When people think of the effects of an addiction, they often focus on the mental and emotional problems that come along with it. There are strained relationships and harmful circuits in the brain that grow incredibly strong. There are instances of cruelty and lack of self-worth, and many more things not listed here. What people don’t often mention is that addiction can also have a serious impact on your body and your overall health.
Given that the term addiction can apply to a wide variety of relationships with substances and behaviors, it’s impossible to explain every way that all addictions can harm your overall health in a single piece of writing. It’s important that if you’ve been struggling with an addiction, you seek out the advice of a medical professional. Be honest about your situation and take the tests they want you to take. They may discover deficiencies or other problems and be able to treat them.
If you’re considering a treatment plan like rehab or severe lifestyle changes, make sure that the option you’re selecting takes into account your physical health and any recovery or healing steps needed in that aspect of your life. One luxury rehab in California emphasizes the importance of nutritious meals being available to patients throughout recovery. Something like not having enough magnesium in your system can make a huge difference, even if it seems like a very minor thing. Ensure that you have a plan with your rehab center of choice or within your own lifestyle changes that provide you with adequate nutrition.
Of course, different substances influence the body in different ways, but it’s important to note that many addictive substances have an impact on your nutrition levels even if you’re eating well (which many people with addictions aren’t able to do). Alcohol, for instance, causes you to be low in Vitamin A, B, C, E, amino acids, and zinc, putting you at risk for brain damage, nerve damage, internal bleeding, altered brain function, liver damage, liver disease, eye problems, and poor bone health. Opioids can cause you to be low in folate, vitamin c, b vitamins, potassium, magnesium, selenium, calcium, and zinc, putting you at risk for pellagra (a disease that causes skin diseases and dementia), colon cancer, liver disease, and low bone mass. Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine often lead people to not drink enough water or eat enough food, putting them at risk of dehydration, nerve or muscle function issues due to a lack of electrolytes, depression, severe tooth problems, heart rate changes, and anxiety.
Given how expensive some addictions can become, it’s quite common for someone experiencing an addiction to have financial struggles as well. This doesn’t only apply to those who struggle with shopping or gambling; all addictions can impact one’s financial situation. It can be hard to save up enough money to afford regular dental visits, medical exams, or eye appointments. People can even ignore symptoms that need the intervention of a healthcare professional if they know they cannot afford them, allowing health issues that are completely unrelated to their addiction to continue or become worse.
As well, many addictions lead to physical harm to the body. This might take the form of becoming incredibly sedentary, resulting in weakening muscles or bones. It might take the form of being rougher with oneself in a state of intoxication than one would be sober, owing to the fact that the body’s pain responses have been numbed; everything from bruised knees to broken bones is possible as a result. Substances that are injected can leave wounds on the skin that can get infected. As well sexual addictions can lead to soreness, raw skin, or torn skin, as well as the possibility of sexually transmitted infections. Some addictions can also lead to reckless behavior like impaired driving which can produce some serious physical harm. All of these harms need time and a clean environment to heal.
Most addictive substances or behaviors have adverse cardiovascular effects. Things like an abnormal heart rate and altered blood pressure can seem like minor issues at first, but when compounded over time they can put a person’s heart in a precarious situation. Since your heart rate and rhythm is a vital component in your emotional regulation, poor heart health can also lead to emotional struggles. In particular, depression and anxiety have been strongly linked to particular heart rate patterns.
The above information should have made it clear that addiction can do serious damage to the human body. Developing a treatment plan should always include taking steps to help your body heal.
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