What is Polysubstance Abuse? Knoxville, TN

Risk of addiction is especially high when abusing multiple substances, as each instance of abuse puts a person at further risk for developing an addiction. Using multiple drugs puts a person at risk of developing or worsening health issues. Research also shows that people who use tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, prescription opioids, cocaine, and heroin are more likely to struggle with polysubstance abuse.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , there were an average of 250 daily overdose deaths in the United States in 2019. The CDC reports that almost 50% of these deaths involved people who used two or more substances. There seems to be a growing a trend that addiction is all about the cravings, and if you focus on reducing an addict’s cravings then the addiction will be essentially cured. This is a natural assumption, but understanding addiction will clarify this misnomer.

The Dangers of Polysubstance Abuse & How to Get Clean

AlcoholicsAnonymous.com does not endorse any treatment facility or guarantee the quality of care provided, or the results to be achieved, by any treatment facility. The information provided by AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is not a substitute for professional treatment advice. For example, you may use an anxiety medication, such as a benzodiazepine like Xanax, to treat the effects of withdrawal from alcohol. This behavior significantly increases your risk of overdose and addiction. Similarly, if you mix alcohol with stimulants like cocaine or Adderall, you may experience aggression, high blood pressure, and heart problems.

If you or a loved one requires substance abuse treatment, reach out to the caring specialists at the mandala Healing Center today. Ambrosia Treatment Center provides personalized care for adults whose lives have been disrupted by substance use disorder. Our addiction treatment center in Orange County, California, is staffed by dedicated professionals who can help you end your abuse of alcohol and other drugs. In conclusion, detox from polysubstance abuse may be the answer. A detox program is a safe place where people can get through withdrawal under the care of experienced medical professionals. After detox, a person will be better able to participate in therapy and other addiction treatments.

• Overdose and death aren’t the only negative outcomes that can result from polysubstance abuse.
• This includes when two or more are taken together or within a short time period, either intentionally or unintentionally.
• It is important to let your doctor know about all substances that you are using to avoid unanticipated and dangerous interactions.
• Mixing stimulants and depressants doesn’t balance or cancel them out.

Unfortunately, even a miniscule amount of the potent opioid can lead to overdose and death in unsuspecting users. As a result, many unintentional polysubstance users unknowingly ingest fentanyl. is common among various individuals within and outside the United States. The significant purpose of this abuse is to alter the effects of multiple drugs.

Signs and Symptoms of Polysubstance Abuse

Mixing stimulants and depressants doesn’t balance or cancel them out. In fact, the results of combining drugs are unpredictable, often modifying or even masking the effects of one or both drugs. This may trick you into thinking that the drugs are not affecting you, making it easier to overdose. The risk of overdosing is higher when using multiple substances, especially when one of them is an opioid. In some cases, substance use can lead to mental health symptoms. In other cases, an individual may self-medicate or use drugs to manage their symptoms.

For example, a person may combine alcohol with ecstasy, prescription painkillers, other opioids, or marijuana in an attempt to achieve a more intense high. This can include using several different prescription painkillers or eco sober house boston abusing multiple stimulants . Think of addiction as an allergy; an abnormal reaction to a substance. Kenneth Blum, PhD identified the Reward Deficiency Syndrome, which is a defect in the dopamine receptor gene, D2A1 allele.

Since your body’s detoxing process will be unpredictable, it’s necessary for constant monitoring to ensure that you receive the right medication. You may receive several long-term maintenance meds for specific drugs. You may think of alcohol as an innocuous substance because it is legal—when used in moderation, to a certain extent this is true. However, when used in excess or in combination with other substances, the risk of harm to yourself and your quality of life becomes much greater. In addition, if you mix heroin with a stimulant , the drugs may mask each other’s effects.

Dangers of Mixing Multiple Depressants

I get to be a man of service and love today, and for that I am grateful to Discovery Place. “I am beyond thankful for this program because it provided all of the resources that I needed to find freedom from addiction. I graduated in August of 2012 a changed man and with the foundation I’ve needed to remain clean and sober for 7+ years. Cocaine can make you feel excited, full of energy, and very alert. Mixing the drugs can lower one’s inhibitions while causing a euphoric state. Americanaddictioncenters.org needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

Note that the effects may be synonymous with that of each drug combined. Some of the significant side effects of the abuse or addiction include vomiting, body pain, balance problems, nausea, and change in heart rate. Abusing alcohol or another drug can have a devastating effect on a person’s life. But when a person has been engaging in polysubstance abuse, their risk for harm can increase considerably.

Dangers of Mixing Stimulants and Depressants

Some users combine drugs to counteract the effects of certain substances. A person may take a stimulant like cocaine to counteract the depressant characteristics of alcohol, allowing them to drink more for longer periods. A University of Michigan study found that reports of prescription drug abuse were 18 times higher in participants who were dependent on alcohol. Doing this can cause slowed breathing and heart rate, causing Hypoxia.

Look for information on your state or local health department’s website or ask your healthcare provider for treatment and referral services available in your area. If you know or think someone is struggling with addiction, ask them if you can help. Your concern might be just what they need to start their recovery journey, and your support could make all the difference in their success.

This is why it’s necessary to stay vigilant about behavior patterns that can point toward a person struggling with drug dependence. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is a referrer service that provides information about addiction treatment practitioners and facilities. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is not a medical provider or treatment facility and does not provide medical advice. AlcoholicsAnonymous.com is not owned or operated by any treatment facility.

Because some substances mask the effects of others, users may inadvertently take far higher doses because they don’t feel the full effects of one substance. Overdose can occur, leading to long-term health effects or even death. Overdose from combined substance use is more difficult to treat. Opioid overdose can sometimes be reversed with the administration of naloxone, but it may not be effective if the overdose is caused by multiple substances.

As of 2014, 7.9 million people had a co-occurring mental disorder and substance use disorder, NAMI reports. Treating co-occurring disorders can be more challenging, as it’s important that both disorders are properly diagnosed and treated or a person’s recovery outcome may be affected. When a person becomes addicted to a drug, he or she is affected by compulsive drug-seeking and use. With time, the effects of continued abuse take their toll on a person’s psychological, physical, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

Calls to numbers dedicated to a specific treatment center will be routed to that treatment center. Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Geralyn is a Licensed Mental Health counselor and wellness content writer.

The primary reason doctors ask this question is to ensure that any medication they prescribe will not negatively interact with any other medications, or with alcohol consumption. Doctors, unfortunately, prescribe many of the medications that increase the risk of death. Developing a physical dependence on a prescribed medication can happen to anyone. A person who has never witnessed the effects of chemical addiction is often less likely to worry about developing it. https://sober-house.net/ is more complex than addiction to one thing because it involves the mixing of substances. A polysubstance abuser takes drugs to achieve desired results or to experience random effects.