| Short-Term Effects | Long-Term Effects |
| Changes in mood | Persistent changes in mood including anxiety, irritability & depression |
| Impulsive behavior | Insomnia & other sleep concerns |
| slowed or slurred speech | A weakened immune system |
| Drowsiness | Changes in libido & sexual function |
| Trouble focusing & making decisions | Changes in weight & appetite |
| Lowered inhibitions | Problems with memory & concentration |
| Loss of coordination | Difficulty focusing on tasks |
| Loss of consciousness or gaps in memory | Increased tension in family & romantic relationships |
| Changes in hearing, vision & perception | Difficulty regulating emotions |
| Injuries such as car accidents, falls, burns & drowning | Alcohol use disorder & alcohol dependence |
| Violence including fighting, suicide, sexual assault & intimate partner violence | Job related problems including unemployment |
| Alcohol poisoning | Source: Healthline |
| Risky sexual behaviors | Source: CDC Alcohol & Public Health |
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed With Alcohol by
Addresses the root cause of addiction, the tools to break the cycle of addiction, and the community necessary to build a life free from alcohol.
Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by
From a renowned behavioral neuroscientist and recovered drug addict, an authoritative and accessible guide to understanding drug addiction
Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America's Greatest Tragedy by
A myth-shattering look at drug abuse and addiction treatment, based on cutting-edge research
Recovery: Freedom from our Addictions by Over 10 million people misuse opioids in a year
Over 96,700 people die from drug overdoses in a year
Opioids are a factor in 7 out of every 10 overdose deaths
Fentanyl is a factor in more than half of overdose deaths
12% of prescription drug abusers are addicted
14,000 Americans die annually from overdosing on heroin
140,557 Americans die from the effects of alcohol in an average year
1-in-10 Americans over the age of 12 have Alcohol Use Disorder
Does the person take the drug in larger amounts or for longer than intended?
Do they want to cut down or stop using the drug but can't?
Do they spend a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from the drug?
Do they have cravings and urges to use the drug?
Are they unable to manage responsibilities at work, home, or school because of drug use?
Do they continue to use a drug, even when it causes problems in relationships?
Do they give up important social, recreational, or work-related activities because of drug use?
Do they use drugs again and again, even when it puts them in danger?
Do they continue to use, even while knowing that a physical or mental problem could have been caused or made worse by the drug?
Do they take more of the drug to get the wanted effect?
Have they developed withdrawal symptoms, which can be relieved by taking more of the drug? (Some withdrawal symptoms can be obvious, but others can be more subtle - like irritability or nervousness.)
Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs.
Most drugs affect the brain's "reward circuit," causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. A properly functioning reward system motivates a person to repeat behaviors needed to thrive, such as eating and spending time with loved ones. Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviors like taking drugs, leading people to repeat the behavior again and again.
As a person continues to use drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cells in the reward circuit to respond to it. This reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance. They might take more of the drug to try and achieve the same high. These brain adaptations often lead to the person becoming less and less able to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities.
Long-term use also causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well, affecting functions that include:
Confidential and free. Help from public health agencies to find substance use treatment and information.
