Substance abuse is a serious topic and it is a big issue in our world today. When referring to substances this ranges from alcohol to nicotine and marijuana. The number of drug overdose deaths in the United States is over seven hundred thousand. Misusing drugs and abusing alcohol alters lives for the worse. Substance abuse is harmful because it negatively affects your body physically and mentally through the addiction cycle and damages the relationships you have with others in your community and family. Abusing Substances destroys the way the human brain and body function naturally which will worsen a person's health, behavior, and competence. All substances have short-term and long-term effects on the body if abused. There are countless …show more content…
The body goes through stages that lead a person down the road of addiction. There are six stages of addiction; initial use, abuse, tolerance, dependence, addiction, and relapse. The substance can be introduced to a person in many different ways. Some often occurrences are when an individual gets injured and is prescribed a drug to which they then get addicted to. They could have been peer pressured into taking the substance, depressed, or had tough living situations. Then they abuse the substance which is, “The point at which the person is using the substance on a recurring, improper basis.” (“The Addiction Cycle: What Are The Stages of Addiction?”) This could be overtaking the dosage on their prescription or drinking excessively every day. Over time they begin to form a tolerance for the substance because the brain changes and gets used to it. As a result of this, a person starts to take higher doses of the drug to get the same euphoric effect they used to get. Since the brain adjusts to having the drug in the body, they form a dependence on it. The body no longer knows how to function properly without it. At this point, they’re addicted to the substance. “Being addicted means continuing to use a drug even though you’re aware of the harmful consequences. Addiction can …show more content…
When someone becomes addicted to a substance, their brain changes which affects their personality and demeanor. When someone is under the influence they are not their usual self. This is because they can not think straight and lose their sense of self-control. Research has shown that “Considerable neurological evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex mediates complex "executive" functions including behavioral autonomy and self-control. Given that impairments of self-control are characteristic of alcoholism and other drug addictions, frontal lobe dysfunction may play a significant role in such compulsive behaviors.” (Lyvers) When someone loses their self-control they tend to say and do things that they wouldn't if they were level-minded. This recklessness tends to ruin the relationships this person has with their family and community. “A person who struggles with addiction usually pushes their family members to their limits. This leads to severed ties and broken families. Some people can only take so much before they decide to cut their loved one from their life, so long as they’re in active addiction.” (Redwine) When having a family member struggling with addiction, it can lead to stress and worry for the whole family. Along with this comes financial issues and the risk of abuse. Family members who are not struggling don't understand what the struggling member