Drug and alcohol addiction is a disease that can do some serious damage to your overall health. Some of the physical effects can be reversed after you are no longer abusing drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, some of the problems that stem from addiction cannot be reversed, no matter how hard you try.
Several drugs have the potential to damage your body through you building a physical tolerance to them. A tolerance can cause you to continually increase the amount or strength of a specific drug, making the chances of an overdose extremely high. However, when you are chasing a high, you are not thinking about the consequences of your actions.
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Damage Caused By Addiction
Drug and alcohol abuse can also prevent you from feeling hungry, which may cause you to skip meals. When you do not eat on a regular basis, you can begin to lose weight and look unhealthy.
Drugs can also alter your appearance and make you look nothing like you used to look before you began abusing drugs. For example, methamphetamines do a lot of damage to your skin and complexion, making you look a lot older than you are.
Crystal meth abuse can cause you to have what is called “meth mouth.” This is due to teeth that decay at a rapid rate and begin to break off. Crystal meth causes your saliva to dry up and makes you grind your teeth involuntarily. Additional damage can be caused by overall poor hygiene habits.
Tips to Reverse Damage Caused By Addiction
When you are aware of the problems that drug abuse or alcoholism causes, you should take immediate action to regain your health. For example, if you have problems with broken teeth or oral hygiene, you would need to seek treatment from a dentist. When you have lost a large amount of weight from drug abuse, you may benefit from creating a special meal plan to replace the weight and nutrients your body needs to function properly.
Other physical conditions that drug or alcohol addiction can create include making your heart beat at dangerously high levels or altering your breathing patterns. Drugs can also affect how you see, smell, socialize, hear, and feel.
Following the tips below, you have a good chance to successfully reverse some of the physical damage done by drug or alcohol addiction:
- Remain sober as long as you can. It goes without saying that the longer you remain drug- and alcohol-free, the longer your body has to begin to heal.
- Take a daily multi-vitamin. Drug and alcohol addiction can cause your body to be robbed of important minerals and vitamins. It is for this reason that a daily vitamin could give you a jump-start on the road back to health.
- Begin exercising regularly. Let’s face it, exercise is good idea for everyone no matter who you are or what you are doing. Getting regular exercise can keep your body in a healthy condition, which will allow you to fight off illness and build immunity.
- Eat a healthy diet. Once you begin to eat healthy and on a regular schedule, you will notice that your weight starts getting back to normal and your muscle tone begins to improve. When your body has a low percentage of fat and a high percentage of muscle mass, it will be much easier to prevent injuries and ward off illness.
If you or a loved one are struggling with alcoholism, please call us at (310) 455-5258 or submit the form below to learn more about our alcohol addiction treatment programs in Los Angeles.