Alcoholism and other substance abuse increase the likelihood of developing conditions like substance-use disorder. Mixing alcohol and various drugs can lead to serious behavioral, health, and physical complications. Not only can drugs and drinking increase the effects of both substances, but they can also trigger various dangerous interactions.
People who misuse alcohol will also abuse illicit substances, such as prescription or illegal drugs; there is a good chance. Illegal drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, heroin, or cocaine can cause life-threatening aftereffects and bodily injuries. Taking dangerous drugs and drinking can quickly go out of control, leaving people at risk for possible permanent health issues.
Patients should not treat disorders and illnesses surrounding substance and alcohol abuse by themselves. Specialized treatment facilities will be able to help individuals through every step of their recovery process, providing them the greatest chance of long-term recovery. People need to contact treatment facilities or health care providers to know more about their recovery options.
For more information about withdrawal syndrome, click here to find out more.
Substance abuse
This thing involves the constant use of drugs and alcohol. Individuals who abuse these substances have greater risks of using substances like heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Prolonged consumption of these things increases people’s tolerance; that is why they need more of these substances to achieve the desirable effects.
Substance misuse can start out as mild issues and gradually turn into severe problems. For instance, an individual may mix small amounts of illegal drugs with alcohol. Over time, their bodies become dependent on chemicals released by the substances and start craving more. After they have built a tolerance to both stuff, they may increase their consumption to avoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
In these instances, some people may turn to the most addictive stuff like ecstasy, cocaine, or heroin, to experience intensified highs. Recognizing warning signs of substance abuse is very important when it comes to early detection and getting early help. If these things are left untreated over time, issues with drugs and drinking can escalate and become pretty dangerous and life-threatening.
Visit https://medlineplus.gov/druguseandaddiction.html to know more about substance use and abuse.
Recognizing the problem
While some signs and symptoms of abuse are recognizable and can be caught early on, there is a good chance that other symptoms may not be as noticeable. Warning signs or red flags sometimes go unrecognized when someone hides their drug and drinking problem.
Because of the negative connotations and stigma associated with these things, a lot of individuals may deny they have an issue at all. In these cases, it can be pretty hard for family members and close friends to prepare interventions and get their loved ones the necessary help they deserve. Listed below are some questions people need to identify whether they or their loved ones may be experiencing substance abuse.
Have they felt irritated by criticisms or concerns of their substance use by people around them, like friends, teachers, colleagues, co-workers, or friends?
Have they ever thought of minimizing their drug or alcohol intake?
Have they felt any forms of guilt over their liquor or narcotic consumption?
Do they find themselves craving a drink and other substances regularly throughout the day?
Have they failed to meet various obligations in the last year because of their drinking or narcotic use?
Have they or someone they knew was injured because of their vice?
If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes, they need to look for healthcare professionals’ help. These answers need not be considered as an official diagnosis, but these professionals can warn individuals of possible abuse factors and motivate them to seek help.
Statistics
Narcotics and liquor use increases the risks of unprotected sex, such as STDs or Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, or unwanted pregnancies. More or less 24% of people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus are in need of narcotics or liquor abuse treatment.
Of the two million drug-related Emergency Department visits, as well as visits to facilities like Taylor Recovery alcohol detox, at least 14% involved liquors in combination with other narcotics. A lot of individuals struggling with these problems will meet the benchmark for substance use disorder at some point in their lives.
Side effects
Excessive consumption of these things over the course of years, months, weeks, or even days can take a heavy toll on people’s bodies. Some effects may be minor and will only last for a couple of days. Other side effects may last a lot longer and can cause irreversible and life-threatening damages.
Usually, the amount of substance consumed, as well as the type of narcotics involved, can influence health consequences. For instance, liquors mixed with heroin have more severe side effects compared to less dangerous stuff like tobacco.
