Results: High Risk

My Result: High Risk

Your score indicates that you are addicted to drugs (or have a very high risk of developing addiction) and need immediate help. Even if you don’t see any drastic effects on your health at this point, you might start noticing them very soon. So, it’s your best bet is seek professional medical assistance without losing any further time.

Consequences of Drug Addiction

It might come as a surprise to some that drug abuse is actually a brain disease. Fair enough, first few times you might voluntarily use drugs, but a continuous use can interfere with your brain and highly impact your voluntary decision making. It then can result in obsessional craving, acquiring drugs by any means, and using them.

According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, illicit drug abuse costs America a whopping $193 billion annually in terms of crime, lost work productivity and healthcare. But that’s only an estimated cost, actual cost could actually be many times more, and that doesn’t even include the additional cost suffered in terms of psychological and social issues. The consequences can vary greatly depending on your intake i.e. whether you occasionally abuse your prescription or frequently take hard drugs.

Let’s talk about the most common consequences of drug addiction:

• Medical issues

Medical issues caused by drugs are very far reaching. In most cases severe impact is seen after an overdose or prolonged use, but some effects can occur instantly, even after just one use. From a variety of lethal diseases to instant death, everything is always on the cards. Some common diseases that drugs can cause include HIV/AIDS, stroke, cancer, Cardiovascular disease, lung disease, hepatitis, infertility, hormonal disorders, mental issues, and neurological problems.

• Psychological issues

Unlike medical issues, psychological issues usually occur after a prolonged use of drugs. The three most common issues drug abusers experience include depression, paranoia, and anxiety. The most common issue is depression; it happens mainly because after prolonged use, you develop tolerance to the drug and always need an ever-increasing amount or potency. Illicit drugs users also get paranoid, always fearing that LEA is waiting in every corner to get them for getting illegal substance. Likewise, the longer you have to wait for you next dose, the more anxious you get. Anxiety results in the lack of focus and can lead to emotional and social issues.

• Social Issue

Studies have confirmed that drug addicts are more likely to experience every single social issue that one can experience, mainly because they get isolated from the society and maintain a connection with their drugs only. Buying drugs is the only thing on your mind, which leads to workplace absenteeism, slacking duties, negligence and once you get tangled into the web of financial issues, craving forces you to get money by hook or by crook. Needless to say that drug abuse can ruin your personal as well as professional life.

Our Recommendations Based on Your Score:

• Consult a doctor

See a doctor who specializes in chemical addiction, he’ll be able to guide on what kind of treatment is best suited for you, depending on the amount and type of drugs you take.

• Get membership for a rehab center

Barbiturates, methamphetamines, cocaine and crack, benzodiazepines, and even alcohol withdrawal can not only pose several health risks but can prove to be lethal. Considering your condition, you should detox in a specialized facility, as soon as possible. You may also choose to detox at your home, but that will be harder on yourself because if you fail to avoid the triggers, all your efforts could go down the drain.

We recommend you to contact your doctor further information.

• Indulge into healthy physical activities

Go for hikes if you live in the suburbs, get a dog and run with it, get a membership to a local fitness club. Intense physical training will not only improve your health but will also keep drugs off your mind.

• Join a peer-based support group

Find a local peer-based support group, and ask several questions before joining to make sure you’re a right fit for each other. Some support groups assign you a sponsor, a person who is successfully recovering from their addiction. Seeing someone doing it will take your motivation and self-belief to the next level.

• Break old habits

Stay away from people, places and situations that could lead you back into the same pit you’ve come out of after so much effort. There is nothing worse than falling back into the same trap again and seeing all your hard work go down the drain. Try to find out what habits forced you to take drugs? If it was loneliness, try to find good company, if it was a disease, get medical assistance to cure it; whatever the reason was, remember it’s not the end of the world. All you need to do is replace bad, old habits with good ones.

Page Sources

1. https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1886469