How Recreational Drugs Affect Our Mental Health

What Are Recreational Drugs?

Recreational drugs are drugs which people take to make themselves feel good. This might be to help them through a tough day, because their friends are taking them, or because they are interested to see what it feels like.

Recreational drugs include; alcohol, nicotine (cigarettes and tobacco), cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, and prescription drugs such as diazepam.

If you become addicted to recreational drugs, you may require a detox and drug rehab in order to stop using the substances.

How Can Recreational Drugs Impact Our Mental Health?

All drugs will affect your mental health. They affect your perception; including the way you see things, the way you feel and the way you behave. This can range from being pleasant or unpleasant and can last for a short period of time or a long period of time. The effects can remain even once the drug has worn off.

For some people, taking drugs can lead to long-term problems with your mental health. This includes issues such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. However, lots of people who choose to take drugs already have mental health issues and use drugs as a coping mechanism.

How Do Drugs Affect Us?

Different people react in different ways to drugs. You might take a drug one time and feel great, and then you might take it in a different situation and headspace and feel awful. The way you react to a drug will depend on what type of drug it is; an ‘upper’, ‘downer’ or ‘hallucinogen.’

Other factors which affect the way you feel include the amount of the drug you take, how often you use the drug, and what you expect to happen when you take it.

If you have a history of bad mental health issues, it is more likely you will experience a negative effect from taking drugs. If you have no history of mental health issues, you can develop symptoms of one from drug use. At drug rehab, they can help with both addiction and mental health.

What Happens If I Use Drugs Often?

If you use drugs more often or become dependent on using substances, it can end up having a very negative effect on your life. It could potentially lead to issues with the following; money, housing, education/employment, your relationships, your self-esteem, and commitments. Using illegal drugs is a crime, and always carries the risk of you being caught in possession of the substance. If you become addicted you may end up doing something illegal to obtain the money to buy drugs.