Drug addiction, in general is a chronic condition affecting your physical, emotional, and mental well being. Some people will not exhibit any negative effects, but for some others, drug abuse can result in serious consequences that may affect all aspects of your life very badly. So, it is absolutely necessary that you should have a thorough knowledge about this insidious and widespread problem in order to find the right help for yourselves or your loved ones.

How Drug Addiction Develops

Professionals do not consider addiction as a bad character, yet as a serious social issue. Several factors contribute to this devastating problem including your background and genetics. For instance, if you grow up in a safe and caring setting, the chances of getting addicted to drugs are very less. Surprisingly, if your parents or grandparents are addicted to alcohol or drugs, you may also get the problem as an inherited genetic trait. Also, a person who has drug addiction may not be necessarily gambling or abusing alcohol. At the same time, you can also find addicts who are addicted to more than one thing.

Depression and stress are more common than ever and can also lead to addiction.  When you try to get relief from stress and painful memories using drugs, you will become addicted to it eventually. Some may use it to experience a high, while some others use it to feel ‘ok’ at least temporarily. Peer pressure is yet another contributing factor of addiction to drugs in both adults and teenagers. In teenagers, the judgment center of the brain has not yet fully developed making it difficult for them to make the right decisions in life. However, remember that most people who try drugs may not continue to use them.

Harmful Effects of Drug Addiction

The fact is that you can get addicted to any kind of drugs irrespective of age or gender. But the effect of a particular drug in one person may be totally different from another person. This depends on a number of factors such as the strength and amount of drug, your body size, how the drug is taken, and whether you have used it before.

Cannabis is one of the most popular drugs that can cause potential health problems ranging from mood swings to cancer and mental impairment. Amphetamines can result in weight loss, hallucinations, panic attacks, severe depression, nerve cell damage, and even death from suicide or heart failure.  Ecstasy is very popular with drug addicts, and long term abuse may result in hallucinations, high blood pressure, and death.

Warning Signs of Drug Addiction

Although it is not so easy to figure out exactly whether your loved one has an addiction problem or not, you can look out for some common physical and behavioral signs. Drug addicts usually have blood shot eyes, and the pupils may be larger or smaller than usual. You may also notice sudden changes in physical appearance, sleep patterns, and performance at school or workplace. They will no longer be interested in personal grooming. Accidents, fights, and illegal activities are also very common with drug addicts.

If you confirm that your loved one is a drug addict, then perhaps you should follow these methods of approach in order to communicate with that person correctly and ultimately help them overcome their addiction.

Drug Addiction – Dos and Don’ts

Once you have found out that your loved one has a drug problem, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind in order to deal with it the right way. You should never be judgmental or punish and threaten them about their drug addiction. Instead, you should support them, and help them to achieve recovery.