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Thursday, January 8, 2009

What is the Cost of NOT Going to Treatment? Part IV - Health Issues
In this five part series, the Sober Living by the Sea blog will explore some common misconceptions of people who are in need of treatment and refuse to get help for a variety of reasons.

Sober Living by the Sea has learned that there is a greater cost associated with not going to treatment than there is to receiving treatment. Of course, our team of admissions experts has twenty three years of experience assessing various individual's situations and can help find the appropriate level of care for you or your loved one whether or not it is in one of our facilities or not. Our staff is just a phone call away at 866-323-5609.

Read Part I: "I Don't Have Time to Get Help with My Substance Abuse Problem or Eating Disorder"
Read Part II: The Legal Costs of Abusing Drugs and Alcohol
Read Part III: The Financial Costs of NOT Going to Treatment
Read Part V: The Family Suffers

What is the cost of NOT Going to Treatment? Part IV:



Health Problems Caused by Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, and Eating Disorders

The previous sections about the financial costs of drug and alcohol addiction, legal problems, and time lost to drug abuse are all convincing arguments for sobriety or eating disorder abstinence on their own.

Today we are going to discuss what should be the most compelling reason for anyone to stop abusing drugs or alcohol or participating in an active eating disorder: the health problems that are caused as a result of the addiction or eating disorder.

It is important to remember that many drugs can be fatal on any given day - even the first time they are used (in addition to the long term health effects they contribute to such as liver damage, cancer, stroke, and brain damage). The occurrences of accidental drug overdose death from prescription drugs like vicodin, percocet, and oxycontin are at an all time high. The possibility of overdosing on street drugs like heroin and cocaine is always present, especially because these drugs are always a unknown concoction of substances with various potencies. Ecstasy in particular has the potential for causing permanent brain damage (if not death) during any given use (although this drug for some reason a less sinister reputation than other street drugs).

Many people never even get a 2nd chance when they overdose on drugs or alcohol

The Potential Immediate Effects of Using Large Quantities of Drugs or Alcohol Include:


  • Death (by overdose)

  • Heart Attack

  • Stroke

  • Seizure

  • Brain Damage

  • Respiratory Failure



The Potential Long Term Effects of Using Large Quantities of Drugs or Alcohol Include:




  • Depression, Anxiety Disorders, and other Mood and Behavioral Disorders

  • Liver Disease/Cancer

  • Kidney Disease/Cancer

  • Heart Disease/Heart Attack

  • Severe Craving/Withdrawal Pain

  • Esophagus Cancer

  • Pharynx Cancer

  • Larynx Cancer

  • Breast Cancer

  • Oral Cancer

  • RectalCancer

  • Pancreatic Cancer

  • Pneumonia

  • Diabetes

  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome


The Potential Effects of Bulimia, Anorexia, or Binge Eating (Compulsive Overeating)




  • Coma

  • Depression, Anxiety Disorders, and other Mood and Behavioral Disorders

  • Death

  • Convulsions

  • Eroded teeth

  • Eroded lung tissue

  • Pneumonia

  • Hair thinning and loss

  • Kidney stones/failure

  • Constipation

  • Skin problems


The Good News - There is Help Available and You are Not Alone



If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs, an alcoholic drinker, or suffering from an eating disorder, you are not alone. Millions of people struggle with addiction and eating disorders and the treatment available from centers like ours has never been better. The important thing is not to suffer in silence and do nothing, but take action and pick up the phone and call (866)323-5609. You can also fill out a confidential web form and request an assessment from one of our clinical addiction treatment experts.

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posted by SLBTS at 8:30 AM

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