Abusing drugs and alcohol does a number on our minds and bodies both short term and long term. Of course, health problems from substance abuse vary depending on the type of drug, how much and how often it’s taken, and the person’s general health. Overall, the effects of drug abuse and dependence can be widespread. They can impact almost every system in the human body.
Side effects of drug or alcohol abuse may include:
- A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection
- Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs
- Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
- Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure
- Seizures, stroke, mental confusion, and brain damage
- Lung disease
- Problems with memory, attention, and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult
- Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in body temperature, which can lead to other health problems
Behavioral Problems with Substance Abuse
Substance use disorders can also lead to multiple behavioral problems as well as emotional, both in the short- and long-term, which can include:
- Depression
- Aggressiveness
- Impaired Judgment
- Anxiety
- Impulsiveness
- Loss of Self Control
How can Massage Therapy Help?
When chemically dependent individuals are ready to quit drugs and alcohol for good this usually starts with a drug detoxification facility that offers medical detoxification, especially if one has been using for long periods. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH):
Medical detoxification safely manages the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal associated with stopping drug use. However, medical detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug use. Although detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicts achieve long-term abstinence, for some individuals it is a strongly indicated precursor to effective drug addiction treatment.
Most patients experience physical symptoms ranging from mild to severe during detox when the body is withdrawing from drugs or alcohol, making the body uncomfortable or in pain. The first couple of days and weeks are the most difficult due to the withdrawals when the toxins leave your body, but then what is also challenging is the rehabilitation period where patients learn to manage their behaviors and emotions while still experiencing physical symptoms from time to time.
Many people don’t always know why they feel the way they do when they are experiencing physical symptoms such as sore muscles and tension for months after their detox. Some people may not be able to tell someone their thoughts and feelings because they don’t know what they are feeling; this is when massage therapy can be most beneficial.
Most rehabs focus on group and individual therapies, which help your mind. While these can be helpful, a holistic drug rehab approach that includes massage therapy to treat your mind, body, and spirit as one can be a pathway to work out inner tensions without needing to speak.
A few benefits and positive effects of massage therapy include:
- Release of ‘feel-good’ hormones called serotonin and dopamine and decrease cortisol, which is related to stress.
- Help lower heart rate and blood pressure.
- Reduce anxiety and help with insomnia.
- Increases circulation and promotes the effectiveness of the lymph system which removes the body’s metabolic waste build-up which in turn relieves pain symptoms.
- Improves and/or increases body awareness.
- Builds trust with the therapist.
Get the Help You Need With Addiction
At Garden State Treatment Center, we can help you start that journey of trust. Along with our group and individual counseling each client can expect to be treated with compassion and respect. Our professionals who have dedicated their careers to helping addicts and alcoholics enter a new life in recovery regard the individual counseling phase of addiction recovery as the most important. Let us help you start your new journey of life by contacting us today for more information on our treatment programs.