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Substance abuse is a growing problem all over the world, but especially in the United States, due to the easy access of certain forms of drugs. Substance abuse is when a person regularly consumes illegal drugs, or legal drugs in a manner not prescribed by a doctor, or in doses greater than what is prescribed. This kind of abuse can be deadly and can lead to long-term health issues.

When someone abuses substances, the drug’s chemical effects on the brain alter the person’s thought patterns, emotions, and behavior. The brain and body of the abuser are unable to adjust to these changes, and can become heavily reliant on the substance. In addition, it can lead to physical and mental health problems and even death.

The short-term risks associated with substance abuse include increased risk of injury, accidents, and overdose. Accidents are more common when a person is using one or more illicit drugs, and they can be especially severe if the person is driving under the influence. Furthermore, individuals who abuse substances regularly have a higher risk of overdosing due to decreased tolerance for the drug and the greater risk of taking a larger dosage.

In the long-term, substance abuse can lead to some very serious conditions. When drugs are taken on a regular basis, the user will often develop tolerance, which means they will need larger amounts of the drug for it to produce the same effect. This can ultimately lead to addiction. Addiction results in a compulsive need and unsuccessful attempts to quit using.

Substance abuse can also cause permanent damage to the brain. This can range from memory problems, to difficulty controlling emotions, to difficulty staying focused. Additionally, long-term abuse of some drugs can cause problems with the respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.

Moreover, substance abuse often goes hand-in-hand with mental health issues. Many people who abuse substances suffer from a mental health disorder like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, and using substances can make these conditions worse. It can also increase the odds of developing other mental health issues, or even addiction to other substances.

Finally, substance abuse can cause significant disruptions to an individual’s social life, as it often leads to changes in behavior such as becoming hostile, neglecting responsibilities, and lying. Substance abuse break down relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners, and can even lead to homelessness or incarceration.

Substance abuse is a serious problem, and the risks go far beyond the short-term effects. Regular use of any kind of substance can be harmful and even deadly, and should never be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is abusing drugs or other substances, seek professional help right away.

Addiction refers to the continuous and excessive use of a thing without the ability stop. Addiction is a serious illness that affects the physical, mental, and emotional state of a person, and there are different types of addictions. Substance Addiction is a type of addiction that is very popular.

Substance Addiction is a physical dependence on a particular substance. Some of these chemical substances include alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, tobacco, and much more.

These substances could be legal or illegal drugs, because people can overuse a prescription and become addicted to it.

There are different reasons for substance addiction, most of which vary based on individual personality and specific situations. Sometimes, it might be difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for addiction. But some of these reasons are;

• Addicted Parents or Relative

When people grow up with someone who is addicted to substances, there is a high chance they would become addicts too. This is because humans are influenced by what they see and know.

• Peer Pressure

Having friends who are addicted to alcohol or cocaine can cause a person to become an addict too. Such friends can encourage a person to try out these chemical substances, which could lead to addiction.

• Emotional Trauma

People often use drugs or alcohol as an escape from stress and trauma. So, a person who had a traumatic childhood has a higher chance of resulting to substances to relieve stress and possibly get addicted.

• Early Exposure

The earlier a person becomes exposed to chemical substances, the more likely the person will get addicted. This is because young people are more daring and their hormones for self-control is still in development.

These are some factors that could lead substance addiction. But substance addiction has major consequences for an individual, as it can lead to many behavioral changes.

Addicts become withdrawn, uninterested in other activities, angry, and begin to have reduced performance.

Substance addiction is treatable with proper assistance. So, once you identify addiction in a person, that is not the end of life for him/her. Get them help and they can recover from it.

Addiction to drugs is a serious case, but not one without available treatment. Drug addiction can be treated once spotted. Therefore, you must know how to identify drug addiction in people.

Identifying drug addiction in individuals might be difficult as people often deny their addiction. But there are various signs which indicate that a person is addicted to drugs. These signs vary based on each case and individual’s personality.

So, here are signs that an individual is addicted to drugs. These signs are divided into different sections. We can categorize them into four groups;

• Physical Signs

This refers to any outward signs that indicate that a person is addicted. It encompasses a lot of factors that we will discuss. Addiction to drugs causes a person to neglect other activities in his/her life, including their physical appearance. 

Unkempt hairs, nails, and pinpoint pupils are physical signs of addiction. Such a person is also prone to extreme fatigue and weight loss due to loss of appetite.

• Psychological Signs

Individuals also exhibit psychological signs which indicate that they are drug addicts. The chemical from the drugs causes them to feel and think differently than normal. They begin to have frequent mood swings.

They begin to express apathy for things which does not include the consumption of the drug.

• Behavioral Signs

A drug addict also exhibits behavioral changes, such as withdrawal from friends and family. They begin to change their friends to people who are also addicted to drugs. Drug addicts are secretive about their movement and exhibit poor performance at work or school.

• Financial Signs

Addiction to drugs is a financially draining habit. People spend a lot of money to buy drugs and often run into debt through this act.

Then, some begin to borrow to sustain their drug addiction. So, a sudden financial crisis in a person’s life due to unknown causes could be a sign of drug addiction.

In summary, drug addiction is an extremely bad habit, which drains an individual emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially.

Identifying addiction early helps to begin early treatment for such a person and the above-mentioned signs will help you identify addiction in individuals.

The moment an individual relishes the act of taking either drugs or alcohol, then an abuse is in motion.

Now, these substances are the top abused substances in the world and they come with adverse effects which many people are not aware of.

So, how do you specifically tell when substance abuse sets in? It’s simple.

For instance, if a teenage boy is pressurized by his friends to hang out with them at a local liquor bar. After much persuasion, he gives in and joins them in drinking alcohol.

With time, he becomes used to it and craves more of it. At this phase, the boy is abusing a substance- alcohol.

If it goes on longer than this, and the boy derives great pleasure in drinking alcohol, and would give up other productive activities, then the boy is addicted to alcohol.

So, to prevent addiction, it is best to tackle substance abuse. This gives you the insight that, not everyone who takes alcohol is addicted, some of them are at the abusive phase.

Bearing this in mind, it is important to help people tackle substance abuse so that it does not take them unawares. One way to achieve this is by informing them.

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Most people do not know that the addiction lifestyle can be so deadly, and that they are on the verge of it. Speaking to these people would help change their thoughts about abuse.

Of course, it is best to approach them lovingly instead of using the criticism method. As humans generally, we frown at people who do not know how to correct us.

So, even though what they are saying is correct, we pay little or no attention to them. If we had our way, we would leave them at that very point.

Substance abuse is dangerous because the health of an individual is involved.

A good number of times, you do not need to get to the addiction stage before some organs in your body start deteriorating due to the abuse of substances.

The prevention of substance abuse is not a one-off event, it is a conscious effort that occurs on a continuum. This means that the act of prevention needs to go on and on for as long as the person may live.

To some people, this might sound burdensome, but in reality, the prevention tips are easy to abide with provided you understand why.

Preventing substance abuse gives you a shot at a healthy life and this is what everyone crave. So, how do you go about it?

Regular exercise: When people hear exercise, they imagine the stress and difficulty that comes with it. Yes, we do not like being subjected to pain, but how about our bodies being in great shape, making us not vulnerable to diseases; yes we crave that.

The act of regular exercise comes with lots of benefits that we should not take for granted.

If you are someone who has a busy schedule, you can do yours like 3-5 times on a weekly basis. These activities would provide strength to your bones and muscles.

• More water: Instead of taking drinks with high sugar contents, water is better. As humans, it is understandable that we prefer sweet things to natural products. However, what gives you a better quality of life should not be ignored, especially when the benefits are in the long term.

Water helps in digestion, detoxification amongst others.

Reduction of snacks intake: Instead of eating sugary foods too, it is better to take more fruits and vegetables. Snacks only have sugar and fat to offer and there is nothing nutritious about that.

For fruits and vegetables, they provide a truckload of nutrients for your body. And if you take them on a regular basis, your immune system is sure to receive a great boost.

• Relax more often: No matter how busy your schedule might be, it is important to find ample time to relax. Relaxing helps to provide refreshment for your body and brain, and this reduces the chance of increasing your stress levels.

When it comes to substance abuse, there is always an overwhelming urge to take either drugs or alcohol, and staying away from them induces critical withdrawal symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sweating, vomiting and the likes.

Substance abuse has no cure, and just basically telling a person to stop cannot work. However, there are some proven ways to treat substance abuse, and these form of treatments usually take into consideration some factors such as the degree of addiction, and the presence of mental health issues.

Below are some common treatment methods for substance abuse

• Detoxification: This is basically flushing out drugs and alcohol out of the body. This is usually done with the help of an experienced health personnel, because the withdrawal symptoms which comes with this process is quite deadly.

• Residential treatment: This could be a long-term treatment which could last between six months to a year. During this period, they are given an intensive and organized treatment. It could also be a short-term treatment which could take between three to six weeks at a treatment centre.

• Psychotherapy: During this form of treatment, patients learn various ways to control substance abuse issues. There are many types of psychotherapy, with the commonest being cognitive-behavioural therapy.

• Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET): For this form of treatment, people are motivated on how to quit addiction and chase treatment. Research has shown that it is a potent treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.

• The Matrix model: For this model, the addicts have a therapist who also serves as a counsellor and a coach. There is also group therapy present in this model, which aids people in sharing their experiences and offering support for recovery.

• Family therapy: This form of therapy focuses on interactions which are likely to enhance addiction, and hence, aims to stop them. Family therapy is very effective for young adults.

• Medication: The importance of medication in the treatment of substance abuse cannot be overemphasized. However, it is advised that before medications are taken, they should be done under the supervision of a medical practitioner.

• 12-step programmes: This is a form of professional treatment which helps people with addiction. The aim is to ensure that individuals achieve and regulate abstinence. They also have to come to terms with the fact that they have a disease, and it should be surrendered to a higher power.

• Exercise:  Exercise helps in enhancing one’s mood and reducing stress levels. It is also quintessential when it comes to addiction treatment.

Receiving treatment for the co-occurring disorders of substance abuse and mental disorder is more complicated than simply receiving treatment for one condition. Those who enter into this kind of treatment should be prepared for their healing process to take longer than it does for those who are trying to remedy only one condition. There are treatment facilities and rehabilitation centers that focus on treating co-occurring disorders specifically, rather than only treating the substance abuse problem. The staff consists of licensed specialists who are knowledgeable in how mental disorders and substance abuse interact with one another. Recovery requires a large commitment from the afflicted individual, and cannot be accomplished without a serious amount of work, but it has been proven possible repeatedly.

This concept of treating a mental disorder and a substance abuse problem simultaneously is unique. Its aim is to educate the individual on what their disorders encompass, instruct them on how the two conditions work in tandem and inform them on how a person can manage both conditions. The individual will become familiar with the ways that alcohol and drugs affect their mental disorder and how they are personally being impacted by them. This will help the person set a strategy for sober living and engaging in healthy life skills through counselling and treatment, as well as connecting them to ongoing assistance.

The journey of recovery for people who are dually diagnosed with mental disorder and substance abuse is a difficult one, but for those willing to give it everything they have, it can be achieved. Medical and psychological health professionals are anxious to assist individuals in facing these problems to help them reclaim their quality of life. If you or a person you care about is in need of therapy for a co-occurring disorder, do not hesitate to enlist the help of a substance abuse and mental disorder specialist.

How to Recognize Substance Abuse