A substance overdose can be hard on both your mind and body. As a result, recovery may take time. You must listen to the advice of your doctor, get plenty of rest, and seek help with a nearly addiction recovery program to protect yourself from a second overdose.
The Effects of Substance Overdose on Your Body
Chemical substances such as opioids, alcohol, and methamphetamines are hard on your body. They may cause your blood pressure to spike or your body temperature to rise to dangerous levels. Some drugs can cause your heart to stop beating. Common physical side effects of drug overdose include:
- Oxygen deprivation
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Coma
If left untreated, a drug or alcohol overdose may cause death. If you’ve suffered an overdose and are recovering, your body will need time to heal from the physical trauma. You may feel depleted and weak in the days following a drug overdose. Similarly, you may have muscle aches and pains or back strain if you had a seizure. Rest and hydration will help with the physical side effects of an overdose. It’s also important to listen to the advice of your physician during this time, to abstain from using any medications that haven’t been prescribed for you, and from using prescribed medications in unauthorized ways.
How a Substance Overdose May Affect You Emotionally
The emotional effects of a drug overdose may be worse than your physical symptoms. Because different drugs work on your brain chemistry in different ways, your emotions after an overdose may fluctuate. You may experience any of the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Paranoia
- Fear
- Numbness
A drug or alcohol overdose puts your mind and body through a traumatic process, and it’s normal to feel out-of-sorts afterward. As part of your ongoing care plan, you’ll receive counseling while in recovery from an overdose, but you’ll want to make arrangements for ongoing mental wellness care once you’re released from the hospital as well. This will help you avoid a recurring circumstance of overdose.
Substance Overdose and Your Family
Aside from the physical and emotional pain of a drug overdose, you may experience relationship trauma, as well. Parents, partners, and other family members may have unresolved feelings regarding what happened. As a result, they may feel angry or as though you’ve betrayed them. While these feelings are theirs to work out, it’s important to remember that what your loved ones are experiencing is completely normal in the wake of what happened. By seeking counseling for yourself, you’ll be better equipped to understand what they’re going through. If possible, encourage them to seek professional help for the emotions they’re experiencing, too.
Treatment Programs at Atlantic Recovery Center
Atlantic Recovery Center in South Florida offers treatment programs for many substance use disorders, including alcohol, opioids, cocaine, and more. If you live in or near the South Florida area, we can help with addiction recovery in the aftermath of a substance overdose.
If this has happened to you or to someone you love, we understand the trauma you’ve experienced. Our compassionate caretakers will never judge you for struggling with the chronic disease of addiction. Rather, we’ll give you the tools and the healthy coping mechanisms needed to turn things around.
At Atlantic Recovery Center, we believe that everyone deserves to have a bright, beautiful future free from drug or alcohol addiction. And we’re waiting to help you achieve yours. Visit us online or call us at 1-866-824-5193 today for more information on our treatment programs for addiction recovery. Our friendly representatives are waiting to guide you gently through the admissions process and onward to healing.