The 5 Consequences (psychological And Relational) Of An Addiction
The reasons and circumstances why a person consumes substances compulsively and addictively are as many as there are people who consume them. Each one will have its reasons, causes and effects, different in each human being. However, similarities can be established in the consequences in serious cases of substance addiction We will talk precisely about this in this article.
Below you can find a review of the main consequences of substance use.
1. Lack of vital meaning
One of the aspects that is usually repeated in, at least in the majority of cases, is the feeling that life has no meaning, as well as the lack of motivation to progress, sustain a job, study or social ties; or, also, the idea that it will not be possible to change and improve the quality of life, as if the addiction were imposed and the person could not have an impact on it. In short, feeling dejected, without strength, “lost.”
2. Low self-esteem and feeling of self-efficacy
Consume substances to silence or stop the distressing thinking, evade, calm down, escape? From what? Probably from oneself, from one’s own fears, the anxieties accumulated over years, frustrations, pain… escaping from being who one really is, hiding behind the “protective mask” that an addiction builds.
Generally experiencing low self-esteem and a poor self-concept, addicted people They perceive themselves as not deserving of good things, are classified as “losers.” They feel that they have lost their dignity, they feel that they are “nobody.” They consider that they should be left alone, as if they did not deserve to have worthy company, (although the thought of loneliness truly gives them chills).
For the compulsive user to begin the path away from drugs, it will be necessary to come to the idea that they are going through a health problem, something that is beyond your control and will Being able to make a change depends on wanting to do it, and this often requires a “hitting rock bottom” that helps you reflect.
In fact, as long as a subjective weakening persists, it will be very difficult for the person to gain the strength necessary to decide to make changes in the lifestyle they are leading, because there is vulnerability, confusion, dependence, lack of control over one’s life.
3. Crisis in social ties and loss of control
Absences appear. To give an example, absences from family events, tours (absences) of several days, misinformation among families regarding the whereabouts and state of health Advice, reproaches or the desire for the addicted person to open their eyes and decide to get away from consumption are often not enough.
4. Complications at work level
As an addiction gradually progresses, difficulties arise in different areas of the person’s life. The work area may also be affected. Late arrivals that follow absences, accidents at work due to fatigue or as a residual effect of that consumption that could not be avoided before starting the workday. Or even, in an advanced instance of problematic consumption, choosing to consume substances within the same work schedule and context, when the self-imposed limits are already minimal or non-existent.
In severe cases of addiction, people fail to take seriously the consequences of ingesting harmful substances for the organism. And many times it happens that we become aware of the body and the damage when they are already advanced and serious. As examples we can mention heart disease, circulation problems, dysfunctions and pathologies in various organs, especially the liver, ulcer formation, and deterioration in the nervous system.
It will be important here to understand that it is a health problem, to accompany as much as possible until the person in question can recognize that they have a problem and that this problem has a solution, for which they must ask for and accept help. Little by little the person will stop feeling like a nobody and become a person again, incorporating tools to begin to be able to be, without drugs.
