5 Most Common Addictions In Texas
A person with addiction should be treated like a medical patient, not treated with discrimination as if they’re not going to be well if they’ll be given enough help. Moreover, addiction can be a grave medical condition if an individual lets it slide, which can affect someone’s life long-term.
In a survey conducted by the state, the national average for Texan residents is 8.82% who are using drugs in the community. Moreover, there are also five types of common addictions that you may want to be aware of and help individuals who are going through addiction:
- Heroin
Heroin is a depressant that affects the central nervous system of a person. The drug may impair your respiration and slow down your analytic functions like decision-making. Your body temperature and blood pressure can also decline, and your pulse may become unstable too. Additionally, heroin addiction can make you lose consciousness or fall into a coma.
An estimate of 6,000 Texan residents is addicted to heroin, which can be harmful if they’re not stopped slowly. If you want to help prevent your community from heroin addiction, you can review this to assist you and your local state by taking care of the welfare of your neighbors.
- Alcohol
Alcohol is classified as a depressant, which can slow down your essential functions like speaking, resulting in a slurry speech. It can also make your movement unstable or have a distorted perspective. It can also affect your mind by impairing your capacity to think clearly and clouding your judgment.
In Texas, up to 10,000 residents are drinking alcohol for its stimulant impact such as a beer or glass of wine to loosen up or stay calm temporarily. If people drink more than their bodies can tolerate, they’ll feel the drowsy effects of alcohol. For example, if a person is too drunk, they can temporarily be out of their minds and make bad decisions that can cause accidents and damages.
- Cocaine
Cocaine is a drug that may be snorted or mixed with other substances. With almost 17,008 kilograms of cocaine confiscated around 2022, Texas officials seized more than any other state in the US. Usually, cocaine in Texas is imported from Mexico while it can also come from other states such as Columbia. Hence, it’s crucial to control and prevent more substance abuse in the area.
Even if you or someone you know took cocaine once, it could still have the effect of experiencing anxiety or hallucinations. The user may also experience paranoia, insomnia, chest pains, and others. If you want to help someone using cocaine, you can talk to them personally first, then ask them what step they want to do next to stop their substance abuse.
- Marijuana
Marijuana is a dried leaf produced from the Cannabis sativa plant. These leaves can be smoked or baked with food. Even though many people believe marijuana isn’t addictive, it can still cause psychological and physical dependency. Their body will still look for it even if they want to stop using it already. Furthermore, between 2011 and 2012, 5.1% of Texans with ages 12 and up said they used marijuana in the previous years.
There may be medical benefits from Marijuana, but there can still be a dependency on these plants because of the anti-stress impact on some individuals. This substance can also be attractive to younger ages because some may say that it relieves their anxiety or mental well-being.
- Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine was first among the top 10 substances recovered by Texas law enforcement in 2015. Meth accounted for 32.4% of all drug complaints made by Texan authorities.
Meth is a dangerous narcotic that may put a person in prison and poison and kill them when they’ve overdosed on it. Treatment like rehabilitation for meth addiction is challenging and can endure for years after recovery. However, it’ll be worth it as it’ll genuinely help the user recover step by step.
Conclusion
Despite these common addictions in Texas, there are still ways to help people enduring substance abuse in their lives. There are many ways like enrolling them in rehabilitation or counseling. You can also show support to them by accompanying them on their withdrawal journey.
It’s best that you show support to past users, which manifests that they’re treated as patients, not just some addicts. They’re also humans who need to be treated professionally and be given a chance to recover to make their lives back on track again. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you plan and prepare.
