Drug addiction is a topic that has unfortunately been glamorized in the media. Celebrities flaunt their drug and alcohol charges like it’s a new fad, never revealing the inevitable negative side effects. In reality, there are numerous consequences and health effects that can impact you for the rest of your life. Drugs have an array of long-term and short-term consequences on your body. Short-term, users can experience symptoms such as change in appetite, change in blood pressure, mood alterations, change in wakefulness, or stroke. These symptoms can be experienced from just a single use. Effects depend on factors such as age, sex, weight, dosage and medical history.  Long-term effects can include cancer, mental illness, heart disease, lung disease, the ability to make decisions, the ability to learn and remember and death.

Better Addiction Care recently compiled a series of photos demonstrating the effects that drugs can have on your physical appearance. Users will experience a lack of luster in their skin, sudden weight loss or gain, and deterioration of personal grooming habits.

If you see these changes occurring in someone that you love, you might need to have a serious discussion with them. The first step to recovery is realizing that you have a problem. From there, it can help to turn your addiction into a healthy obsession. Many addicts have reported that channeling their energy into another outlet drastically decreased their desire to do drugs. One of the best ways to experience the same type of “high” is by running. Runner’s high is the result of endorphins being released from your brain as you run. These endorphins provide that euphoric feeling, the natural painkiller. Your body also pumps out endocannabinoids, which are a naturally synthesized version of THC, the chemical responsible for the sensation that marijuana produces.

Quitting is only the beginning. The photos above can illustrate the telltale signs of addiction, and also serve as a warning. It is never too late to change or to receive help.