A person who abuses a drug will use the drug despite the known risks to health and well-being. She will continue abusing the drug even though this results in broken relationships, financial difficulties, legal problems and failures to follow through with responsibilities at work or in school, notes HelpGuide.org. Long-term abuse of drugs will change a person's life, health, mental health and relationships.
Significance
Drug abuse can create serious health risks and, depending on the drug, the signs of abuse may become apparent early on and will only worsen if the drug is abused long-term. The long-term signs of drug abuse may never become apparent for some if the abuse results in an untimely or sudden death.
Nature of Drug Addiction
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, long-term abuse of drugs takes away a person's ability to control the amount of drugs used because self-control and ability to make sound decisions has been diminished due to changes in the brain. Therefore, one of the long-term signs of drug abuse is drug addiction; this is not solely a sign of long-term use, but is most often the case.
Considerations
When looking for signs of long-term drug abuse it is important to take into consideration the variation in signs that will be displayed depending on the drug abused. The long-term use of methamphetamine causes very noticeable physical changes such as significant weight loss and loss of teeth. Signs of long-term inhalant use include seizures, brain damage and decreases in liver and kidney functioning, notes MayoClinic.com.
General Signs
Long-term drug abuse will result in memory problems, decreased motor skills, poor circulation if the drug was injected, nose bleeds and a higher risk of suicide, death and contraction of a communicable disease such as HIV.
The physical appearance of a long-term drug user will change. He may have broken or thinning hair, fingernails will appear brittle and dry, teeth will appear stained and unhealthy, skin will be wrinkled and/or he may have an unhealthy appearance overall.
There are also signs of long-term drug abuse that pertaining to a person's lifestyle. These include job loss, unemployment, accidents, significant financial problems, loss of relationships and legal problems due to drug use, notes MayoClinic.com.
Long-term use might result in mental signs of abuse including flash backs, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and the onset of mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety disorders.
Effects
According to the National Institutes of Health, the long-term effects of drug abuse can be seen in brain scans because drug abuse changes the way the brain works. Drug abuse kills the neurons in a person's brain and will decrease overall brain activity.
Also, the level of glutamate in the brain will change in a person who has abused drugs for a period of time; this change causes problems in a person's ability to learn because cognitive function has been compromised, notes the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Therefore, a sign of long-term drug abuse can be seen in decreased cognitive function.
