs use can worsen the feeling of depression.

talk to a depressed friend

Legal Problems

Making, using or selling illegal drugs is against the law. Even if you have drugs under your possession it is a crime. Selling prescribed drugs to people without a prescription from a doctor, is a punishable crime. Punishments regarding drugs include – being sent to jail, enter rehabilitation program and having to pay hefty fines.

Relationships

Drug use can also affect your future and your relationships with others. Your relationships tend to suffer, when drug use becomes a part of your life. Breakdowns and conflicts become more common in your communication.

Avoid Advice

Your Future

If you are under the influence of drugs, your brain will not function properly. Your college work and your job will get affected terribly.

Any kind of drug is harmful whether it be smoking, alcohol or drugs. Tobacco can cause lung disease, heart attack, cancer and stroke. Mouth sores, gum disease and high blood pressure are the risks of using spit or smokeless tobacco.

say no to drugs

Alcohol is harmful if used often or in large quantities. It can damage the organs in your body. You need to avoid alcohol completely if you are pregnant. The baby may be born with birth defects and learning disabilities.

happy drugs free family

Using illegal drugs just once is enough to harm your body and brain. Avoid inhaling common household cleaning product. They can be harmful and fatal. It is never too late to stop something. Get help from a doctor if you need to avoid drugs. Your friends and family will help you and support your decision. If you are a parent and you want to prevent your children from using drugs, try these simple techniques.

  1. You should be a good example for your children. Avoid using tobacco, alcohol or other kinds of drugs. Children take their parents as role models. As the saying goes ‘what you sow you reap’, you need to get rid of your addictions first.
  2. Prefer to sit in non-smoking areas in restaurants and other public places. Even better, avoid restaurants which allow smoking or drinking. Use family restaurants for dining with your family.
  3. Store your household cleaning products in a locked shelf. They should be kept away from the children. Children tend to sniff them for fun which can turn into a life long addiction.
  4. Sit with your family and discuss about the harmfulness of drugs. This should be done when the children are at a young age. So that you can prevent them from using it.
  5. Be aware not to give custody of your children to anyone who uses tobacco, drugs or alcohol. Your children will be at a risk of injury, accidents and violence.

Taking care of your health is extremely important. Nothing seems to be harmful at first, but you will end up regretting later. Avoid drug use as much as you can and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

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