Clinically Reviewed on 16/11/2023 11:00 am by Dr. Olalekan Otulana (Advanced Practitioner) All information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
While legal highs are deemed safe down to their name, they are now in fact illegal down to their synthetic, unknowing makeup. Formed by combining a range of psychoactive chemicals, legal highs are dangerous down to their unfamiliar footprint. Due to a lack of testing, both short and long-term effects of specific legal high abuse are unidentifiable, showcasing their now illegal classification for supply and distribution.
However, while their classification may have adapted, many individuals are consuming legal highs, rather than illegal substances, with the perception of harmless consumption. This is in fact far from the truth, as legal highs are produced by combining dangerous synthetic chemicals, which are random, which deviate from a specified makeup, and which stand as psychoactive.
Consumed to experience similar effects of the likes of MDMA, legal high addiction rates are in fact worrying, and especially so while paired with low awareness of their damages. Overdose is also an associated concern linked to legal high abuse, as effects are unpredictable on a per-person basis.
If you’re abusing legal highs with the belief that they are harmless, at Asana Lodge, we urge you to keep reading. Without considering your future, long-term unknowing effects will be encountered by legal high abuse. Avoid this by completing legal high addiction treatment & rehab steps, through our private drug and
A legal high is a mixture of chemicals, combined together to create a euphoric-driven substance. Produced to mimic the effects of illicit drugs, such as cannabis, ecstasy and ketamine, legal highs are perceived as less invasive and harmful, yet just as powerful.
The imagery behind the legality of such substances is down to the fact that consumption and distribution were once legal. However, as the makeup of legal highs are unidentifiable, mixing some highly toxic chemicals, classifications of legal high substances are now illegal.
While legal highs are an area with low awareness, there are four key categories, standing as sedatives, hallucinogenic, stimulants and synthetic cannabinoids. Commonly abused legal highs include spice, mephedrone and GHB, all of which are addictive down to their powerful makeup.
Most definitely, down to the unpredictable nature of legal highs. While they are seen as less harmful when compared to their illegal reflections, when abused consistently, legal highs are just as dangerous and addictive.
For example, stimulants such as mephedrone reflect the effects of cocaine and ecstasy, promoting alertness, energy, and extreme euphoric highs. Sedatives such as GHB mimic benzodiazepines which induce relaxation and a sense of comfort. Synthetic cannabinoids such as spice display the effects of cannabis and its chilled-out image.
Ultimately, legal high addiction rates are just as common as those of illicit drugs down to how closely paired they are. Each influences a positive reinforcer, usually linked to emotions or feelings, which soon develop into physical and psychological cravings, fuelling the addiction cycle. As emotions and feelings will be attractive and aimed for as an ongoing sensation, drug abuse will continue, materialising into the attaching and fixating nature of legal high addiction.
Just like any other substance use disorder, withdrawal and restorative efforts will be necessary steps to overcome drug addiction. Encountering legal high addiction treatment & rehab programmes will be best to safely detach from legal highs, accessible through private drug and alcohol rehab.
It’s vital to remember that legal highs are a mixture of unfamiliar and unpredictable chemicals. Effects, side effects and consequences are all difficult to pinpoint down to such variety. However, the clear result is that legal high addiction is real, overdose risks are present, and mental health vulnerabilities are indefinite through drug abuse.
Legal high effects do vary, all down to the makeup and type of drug. Psychoactive effects are very common through legal high abuse, yet depending on the exact type, physical signs will vary. Psychological and behavioural changes are however commonly encountered through drug addiction.
Depending on the drug itself, relevant physical symptoms may also be displayed through legal high addiction. If you or someone you know displays some of the above changes and behaviours, linked to drug abuse, an addiction diagnosis could be the realism of your habit.
Being aware of the dangers of legal high addiction is also important, as the unrecognisable makeup of the category can be dangerous, can result in overdose and can also place users into a false sense of security. While your current drug of choice may be ‘safe’, ongoing abuse of random legal highs is discouraged, down to both addiction risks and overdose risks.
In this instance, legal high addiction help should be accepted through relevant addiction treatment & rehab services.
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To work towards legal high addiction recovery, detoxification will be inevitable, to remove all toxins from the body, ready for rebalancing. While detoxification is an anxiety-fuelled step, down to the presence of withdrawal symptoms, through a rehabilitation clinic, withdrawal can occur with comfort and safety in mind.
From here, treatment and therapies will focus on the psychological strain of addiction, which will unravel the assets you feel from legal highs. It’s important to understand the cause of consumption, along with the emotional attachments experienced through ongoing exposure. Depending on personal response and the legal high at hand, a variety of addiction treatments & rehab steps will be recommended, to detach psychologically.
Therapy, relapse prevention and aftercare, NAD+ therapy and wellbeing management are some of the treatment services used through drug addiction recovery.
Ultimately, no matter how legal some drugs may be perceived, they are normally addictive down to their makeup, posing many risks post-consumption. Avoid long-term risks by completing legal high addiction treatment & rehab programmes here at Asana Lodge.
Harmful through long-term misuse, legal highs are addictive and should be avoided. Avoid ongoing exposure by completing legal high addiction treatment & rehab at Asana Lodge. Reach out to learn about our therapies, tailored for addiction recovery.
Accessing legal high addiction treatment and rehab services will be possible through our private drug and alcohol rehab clinic. We specialise in addiction recovery, helping our clients access the greatest care. You can reach out and access our care through an admission.
Treatment is the first stepping stone towards legal high addiction recovery. Once a rehab programme has been completed, outpatient treatment through aftercare and relapse prevention will be offered to help you sustainably adapt to sober living.
Legal highs were once deemed as lawful. However, down to their dangerous and unpredictable makeup, they are now illegal under the Psychoactive Substance Act 2016. All psychoactive drugs are therefore considered dangerous, even if they were once viewed as harmless.
Dr. Olalekan Otulana (Advanced Practitioner) - Clinical Reviewer - Last Reviewed: 16/11/2023 11:00 am
Dr. Otulana is a highly skilled General Practitioner and Addiction Specialist. He possesses extensive expertise in the field of Substance Misuse Management and boasts a diverse background in evaluating, overseeing (including detox procedures), and overseeing the residential recovery of individuals grappling with various drug and substance addiction issues. His primary goal is to conduct thorough assessments of patients dealing with addiction issues and determine their medical detoxification and psychological treatment requirements. Dr. Otulana is well-versed in caring for patients who need dual drug and alcohol detoxification therapies.
In addition to his medical qualifications, Dr. Otulana is a proficient healthcare professional who holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the prestigious Cambridge University Judge Business School.
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