"Dangers of Drug Abuse" is a timely warning to the modern society about the impacts of substance abuse written by Dr Hardin B Jones. Excitement over what drugs can do to prevent and reverse ailments both physical and psychic has led to the increasing cases of drug abuse. It is a misunderstanding that psychiatric drugs can make one feel better if he already feels good. When people become dependent on drugs to solve their problems, they lose the capacity to deal with life's situations through perseverance, self-discipline, and mental effort.
From Hippocrates, the father of medicine himself we get the idea that a remedy must take into account the entire person, not just the symptom. He also states that a healthy person cannot benefit from taking a drug and sometimes it can even be counterproductive.
The brain governs sensations, moods, thoughts and actions by a series of complex chemical processes. Pleasure and satisfaction are a result of such chemical processes. These are easily upset by sensual drugs used with the intention of activating the pleasure centers. The craving for the drug continues leading to addiction, but he gets less and less satisfaction. The brain loses the capacity to interpret the stimulation as pleasurable. So the artificially induced pleasure is not repeatable. But the naturally attained pleasure and satisfaction can be repeated indefinitely.
An addict feels sensory deprivation, physical discomfort and personality changes. He fails to respond to the environment and other people. He experiences paranoia and draws further and further into himself. He sees everyone with suspicion. In extreme cases they have to reassure themselves that they are alive.
Harmful side effects are not apparent until it is too late. It leads to degeneration of health and brain function. Drug abuse can affect other organs like liver, kidneys and lungs. Drugs can also cause cell damage. A drug addict is susceptible to other diseases, malnutrition weight loss, respiratory diseases, cardiac failure and even death due to overdose. Drugs can cause temporary or permanent damage to the brain's intricate system of communication.
The damage to the brain is the most subtle, most unrecognized and least understood consequence of drug abuse.
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