The Rippling Effects Of Drug Addiction: Home, Health, And Work

Drug addiction is a medical disorder that continues to rampage through our society today.

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It is believed that most patients are faced with harmful effects that could be both preventable and treatable.

Even though people take drugs to feel good, the drugs may end up taking over their lives.

Most people with addiction first engage in drug use voluntarily.

While most people may believe they have drug usage under control, they eventually develop the need to take more drugs.

As with most addictions, the effects of drug usage are often devastating to both the user, their family, and the community.

Thus, patients will need every support, be it from family members, friends, or the community—being there for them is important.

The good news is, drug addiction is treatable and you can get freedom from your drug addiction.

Many organizations and support groups are willing to help curb addiction in an individual.

Effects Of Drug Addiction In Different Aspects

Even though having a drug problem may be viewed as a personal experience, the devastating effects tend to affect those involved in a patient’s life.

Having a home means being with loved ones be it children, parents, or even partners.

Even though your family may not suffer health-wise, they will have to endure the psychological torture from the patient’s behavior.

Discussed below are some of the effects at home.

In a house where a teenager or college student is the patient, conflicts will ensue between the child and the parents causing strained relationships. This will be an issue that stems from the erosion of trust between both the parents and the child.
Another common effect is low performance in school. This is due to the lack of sleep often caused by cocaine overdose.
Drugs tend to be pricey depending on their type. Since a patient craves the ‘hit’ that gives them a sense of normalcy, they will do anything to get that feeling of normalcy. Such feeling always leads to financial hardships, theft, and in some cases, may lead to bankruptcy.
In most homes where a parent struggles with a drug problem, children tend to get affected emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Some parents abandon their parental duties, leaving children without moral or emotional support.
There will be higher chances of drug abuse among other family members due to influence.

People struggling with drug addiction often experience health complications. Each vice always comes with different health issues.

A good example is health issues in someone who excessively smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol.

In most cases, a cigarette smoker may be affected by lung cancer, whereas an alcohol drinker may develop liver cirrhosis.

An expectant mother may cause her baby to have neonatal abstinence syndrome, otherwise known as drug withdrawal in newborns. These effects will not stop after birth. A child may have cognitive development problems that could affect their behavior and thinking.
One in ten HIV diagnoses occurs among people who inject drugs. Injecting drugs into one’s system may cause HIV/AIDS since most drug overuse patients share one needle. Due to hindered judgment from drug use, most end up making bad sexual decisions. This may end up in the contraction of HIV.
A patient with a long history of drug use ends up having depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, and increased aggression.
Smoked drugs damage the respiratory system, whereas heavy doses of opioids may lead to death.
Kidney damage and liver disease are also effects of heroin and alcohol abuse, and in most cases, patients either undergo treatment, a transplant, or in worst cases, lose their lives.

Having an employee who has an addiction problem has negative effects on both the employee and the employer.

Employers have to deal with claims from injuries and low productivity from their employees.

Employees with drug problems have higher chances of losing their jobs due to the following reasons:

They tend to make poor decisions due to a lack of concentration.
Low morale that stems from exhaustion and drowsiness may lead to absenteeism.
Most employees tend to get low satisfaction from their jobs leading to burnout. It also does not help that they experience fatigue from drug addiction.
When drugs affect your job, your chances of being laid off are high. An employer, in most cases, ends up firing drug overuse patients. No job means no money—which in turn, leads to bankruptcy and eventually homelessness.

We have to acknowledge the gravity of drug addiction.

In this day and age, you may know someone who is a patient, is related to someone who has drug problems, or has battled with addiction in the past.

Drug addiction is a disorder that can be treated.

Thus, reach out for help to combat addiction and assist anyone who might be experiencing this debilitating problem.