Drug Addiction And Its Very Real Medical Consequences

Parents and guardians who seek drug and alcohol treatment in North Carolina often do so out of an awareness of the consequences of addiction that go beyond the spiritual or an inability to get on with day-to-day life. Drug addiction has long been associated with various medical issues, ranging from stroke, cancer and mental disorders to lung or cardiovascular disease, many of which can be prevalent in drug-abusing young adults.

It is known from research that tobacco smoke, for instance, causes cancers of the throat, mouth, bladder, kidney and cervix, among other areas. Then, there are the certain drugs of abuse – like inhalants – that have a toxic effect on nerve cells, damaging or destroying them in the brain or the peripheral nervous system. Mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia also frequently co-exist with drug abuse, potentially preceding addiction, or even being triggered or exacerbated by it.

Specific abuse substances are linked to specific medical consequences. Those who use nicotine, for example – the addictive stimulant found in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco – put themselves at heightened risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, bronchial disorders and emphysema. Alcohol can also adversely impact on the brain and most body organs, with the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum being the areas of the brain that are particularly susceptible to alcohol-related damage.

The most commonly abused illegal substance, marijuana, is another to have detrimental medical consequences for addicts, short-term memory and learning, coordination and the ability to focus attention all being potentially impaired. Marijuana abusers can be at risk of psychosis if they have an underlying vulnerability, and they are also likely to experience a quickening heart rate and to sustain lung damage.

Severe medical consequences can also arise from the use of cocaine, the heart and the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems being commonly affected. Young adults may also misuse prescription medications like Valium, Vicodin or Ritalin for the purposes of getting high, self-treatment and/or the improvement of performance, and again, the consequences of such drugs’ misuse or abuse can be grave, including death.

So many more drugs that are commonly misused or abused by young adults – ranging from inhalants and amphetamines to LSD, MDMA (Ecstasy or “Molly”) or heroin – can have immensely negative medical effects. This is all the more reason for inquiries to be made quickly by a concerned parent, guardian or other adult about the most suitable drug and alcohol treatment in North Carolina that has been conceived and developed with young adults’ particular clinical needs in mind.