Drugs abuse can involve illegal, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. PeaceHealth estimates that in the United States and Canada, approximately 40 percent of adults will use an illegal drug. Using excessive amounts of these drugs affect the brain and cause physical and emotional dependence. Despite the assorted problems that arise from drug abuse, some addicts are not even aware of their addiction until they attempt to stop using drugs.
Addiction
The brain is composed of various parts that work together to enable coordination, mood, thought and bodily functions. Different parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that drugs can alter important areas of the brain that are needed for life-sustaining functions. Drugs disturb the brain's communication system by affecting the way nerve cells process, send and receive information. Certain drugs heighten pleasure by causing surges in dopamine. Once the reward circuit in the brain is activated, an individual's brain teaches him to repeat drug use to continue to receive the stimulation the drugs provide.
Social Problems
MedlinePlus says that drug abuse plays a role in a variety of major social problems. A drug abuser's compulsion to use drugs affects his behavior, causing him to become violent, miss work and neglect or abuse family and friends. In addition, drug abuse leads to homelessness and harms the unborn babies of pregnant drug-addicted women, causing low birth weight, birth defects and withdrawal symptoms after birth.
Health Problems
Drug abuse affects the major organs in the body and leads to immediate and long-term complications. Recreational drugs are especially dangerous because they are often impure. High doses can cause life-threatening problems like respiratory failure, heart attack or coma, according to the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. Abusing stimulant drugs can lead to impotence and skin disorders as well as psychosis. Marijuana abuse can weaken the immune system, cause infertility, cognitive problems and damage the lungs. Prescription drugs can be equally dangerous. Excessive use of barbiturates and tranquilizers can cause nausea, seizures, a coma and even death.
