Dangers of Poly Drug Abuse

As if substance abuse treatment needed any extra complications, ‘poly drug abuse’ is increasing.
Poly drug abuse is the harmful use of a combination of different substances. Examples of this are the clubbers who take stimulants -ecstasy, amphetamine, cocaine for example – while drinking alcohol or mixing prescription pills and medication with other ‘street’ drugs.
This dangerous type of drug abuse is becoming common place in recent years and can be an extremely harmful practice.
Prescription Drug Abuse
There is an increase in prescription drug abuse, which is often due to people believing that they can self-medicate for whatever problems ail them, from physical troubles to emotional problems.
Sleeping tablets, medication for anxiety and depression, something to help with concentration, and weight loss pills are all so easily available, are affordable and are being purchased and abused frequently.
A Dangerous Cocktail of Drugs
We live in a ‘get it quick’ society and expect instant gratification for everything including our troubles, so we seem to think that medicating ourselves is perfectly acceptable. People use each other’s prescription pills without a thought or mix medications with other drugs, thinking nothing of it.
As this has become more and more acceptable, it has led to some people using illicit drugs and mixing them with prescription medications to reach a sought after high.
They end up mixing stimulants with depressants to form a “speedball” and some have combined Viagra with alcohol, all to reach the illusive best high ever. All sorts of concoctions are being invented without any knowledge of the side effects of the poly drug abuse combinations.
It is imperative that patients who are going through opiate treatment programs need to stay away from other drug use, unless prescribed by a medical professional.
Substances, such as benzodiazepine, may obstruct drug addiction recovery as well as causing serious health implications, even endangering the life of the patient.
Harmful Consequences of Poly Drug Abuse
Combining illicit substances, prescriptions drugs, and over the counter drugs have a high risk of resulting in harmful results. Inappropriate drug use may result in damaging side effects, particularly when combined with other substances and they can damage the internal organs or the brain.
Many of the consequences of poly drug abuse have long-term effects that are not worth the immediate effects of a high.
However when people have crossed the line from drug abuse to drug addiction, thoughts around the potential negative results of mixing drugs are heavily overweighed by the addicted persons absolute need to get more drugs.
Drug addiction has been defined as a brain disease and it’s important to understand that the brain has irreversibly changed. Once addicted to drugs the mental obsession and physical compulsion to continue taking drugs is immensely powerful.
Once drug addicted the brain sends signals similar to the signal it would send if the addict was starving from lack of food, so it’s no wonder people addicted to alcohol and other drugs continue to get and use and find any means to get drugs. We all would do the same if addicted to drugs or alcohol!
Only 4% of addicted people can manage getting to 1 year clean and sober without professional drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation.
If you or a loved one have a poly drug abuse problem and need addiction treatment please call and speak to one of our rehab coordinators about a referral to a suitable clinic
Poly drug abuse includes the combined use of alcohol, narcotics and stimulants. This practice has unfortunately grown in recent years and the dangers are simply not worth the serious results.
Many people abusing drugs who have combined more than one substance do not realise the potential severity of the consequences of this practice. For more information on poly drug abuse and how to deal with it, please contact us today.