Are you aware of all the negative effects that using drugs and alcohol has on your body, mind, and life? Here is a breakdown of those negative effects:
Generic Negative Physical Effects (these come with many kinds of drug or alcohol abuse)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cognitive impairment
- Cold sweats
- Convulsions
- Dependence
- Dilated pupils
- Dry mouth
- Exhaustion
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Impaired memory
- Loss of grey matter in the brain, shrinking brain size
- Memory loss
- Organ failure
- Overdose
- Premature aging
- Seizures
- Unexplained injuries
- Death
Generic Mental/Emotional/Social Effects (these come with any kind of drug or alcohol abuse)
- Agitation
- Altered sleep patterns, sleep disturbance that is permanent
- Anxiety
- Attention impairment
- Committing crimes to pay for drugs
- Confusion
- Delusions
- Depression
- Drinking or drugging heavily to calm down or sleep after using stimulants
- Dysphoria
- Hyperactivity, restlessness
- Inflated sense of confidence, importance, and power
- Isolation
- Legal issues related to drinking or using drugs, like DUIs or assaults from being under the influence
- Paranoia
- Picking and scratching skin
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenic-like behavior
- Suicidal thoughts
- Very talkative or no talking at all, unusual social patterns
- Violent impulses
- Wild mood swings
Negative Effects of IV Drug Use
- Abscesses
- Cellulitis
- HIV infection
- Hepatitis B and C infection
- Increased risk of overdose
Negative Effects of Smoking Drugs
- Burns on lips, fingers
- Lung cancer
- Lung damage
- Respiratory illness
Special Negative Effects of Methamphetamine
- Brain hemorrhage
- Hallucinations, feeling of bugs crawling on skin
- “Meth mouth,” rotten brown teeth
- Rapid deterioration of physical appearance
Special Negative Effects of Heroin
- Coma
- Impotence
- Lethargy
- Death
Special Negative Effects of Alcohol
- Alcohol poisoning
- Blackouts, lost time
- Cancer-related to alcohol consumption and processing, such as cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat, colon, and liver
- Delirium tremens, or “DTs”
- Poor balance
- Malnutrition
- Rapid eye movements
- Stroke
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Special Negative Effects of Cocaine/Crack Use
- Coughing up black mucous
- Hallucinations, feeling of bugs crawling on skin
- Hypersexuality
- Nosebleeds, nose collapse
- Parkinson’s disease