How Does Drug Addiction Affect Your Health?

Drug addiction means continuous abuse of drugs, hence causes the development of a habit of drug-seeking. Constant cravings and preoccupation with obtaining substances i.e drugs which then act as stimuli making the person feel satisfied after taking them is the result of this condition. This habit can lead to some negative effects which damage the brain in mental disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition [DSM-IV] has categorized threes stage of addiction. They include Binge or intoxication, Preoccupation or anticipation and Withdrawal or negative effect.

Drug addiction results to withdrawal symptoms and decreased motivation of life activities, i.e. work, socialization and hence resulting to laziness. Some of the drugs known to cause addiction include over the counter and illegal ones. We have stimulants i.e. caffeine, cocaine, nicotine and amphetamine. There are also Sedatives which include; alcohol, barbiturates, methaqualone and others.

Drug addiction is very complicated because it results to chronic dependence on them leading to relapses after long periods of abstinence. For chronic addicts treatment can be done in intervals. Other ways addict can save themselves from the habit is through medical programs like in rehabilitation centres, spirituality or religion beliefs of the victim which can be practiced after thorough counseling. Though the habit can't disappear immediately, the major aim is to enable individuals achieve lasting abstinence. In Africa drugs addiction has been connected with spread of certain diseases like AIDS due to constant sharing of needles to inject heroin to body veins.