Consequences of Narcotics Addiction

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Anyone who’s sought out treatment for a narcotic addiction well knows the damaging effects these drugs can have on a person’s physical, mental and emotional health. During the course of drug use, addicts have little to no awareness of the consequences of narcotics addiction in spite of the experiences taking place right in front of them.

Narcotics fundamentally hijack your brain’s reward system. Between narcotic doses you experience the effects of your brain coming off the drug, which worsens the intensity of the withdrawal effects, driving a person to take increasingly larger amounts of the drug. Meanwhile, this vicious cycle breeds chaos and dysfunction in every area of the addict’s life.

Ultimately, the consequences of narcotic addiction leave a person with a whole new outlook and mindset that’s revolves around getting and using drugs.

Narcotics and the Brain

Fatigue and feelings of sadness are common narcotics withdrawal symptoms.

Narcotic drugs, also known as opiates, exert a tremendous toll on the brain’s overall chemical make-up. Opiates are well known for their analgesic effects as well as for the pleasant aftereffects that occur.

Once ingested, opiate narcotics quickly bind to key brain cell receptor sites, at which point large amounts of neurotransmitter chemicals are released. According to California State University, neurotransmitters act as communication messengers throughout the brain. In effect, narcotics impair the brain’s communication processes with continued use.

By the time a narcotics addiction sets in, a person’s brain functions have been warped by the cumulative effects of the drug.

Withdrawal Effects

Withdrawal effects play a pivotal role in the addiction cycle for narcotics, making it very difficult for addicts to stop using. You won’t experience withdrawal symptoms if you are not addicted to the drug. Withdrawal symptoms typically include:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Excess sweating
• Loss of appetite
• Agitation
• Feelings of sadness
• Anxiety

When withdrawal effects happen regularly, the brain and body have developed a physical dependency on the drug.

Health Consequences

For long-term users, narcotics addictions greatly impair a person’s physical health, leaving him or her susceptible to sickness and disease conditions. With little to no appetite for food, addicts tend to develop poor nutritional habits that work to compromise the body’s immune system over time.

Narcotic abuse also takes a toll on liver and kidney functions, the two organs responsible for eliminating toxic wastes from the body. These effects further compromise a person’s health status. Heart conditions, gastrointestinal problems and respiratory illnesses are just a few of the health consequences that can result.

Why You Won’t Succeed at Overcoming Narcotics Addiction without Professional Treatment

Overcoming narcotics addiction often requires a variety of treatment methods and a strong support system.

Mindset & Motivations

Besides physical dependency that develops with continued drug use, narcotics addiction breeds a psychological dependency that overpowers a person’s motivations and overall mindset. Narcotics activate the brain’s reward system, which regulates learning processes and determines what motivates a person to act.

With ongoing use, this reward system comes to associate drug use with survival. At this point, a person actually believes he or she needs the drug’s effects to cope with everyday life.

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