Many people can find themselves in situations in which they feel powerless. Someone or something may have control over them, and as a result, they can feel trapped and helpless. If you know someone with a drug addiction or have one yourself, you undoubtedly know the struggles that can come along with feeling at the beck and call of this disease. Unfortunately, the effects of addiction can easily take over a person’s life.
As mentioned, drug addiction is a disease. Once a person becomes addicted to a substance or multiple substances, his or her brain begins to change. As a result, you or your loved one could make decisions that may not have been made if the drugs had not affected the brain. In some cases, those decisions could lead to considerable legal trouble.
Effects on the brain
Addiction typically involves a person needing more and more of a substance in order to achieve the feelings or effects once reached with smaller amounts. Because the brain and body build up a tolerance, it can take a substantial amount of a drug to bring about the desired results. In some cases, individuals may even look for other drugs in hopes of regaining that feeling. It is not unusual for addicted parties to also lose interest in other activities they once enjoyed because the addiction now has control.
If you or your loved one has been using a substance for a significant amount of time, brain chemicals have likely changed in order to adapt to the drug’s presence in the body. As a result, the ability to make sound decisions, learn, store memories and control behavior may all face negative effects.
Effects on life
Drug addictions can easily cause people to lose jobs, relationships and end up in other difficult situations. Because the drug takes control, you may feel that you could do nothing to stop these results. Due to the substance’s ability to change your brain chemicals, you may have made many questionable decisions that led to these outcomes. Additionally, you may have found yourself facing drug-related criminal charges.
A drug arrest can act as a wake-up call to get individuals’ lives back on track. This may be the case for you or your loved one, but you may need information on what can be done now to try to protect your future or your loved one’s future. Possibly, the court may allow you or your loved one to attend rehabilitation programs instead of facing jail time, or your chosen defense strategies could help you achieve other desired outcomes. In order to find the right path, you may wish to gain reliable legal information.