You shouldn’t be hugely surprised to learn that drug addiction can have a detrimental impact on your health and personal relationships. If you are showing any sign of classic drug addiction symptoms it would be highly advisable to seek professional help as quickly as possible.
The consequences of not addressing your drug addiction can be far-reaching, including the prospect of sinking your health and relationship profile to new lows.
Here is a look at some of the ways that addiction problems will impact your overall health and harm your relationships.
Intimacy can be difficult to achieve
The bottom line is that drug addiction makes it extremely challenging to experience any decent level of intimacy in a relationship.
The simple fact of the matter is that addiction tends to be an isolating experience. That means your primary focus is on using substances rather than trying to maintain relationships. It is often the case that people with addiction problems focus on using substances to avoid engaging with loved ones and experiencing painful emotions.
Another obvious concern is the physical effect drugs can have on your body. The Journal of Psychosexual Health has written that drug abuse negatively impacts your level of sexual performance.
Once you are unable to enjoy this level of intimacy with a partner it can put a greater emotional strain on your overall relationship.
A breakdown of trust
Friendships and romantic relationships are built on a foundation of trust. If that trust is lost as a result of drug addiction it can soon wreak havoc on the strength of that relationship.
It is a regular characteristic of someone who has an addiction problem to hide their problems or lie about them. When someone inevitably discovers the reality of your addiction problem they will often feel let down and hurt. That scenario removes a vital layer of trust and that is something that takes a long time to rebuild.
The impact on your mental health
Another significant factor associated with drug addiction is the impact it can have on your mental health. Using certain drugs such as methamphetamine or cocaine, for instance, can create changes in your brain that have the potential to trigger mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and paranoia.
It is believed that someone who is addicted to drugs will double their risk of suffering from anxiety and mood disorders. Not everyone will display violent tendencies towards their partner as a result of their drug addiction, but the prospect of it happening is raised by as much as 40% when you have a drug addiction issue.
Although these are obviously serious concerns, and addiction can have severe consequences for your mental and physical health, as well as potentially damage your personal relationships, it should be stressed that professional help can help put things right.
The odds are higher than you would want that drug addiction has the capacity to sink your health and relationships, but if you seek the right help there is a path to recovery and good prospects that you can put things right.
