Drugs and alcohol are both addictions that can be hard to break once you get started on them. Dependency on alcohol can completely ruin a person’s life. While addiction to drugs is a brain disease that isn’t easy to shake.
The first time someone drinks or does drugs they don’t expect to get hooked, but it happens. Before you even try drugs, or go back for seconds, it might help to know some of the health risks of drinking and doing drugs. While there are many, here are four common ones.
Liver Damage
One of the first things that happens when you take drugs or take a drink of an alcoholic beverage is that it starts to harm your liver. The liver is basically the thing that cleans your system and alcohol and drugs work to kill your liver. It can cause numerous liver diseases, including cancer and cirrhosis.
Liver damage can lead to kidney damage as well. And drugs and alcohol can lead to cancer in more than just the liver.
Cardiovascular Issues
Especially for binge drinking, and those that drink a lot as alcoholics, the drinking can cause blood platelets to stick together creating blood clots. This leads to a far higher risk of stroke and heart attack. Drugs can also cause problem with the heart.
Chronic drinkers also often have higher blood pressure, which leaves them at risk for stroke as well. Even if the rest of your diet is heart healthy you are still at higher risk for numerous cardiovascular illnesses if you are a heavy drinker or drug user.
Increased Accidents
Drunk driving is near the top of the top 25 causes of vehicle accidents. Same goes for driving under the influence of drugs. Drugs and alcohol slow response time and make it hard to focus and concentrate on what you are doing.
Driving is not the only thing that you shouldn’t be doing under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Using heavy machinery, taking care of children, or even cooking at home can lead to major accidents.
Depression
Many people start drinking and doing drugs as a way to self-medicate against things like depression and anxiety. However, chronic drinking, binge drinking, and drug use can all also lead to depression. Not only do you risk losing your money, home, family, and life, but you also cause damage to your brain.
If you have drank enough to blackout, ever, you risk brain damage. Drug use affects your brain as well, and can cause permanent damage.
