We often hear warnings about the dangers of drinking alcohol, but it‘s also important to be aware of the harm that can come from mixing alcohol with drugs. Alcohol and drugs can have serious and dangerous interactions when used together. In this blog post, we‘ll look at some of the risks associated with combining alcohol and drugs and discuss ways to avoid these risks. We‘ll also explore why people may be tempted to mix alcohol and drugs and what we can do to help prevent it. We can protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm by understanding the potential risks.
What are the Risks Associated With Mixing Alcohol and Drugs?
First, the drug with which the alcohol is mixed could cause an allergic reaction in the person drinking the alcohol. Second, alcohol and pills could go through a chemical reaction, creating a highly toxic substance in the blood. Third, alcohol could synergistically affect the drug, which could be lethal. Xanax and Ritalin, a depressant and a stimulant, have their effects magnified by alcohol, for example. The effects can be unpleasant, including extreme dizziness and loss of sphincter control. Mixing substances as innocuous as Tylenol can cause terrible long-term consequences when mixed with alcohol, such as liver diseases, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer.
What Are the Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Mixing Alcohol and Drugs?
Aside from the aforementioned loss of bowel control and dizziness, mixing alcohol and other things can result in slowed breathing, lowered or raised blood pressure, and even seizures over the short term. Those things could be lethal, especially if it’s alcohol and painkillers like Percocet, Vicodin, or Morphine.
After all, alcohol is a drug, and mixing drugs is a terrible idea. When it comes to the long-term effects of mixing alcohol and other substances, liver damage is a real threat. Even if the person were to survive the initial combination of drugs, the damage to the liver could be permanent.
There are also long-term mental-health concerns when someone abuses drugs, including alcohol. Psychological dependence is only the beginning. Feelings of depression, brought on by the characteristics of alcohol intoxication, can manifest themselves in different ways up to and including completing suicide. Shame, guilt, and embarrassment are powerful feelings that often keep people from seeking help.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse and Addiction?
The physical symptoms include abnormal pupils, severe dental issues, bloodshot eyes, the “1,000-yard stare,” insomnia, and very fast substantial weight loss or gain. The behavioral symptoms can be striking. They include:
- Intense aggression that is out-of-character
- Personality and/or attitude changes
- Sudden lethargy when there was none before
- Severe mood swings
- Withdrawing from social circles
- Loss of interest in life in general and hyper-focus on getting the drug
- Beginning of criminal activity or increasing of it as applicable
People may exhibit some, all, or none of these symptoms and abuse drugs. Mixing drugs could produce more apparent signs of abuse, such as violent convulsions, loss of consciousness, stroke, or even respiratory failure. The seriousness of these drug combinations cannot be overstressed.
What Strategies Can Avoid the Dangers of Mixing Alcohol and Drugs?
A combination of certain kinds of therapy after detox is often the best place to start. Detoxification from severe drug addiction must be overseen by a medical professional because of the chance of life-threatening complications. This includes the DTs when detoxing from alcohol. Drugs like fentanyl could also have lifelong effects that hinder cognition, speech, other intellectual capabilities, not to mention organ weakness.
The therapy could be behavioral, where the focus is on determining and then eliminating the destructive behavior. Cognitive is where you develop coping strategies for dealing with the addiction, and group-oriented is where people with similar problems offer solidarity and mutual support through the awfulness of the journey while dealing with addiction.
Cypress Lake Recovery embraces these therapy options and combines them with holistic practices to treat the whole person instead of just the addiction. These practices include therapy, nutrition, and spiritual guidance. We’re located in Woodville, Texas. When you want to regain control of your life from addiction, come by the facility or contact us by phone, email, or website.
