When we think about addiction, we often focus on the mental and emotional toll it takes. What many people don’t realize is that there is also a strong link between substance abuse and physical health.
The Link Between Substance Abuse and Your Health
Addiction can affect your physical health in several ways. Let’s look at the various aspects and effects of addiction on your body, such as what drugs or alcohol you may use, signs that there might be an issue with substance abuse, how to get help for addictions, getting sober after rehab, and coping with cravings for drugs or alcohol.
What Are the Signs of a Problem with Alcohol and Drugs?
There are several signs that can signal if you might have an addiction to either drugs or alcohol:
- You crave increasingly more of your drug or drink of choice, even though it is causing problems in your life.
- Your use of drugs or alcohol interferes with your responsibilities at work, school, home, and in the community.
- You engage in risky behaviors while under the influence of substances such as driving when you’re impaired by drugs or alcohol or having unsafe sex.
- You neglect your personal relationships.
- You have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t use substances, such as shaking, nausea, and sweating.
How to Get Help for an Addiction?
There are many resources available if you think that there might be a problem with addiction regarding either drugs or alcohol. Here are some ways to get help for addiction:
- Check with your primary care doctor – they may identify if there is an issue and can refer you on from there, depending on the severity of the problem.
- Contact a local Alcoholics Anonymous chapter to find out more about local support groups available to you.
- Find a local rehab center near you that specializes in a variety of therapies to help with conquering substance abuse.
Coping With Cravings for Drugs or Alcohol
When you’re first getting sober after rehab, it is common to experience cravings. These may be physical or mental cravings depending on your substance of choice.
Physical craving symptoms include things like shaking, nausea, and sweating because of the withdrawal process during detoxification. Mental cravings can be harder to cope with, as they are not always noticeable right away; these may involve feeling irritable, restless, and moody, for example.
Being Mindful About What You Put in Your Body
If you are still struggling with an addiction to either drugs or alcohol after rehab, you must keep your body healthy by making mindful choices about what substances go into the body. This means no more unhealthy behaviors, such as using illicit drugs or drinking excessively daily.
Substance abuse can have devastating impacts on your physical health, mental well-being, and social life. And it’s not just alcohol or drugs like opioids—substance abuse includes any use of substances for nonmedical purposes. No matter your addiction, it’s not too late to heal. Visit https://impactrecoverycenter.net/ today to find a rehab center near you.
