Disorders induced by drugs and intoxicating substances
What psychopathologies can appear after the use and abuse of certain prohibited substances?
As we already know, drugs affect our organism in different ways and lead to various alterations in our physical and mental health.
When there is an abuse of any substance, we can suffer intoxication and the "famous" withdrawal syndrome, but there are also some disorders that are directly related to the use of drugs. there are also some disorders that are directly related to habitual drug use.. This article focuses on the latter: substance-induced disorders.
The complexity of the effects of drugs
The abuse of any drug affects our daily activity and performance. It modifies our behavior, our perception, our sociability, causes deterioration and physiological, social, affective and occupational changes, and affects most of the important aspects of a person's life.
However, neither the immediate harmful effects of drugs nor the after-effects that may remain after their use are not always expressed in the same way. However, the imprint that drugs leave on our lives is not always the same: the imprint that the drug leaves on our organism has to do with both intoxication and abstinence..
Intoxication and withdrawal
When we speak of substance-induced disorders we refer to the effects produced by both intoxication and withdrawal.
-
Intoxication is the direct effect of recent ingestion to the substance.. It produces psychological changes or maladaptive behaviors due to the effect of the substance on the central nervous system.
-
By withdrawal we mean the specific syndrome of the substance. due to its reduction or cessation in prolonged consumption or in large quantities.
Both intoxication and withdrawal cause clinically significant distress in the individual, as well as impaired activity in important areas of his or her life (social, occupational, etc.).
Types of substance-induced disorders
Below you can see some disorders induced by drugs and toxic substances, and their characteristics.
1. Delirium
Delirium can appear both due to intoxication and substance withdrawal.
It causes an alteration of consciousness and perception, as well as changes in cognitive functions.as well as changes in cognitive functions (memory, orientation, language, etc.). These affectations usually occur in a short period of time (hours or days).
Classically, delirium is produced by the consumption of alcohol, hallucinogens, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, inhalants, opiates, sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics.
2. Dementia
When we speak of substance-induced dementia, it manifests itself through a clear cognitive impairment.that is, the person's memory, language, motor activity, performance of various tasks, etc., are affected. They will show difficulties in learning new information or in remembering what they have learned, they will have failures in object recognition or when planning or organizing...
All these deficits represent a significant reduction in the level of activity of the person prior to the disorder, which will affect their daily life, in different areas. (social, work...).
The substances that produce it are alcohol, inhalants, sedatives, hypotonics and anxiolytics.
3. Psychotic disorders
In relation to psychotic disorders, these may be initiated during intoxication or during withdrawal. When this disorder is expressed, the person will suffer hallucinations or delusions, a catatonic behavior pattern and a disorganized use of disorganized language. These conditions may lead to social and occupational impairment. Symptoms appear during or within a month of intoxication or withdrawal.
Substances that induce the onset of this disorder are alcohol, hallucinogens, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, inhalants, opiates, sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics.
4. Mood disorders
Mood disorders are also evident during intoxication. are also evident during intoxication or during abstinence..
Depressive and/or manic symptoms (elevated, euphoric or irritable mood) may appear during their expression. The symptoms cause significant clinical distress and considerable impairment in important areas of the person's activity.
Substances associated with mood disorders include alcohol, hallucinogens, amphetamines, cocaine, inhalants, opiates, sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics.
5. Anxiety disorders
Finally, anxiety disorders can also occur in both phases: intoxication or withdrawal.
This group of disorders will be differentiated according to the predominance of anxiety, anguish, obsessions and compulsions, or phobias. The symptoms will be those characteristic of the specific disorder (palpitations, tremors, fear, excessive worry, recurrent thoughts, irritability, etc.).
They are produced by the consumption of alcohol, hallucinogens, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, inhalants, opiates, sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics.
Nuancing
It should be noted that it is to some extent impossible the degree to which a disorder is more or less produced by the previous consumption of substances that affect our nervous system. that affect our nervous system. Habits linked to drug consumption (or the amount of a single consumption) as well as genetic predispositions and the autobiographical history of each one of us, which leaves traces in our brain, come into play.
However, one thing is certain: the best way to avoid the onset of these disorders is simply to stay away from drugs..
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)