People become addicted to drugs and/or alcohol for a wide variety of reasons. Even though the first few occasions of using substances might be through choice, continuing to abuse drugs and alcohol leads to an all-consuming need to use substances that is overwhelming. Even if a person is prescribed medications such as depressants for a genuine mental health condition, they are at risk of becoming dependent on or even addicted to them.
There is no one single reason a person becomes addicted to substances. Every individual struggling with depressants has their own unique set of circumstances and family history that will make their case unique. That said, addiction illness has set characteristics that the majority of people display which can be used as a benchmark to determine if they have a problem with substance abuse. One of these characteristics is that the person experiences withdrawal symptoms when they are not using the drug.
Depressants work by altering the neurotransmitter activity in the brain which in turn sends signals to the rest of the body. If a person carries on using depressants over a period of time, they will very likely develop a tolerance to their effects. This invariably drives a person to use more which sparks the beginning of an addictive cycle of abusing depressants recklessly.
The kinds of effects depressants induce include the following:
- Slowed brain function
- Lowered pulse and depressed breathing
- Reduced blood pressure
- Poor focus and concentration
- Confusion, dizziness, and slurred speech
- Visual disturbances and dilated pupils
- Lack of coordination and disorientation
Once a person has fallen into a negative cycle of continuing to use depressants to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, they are very likely to be addicted to the drug.
It is very difficult, if not impossible to overcome addiction to depressants without professional help. Casa Recovery offers personalized treatment programs that meet the individual needs of each patient in our care. If you are struggling with depressants and want to seek advice on how to stop using them, contact Casa Recovery in San Juan Capistrano, CA today.