Drug Addiction Information & Resources

Alcohol is a depressant. And as a result, it causes many of the body’s processes to slow down. Reaction times and reflexes are stunted, thinking becomes fuzzy, and memory can also be impacted. 

Breathing and heart rate also tend to slow down as well. 

Like most other addictive substances, drinking alcohol also produces a “high” that most users are trying to achieve. This high of being drunk usually includes feelings like: 

• Euphoria
• Excitement
• Improved self-confidence
• Higher sociability
• Lowered inhibitions

Alcoholism is one of the most widespread addictions in the country. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 15.1 million American adults needed treatment for alcohol use in 2016. 

And more than 91% didn’t receive treatment, mostly because the majority were in complete denial about their alcoholism. 

Though it may be hard to spot the signs of mild intoxication, heavy alcohol consumption is marked by a number of easy-to-recognize signs. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR), these signs include: 

• Slowed reaction times and reflexes
• Poor motor coordination
• Blurred vision
• Slurred speech
• Lowered inhibitions and increase in risk behavior
• Lowered reasoning ability, impaired judgment
• Memory loss
• Confusion, anxiety, restlessness
• Slowed heart rate, reduced blood pressure
• Slowed breathing rate
• Heavy sweating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dehydration

No matter what stage of alcoholism someone is in, being a problem drinker can have serious health implications for anyone. 

And these health effects can be especially numerous too. 

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), drinking too much can cause: 

• Permanent changes in the brain that lead to altered mood and behavior
• Cardiomyopathy (stretching and drooping of the heart muscle)
• Arrhythmias (irregular heart beat)
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Steatosis (fatty liver disease)
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Fibrosis
• Cirrhosis
• Pancreatitis
• Cancer (head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast, and colorectal)
• Weakened immune system

Cannabinoids don’t fall neatly into the stimulant/depressant categorizations of most other drugs. And the effects that these drugs have on individuals vary wildly from person to person. 

As such, the high from marijuana may come with a range of symptoms, including: 

• Altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors)
• Altered sense of time
• Changes in mood
• Impaired body movement
• Difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
• Impaired memory
• Hallucinations (when taken in high doses)
• Delusions (when taken in high doses)
• Psychosis (when taken in high doses)

While marijuana doesn’t necessarily cause physical dependency, the truth is that cannabinoids can be mentally addictive. And in fact, addiction doesn’t even require physical dependency. 

As a result, these drugs can still bring on uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms while quitting.

Despite the fact that cannabinoids like marijuana are becoming legal across the country, studies have shown that marijuana addiction is common and often left untreated. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported that around 2.5% of American adults (around 6 million people) met the criteria for having a marijuana addiction in the last year. About 6.3% of adults were estimated to have such an addiction at some point in their lives. 

There are a few common signs of cannabinoid intoxication that tend to pop up. According to CESAR, these include: 

• Dizziness or trouble walking
• Acting silly and giggly for no reason
• Red, bloodshot, or glazed eyes
• Anxiety and paranoia
• Difficulty remembering things that just happened
• Disinterest in activities or other things he or she used to enjoy

Though it is often considered one of the safest illicit drugs today, marijuana and other cannabinoids can have a variety of negative effects on health. According to the CDC, some of the most notable include: 

• Altered brain development in younger people
• Possibly higher rates of cancer
• An increased risk of stroke and heart disease
• Damaged lung tissues

On top of that, legal cannabinoids like K2 and Spice can be particularly dangerous. These are synthesized versions of marijuana and in many cases, what goes into them is not well regulated. 

As a result, they may contain chemical compounds that interact with the brain differently than normal marijuana. The effects of these drugs can often be unpredictable and may be dangerous. Some side effects may include: 

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rapid heart rate
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Violent behavior
• Suicidal thoughts

As the name suggests, central nervous system (CNS) depressants interact with the brain and the body to slow down certain processes. A lot of this slowing down is handled by one brain chemical in particular called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). Many CNS depressants either make GABA more powerful or increase its rate of release in the brain. 

The result is a relaxed, drowsy state that some people may find appealing. Some depressants may also bring on a sense of euphoria as well. 

When taken in high doses, these drugs can also make it quite hard to concentrate and perform even the simplest tasks. 

Some of the most common types of depressants include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and anti-psychotics.

Some of the most common symptoms of depressant intoxication include: 

• Slurred speech
• Poor concentration
• Confusion
• Headache
• Light-headedness
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Problems with movement and memory
• Lowered blood pressure
• Slowed breathing
• Lethargy

Some signs that someone close to you might be abusing depressants could include:

• Taking frequent naps throughout the day
• Falling asleep in unusual situations like during a meal
• Poor coordination or falling over 
• An inability to carry on a conversation

Abusing depressants habitually can cause a range of health effects. These may include: 

• Problems with thought, memory, and judgment
• Disorientation and confusion
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of coordination
• Slurred speech

Once a person becomes physically dependent on these drugs, getting clean can be especially hard since the withdrawal symptoms can be brutal. On top. Of that, these drugs are some of the only ones that have potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms. 

That’s why it’s so important to partner with a professional facility when trying to recover from a depressant addiction. 

Hallucinogens include a wide variety of different drugs with different effects. But generally, these drugs fall into two categories in particular: classic hallucinogens like LSD and dissociative drugs such as PCP. 

Both produce hallucinations – images, sounds, or physical sensations that aren’t really there. But dissociative drugs also typically cause the user to feel like they’re outside of their body and have no control over their actions. 

Researchers believe that most classic hallucinogens affect the brain chemical serotonin, which helps control mood, sensory perception, and a range of other functions. As a result, highs from these drugs tend to create:

• Intensified feelings and sensations (seeing brighter colors for example)
• Changes in time perception
• Spiritual experiences
• Relaxation

Dissociative drugs tend to focus more on glutamate, which helps regulate responses to the environment, emotion, and memory. The highs from these drugs may cause:

• Disorientation
• Mood swings
• Disassociation (feeling outside of the body)
• Anxiety 
• Numbness 

According to NIDA, around 229,000 Americans over the age of 12 reported using LSD in the past month. And for dissociative drugs like PCP, around 33,000 Americans reported past-month use. 

Among high school seniors, 5.9% abused salvia in the past year, 2.7% abused LSD, and 1.3% used PCP in the same time frame. 

Some signs of classic hallucinogen intoxication include: 

• Increased heart rate
• Nausea
• Increased breathing or body temperature
• Loss of appetite
• Dry mouth
• Sleep problems
• Uncoordinated movements
• Panic
• Paranoia
• Bizarre behaviors

Some signs of dissociative drug intoxication include: 

• Panic
• Psychotic symptoms
• Inability to move
• Trouble breathing
• Amnesia
• Increased blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature

The long-term effects of hallucinogen addiction and abuse can be brutal. 

For classic hallucinogens, they may cause persistent psychosis – a condition characterized by a series of mental problems like paranoia, disorganized thinking visual disturbances, and mood changes. 

They can also cause a condition known as Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPDD). This condition is the technical name for drug flashbacks – spontaneous re-experiencing of drug effects like hallucinations long after taking them (days or even years afterwards). 

Dissociative drugs can cause more serious effects that can end up being permanent. These may include: 

• Speech problems
• Memory loss
• Weight loss
• Anxiety
• Depression and suicidal thoughts

Most inhalants affect the brain and the body by slowing down activity in the central nervous system. And as a result, the user tends to feel effects that are similar to those of alcohol. These may include: 

• Slurred or distorted speech
• Lack of coordination
• Euphoria
• Dizziness

But since there are so many different products that are used as inhalants today, not all will have the same effects. Some, for instance, may also produce hallucinations and delusions. 

In many cases, these effects tend to be short-lived, often only lasting for a few minutes at a time. This short high can drive users to abuse inhalants over and over in rapid succession. And after continued use, it can make abusers feel less self-conscious and less in control over their bodies.

These drugs are actually the only substances that are abused more by young Americans than by adults. And according to NIDA, middle schoolers actually abuse them the most. 

A 2018 study found that among high school seniors, 4.4% had used inhalants in some point of their life. Less than 2% had used them in the past year and only 0.7% had in the past month. But among 8th graders, 8.7% had abused inhalants in their lifetime with 4.6% using in the past year and 1.8% in the past month. 

The most obvious signs of inhalant intoxication are similar to those of being drunk. As such, abusers may exhibit symptoms such as: 

• Slurred speech
• Lack of motor functions
• Nausea/vomiting
• Sedation
• Dilated pupils
• Loss of appetite
• Glassy eyes

Since these inhalants are often poisonous, they may leave other physical signs including blisters on the skin and around the nose. 

Also look for paint or other markings on the skin.

Abusing inhalants is associated with a range of serious health effects, some of which can be long-term. These may include: 

• Liver and kidney damage
• Hearing loss
• Bone marrow damage
• Loss of coordination and limb spasms
• Delayed behavioral development
• Brain damage

Abusing inhalants can also lead to what’s known as Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome, and it can happen within minutes.

Opioids are used in the medical community to help treat chronic and acute pain. They’re especially good at doing so because they stop pain sensations at a variety of different points in the body rather than just one. 

They interact with the brain and the body by activating special cells called opioid receptors. These receptors help regulate pain sensations as well as mood and other functions. And when they’re activated by opioids, they can cause a variety of effects, including: 

• Euphoria
• Relaxation
• Pain relief
• Sedation 

The intensity of these feelings depends on the type of opioid as well as how it is administered. Heroin, for example, tends to bring on a “rush” of intensely pleasurable feelings that quickly fade away. Prescription opioids like OxyContin may come on more slowly but often last much longer. 

The high from opioids is often quite strong. And it’s part of why these drugs are so highly addictive today. 

Incredibly common. 

America is in the middle of an opioid epidemic that continues to get worse every single year. From 1999 to 2017, almost 400,000 Americans have died from an overdose involving opioids. About 130 Americans die of an opioid overdose every single day. 

The problem has gotten so out of hand that drug overdoses (driven largely by opioids) are now the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 55. 

Some signs of opioid intoxication include: 

• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Constipation
• Euphoria
• Slowed breathing
• Pinpoint pupils

Some opioids like heroin can cause a deterioration of white matter in the brain. And as a result, heroin abusers may experience: 

• Poor decision-making abilities
• Poor impulse control
• Reduced ability to handle stressful situations

The compounds often mixed with illicit substances like heroin can also cause serious damage to internal organs like the kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart. 

Another health effect of opioid abuse is the risk of hypoxia. This condition is caused by too little oxygen flowing into the brain. This condition can cause permanent brain damage, coma, and even death. 

Opioids tend to be taken intravenously (by injection) too. This method of administration also increases the risk of contracting blood diseases like HIV and hepatitis.