For anyone who has ever experienced substance abuse themselves, or with a loved one, instead of asking “what happens when you do drugs,” the better question should be “what happens when you overdose,” because the threat of taking too much is very real.

To put it in perspective, in 2020, Missouri ranked 32nd in the United States for drug overdose death rates and is the number one leading cause of death among adults aged 18-44 in the state.

The nature of substance abuse is such that the line between being safe and going into dangerous territory is all but discernible. Once the high kicks in, little else matters to the person taking the substance. On top of this, most substances tend to induce greater tolerance in people the more they take them.

The sheer number of overdose cases has made it a major concern for the US government, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posting provisional data indicating an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2021. This is an increase of nearly 15% from the estimated 93,655 overdose-related deaths from the previous year.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released a breakdown of the relevant overdose-related deaths for both 2021 and 2020, with Fentanyl having the most documented deaths in 2021 at 71,238, which is a jump from the 57,834 posted during 2020.

This is followed by overdose deaths caused by psychostimulants, more popularly known as meth, with an estimated 32,856 deaths in 2021, compared to the 24,576 deaths posted in 2020.

Cocaine, also massively popular as an abused substance in the US, had 24,538 overdose-related deaths in 2021, also a move up from the 19,927 deaths posted in 2020.

The overdose-related deaths in 2021 are noted by the CDC as being an all-time high, and reports indicate that this surge in overdose deaths is the consequence of the uptick in substance abuse. This increase in substance abuse cases, in turn, is largely attributed to the highly stressful atmosphere of the pandemic, forcing people to stay at home, which is made worse by the uncertainty and paranoia brought on by the isolation.

What Happens When You Overdose?

As different substances can have different effects on the body, the effects of an overdose could be quite varied. An overdose involving the most popular substances that figure in addiction, however, is almost always certain to lead to death. What happens when you overdose is that the substances in the body reach a level where it becomes so toxic that it affects the normal functions of the body in a way that the body could not compensate for.

In many cases, the overdose could cause loss of consciousness, and the vital functions of the body start to slow down and eventually cease all activity. At this point, the person becomes unresponsive to attempts at revival and could either slip into a coma or have all vital functions simply stop.

In instances where the overdoes do not lead to death, there is a high likelihood of physiological damage, ranging from major damage to damage that is irreparable and would eventually lead to death. This kind of damage would usually require organ replacement, as the overdose could have led to major organ damage.

In cases where organ replacement is not required, people who had an overdose could still suffer from long-term effects that would significantly impact their lives. Some manifest the effects of a stroke, leaving them with partial paralysis on portions of their body, while others have neurological damage, sometimes so severe that the person appears to be learning impaired.

There are instances where the paralysis and neurological damage could be slowly treated with therapy, although in some of these cases, 100% recovery is not possible, as the damage may have been too extensive and has become permanent. Some cases of paralysis are so severe that the person is left in a completely vegetative state, unable to move any part of their body. Some have demonstrated that they are still able to think and hear people through the motion of their eyes and communicate through blinking, while others are left in a catatonic state with their eyes wide open but stare blankly in no particular direction.

This kind of neurological damage is typically caused by oxygen deprivation of the brain, otherwise known as hypoxia. This usually occurs when the person suffers an overdose that leads to pulmonary distress, causing them to stop breathing. Unless the person is made to breathe soon, the body is starved of oxygen. The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxygen deprivation, and brain cells start to die in less than five minutes when deprived of oxygen.

Even if the person is made to breathe again, either on their own or through a respirator, if too many of their brain cells have died due to oxygen deprivation, they are sure to suffer some form of damage. This damage could be temporary, where the person recovers after a certain period of time, or even progressive, where brain functions slowly degrade. This usually manifests in gradual memory impairment, cognitive impairment, seizures, and partial or complete paralysis.

Many people survived an overdose and were left with neurological damage that affected the part of the brain associated with sensory input. This type of neurological damage could either be temporary or permanent, most commonly leaving people with severely limited or even complete loss of the ability to see, hear, or taste anything.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of an Overdose?

As different substances affect the body differently, the signs and symptoms of a potential or actual overdose could vary. In most cases of an overdose, however, the signs and symptoms are generally significant and tend to affect normal bodily functions more drastically compared to simply being high or inebriated.

Here are some of the more common signs and symptoms that a person is already suffering from an overdose: