It can be extremely difficult for some people to understand the way addiction wholly affects a drug user's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Substance abuse carries severe consequences which include potentially fatal cardiovascular conditions, mental illnesses, and emotional disorientation. Understanding and addressing each of these issues is essential in creating treatment programs which address all the causes of a person's addiction.

Drug addiction is highly individual in the way it affects people, so it can be difficult to recognize all of its symptoms. Though they are not the most dangerous or difficult to fix, the physical problems are the easiest to spot. This can actually be helpful to addicts, whose mental clarities are often so damaged that they don't realize they have developed psychological issues as well. It often takes a close friend or family member to spot those signs of addiction.

Anyone can become an addict because addiction is a condition of the human physiology. Drugs and alcohol are responsible for the production of dopamine in the brain, a chemical which induces feelings of euphoria. As a user repeatedly uses a substance, the brain attempts to reduce its effects by developing a tolerance. Real, physical neurological pathways then develop which compel the now-addict to constantly seek more of a given drug.

Aside from the development of these life-altering changes in brain chemistry, different drug addictions carry unique and dangerous health risks:

*Alcohol: permanent damage to the brain and other organs

*Ecstasy: Elevated temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure lead to heart and nerve cell damage.

*Cocaine: severe heart, respiratory, nervous and digestive problems

*Methamphetamines: high body temperatures, seizures, and permanent brain damage

*Heroin: dangerously slow breathing and increased risk of infection from needles and open sores

Though these physical problems are clearly life-threatening, most addicts' compromised mental and emotional states lead them to ignore their deteriorating bodies. This is why a holistic approach to addiction treatment is essential for a full and permanent recovery.

Since physical damage to the brain's neurons is what causes an addict's mental problems, overcoming them requires much more than a strong will. Once an addiction takes hold of a person's brain, it becomes their only true motivator in life and destroys their ability to self-assess and make wise decisions. The following thought patterns usually indicate a full-blown addiction:

*Placing blame and responsibility on other people or physical objects

*Denial of obvious problems

*Constant cravings for the given substance

*Self-importance and selfishness

*Constant focus on trivial, irrelevant issues

*Mental fogginess and loss of short-term memory

*Self-harm and other indirect cries for help

To make matters worse, the tolerance and numbness an addict's brain develops can combine with co-occurring mental imbalances. In fact, studies have shown that a majority of substance abusers have conditions such as mania, bipolar disorder, and multiple personality syndrome. These issues must be addressed along with the other symptoms and causes of addiction if a drug user is to make a lasting recovery.

Addiction can take hold of every part of a person's life, but there are effective, proven therapies for drug abuse. If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction, call the number at the top of your screen for a toll-free, confidential consultation. We have consultants standing by day and night to get you started on the road to recovery.