Substance abuse is a major and complicated problem that affects an estimated 10 percent of the U.S. adult population and is implicated in 40 million serious injuries and illnesses each year. According to the American Family Physician, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians, approximately 20 percent of patients seen by family physicians have a problem with illicit or legal drug abuse. The consequences of substance abuse are dire, and include destruction of health, property crime, and physical and emotional violence against one's self and others.
Physical Effects
All the body's organs are affected in one way or another with repeated substance abuse. Heart and circulatory problems, seizures, and severe damage to the nervous system are common with prolonged abuse of all drugs. Alcohol abuse damages the liver and may result in pancreatitis and alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Prescription drugs are increasingly used for nonmedical purposes, and ingestion of a combination of legal or illegal substances is a frequent cause of fatal overdoses. If the current level of use continues, the cumulative death toll for cigarette smokers is projected to reach 1 billion in the 21st century, reports the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Emotional Effects
While the initial response to ingestion of an addictive substance may be a rush of pleasure and feeling of well-being, extended substance abuse ultimately impairs control of the emotions. Paranoia, delusional behavior and panic attacks are associated with hallucinogenic drugs. Central nervous system depressants, such as alcohol and barbiturates, frequently cause impaired judgment and attention spans. Both amphetamines and opioid drugs may produce an exaggerated perception of euphoria, leading to a need for more drugs to maintain the emotional high.
Mental Effects
Substance abuse affects the structure and function of the brain by hijacking the communication system and interfering with the brain's ability to send and receive information. All drugs of abuse affect the level of dopamine, the neurotransmitter related to the brain's reward system. Although the extent of neural damage depends upon the type and length of abuse, damage to the parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning, problem solving and decision making is particularly common.
References
- American Academy of Family Physicians: American Family Physician: Recognition of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
- National Institutes of Health: Drug Abuse
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Addiction and Health
- National Institutes of Health: Drug Abuse
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Drugs and the Brain
