Frequent or moderate drug use can cause an individual to present with a series of physical and psychological issues, especially so if this use continues and becomes a full-blown drug addiction.
Below, we will be looking specifically into how can drugs affect your mental health as well as which substances affect your mental health most severely. Identifying the ways in which that your drug consumption is affecting you may not only help inspire you to get professional treatment to overcome your drug addiction, but it can also be useful when identifying that your drug use has gotten out of your control.
Coming to terms with the fact that you have a drug addiction can be a scary moment; however, it can be a blessing in some ways, as this is the first step towards overcoming your addiction — and, in turn, overcoming the horrific mental health issues that substance use can cause you to develop.
How Drugs May Effect Your Mental Health
Everyone can react to drugs differently from another individual. Some of the reasons as to why you may react differently to another person suffering from a drug addiction include the likes of:
- The type of narcotic you are consuming.
- The amount you are consuming.
- The social environment which you are surrounding yourself with at present.
- How long you have been taking the substance, and how young you were when you were first exposed to it.
- If you have any previous mental health illnesses.
- If you have close family members who have also fallen prey to addiction previously.
Some of these factors will naturally have a larger influence on your relationship with substance abuse than others, but all of these should be taken into consideration when thinking about your addictive disorder.
One factor which is of particular importance when considering the mental health side-effects of drug use is whether you have a history of mental health issues prior to your addiction. In relation to this, a lot of professional drug and alcohol treatment courses (such as that which Asana Lodge provides) will implement a dual-diagnosis treatment in your recovery.
Dual-diagnosis can be integral to professional addiction treatment as you may have already manifested a mental health illness, such as depression or anxiety, and be subconsciously medicating yourself through your substance abuse. Therefore, when you start receiving professional treatment these conditions can come to the surface, meaning that dual-diagnosis is needed to treat both your addiction and your underlying mental health illnesses.
On the whole, it is important to remember that, which a substance may quell your feelings of depression or anxiety temporarily, it will only make these conditions much worse over time.
How Do Drugs Directly Influence My Mental State?
People can choose to take drugs for a variety of reasons, to feel more alert, to relax, or simply out of peer pressure. However, regardless of the reason for their consumption, the long-term negative effects will be varied and plentiful — including such side-effects as:
- Frequent and severe mood fluctuations.
- Lack of motivation, in particular in relation to activities that you once found joy in.
- Depression, especially so when on a “come down.”
- General anxiousness and paranoia.
- Intimacy issues, as well as inability to perform sexually.
- Physical changes to your brain chemistry result in you becoming dependent upon the substance you are addicted to.
- Experiencing drug-induced psychotic episodes (psychosis).
It is important to be aware that, as the above side-effects get worse the more you allow your addiction to go untreated, the more likely you will be to succumb to issues such as self-harm as your mental stability is radically decreased.
What Does Drug-Induced Psychosis Mean?
Broadly speaking, psychosis is the medical term used for a period in which you will perceive the world that is around you differently from other individuals. This may mean that you physical experience things that are not there or that you see or believe things that are not real.
A period of psychosis may also be termed a “break from reality,” and it can be extremely distressing and severe for a person to endure.
Cocaine And Mental Health
While people typically consume cocaine in order to make themselves feel more alert, conversational, and confident, cocaine can leave a person feeling incredibly depressed once the drug starts to wear off.
Long-term use of this substance can lead to developing problems with long-term anxiety, depression, and can cause you to alienate those closest to you.
Ecstasy And Mental Health
Another drug commonly referred to as an “upper,” ecstasy can cause an individual to become full of energy, talkative, and very confident.
However, like cocaine, in the long-term, this drug can cause you to develop depression and anxiousness. Additionally, ecstasy can also make it so that a person develops memory issues when consumed over an extended period of time.
Cannabis And Mental Health
One of the most prolific drugs that are recreationally taken in the United Kingdom, cannabis is often consumed as it makes people feel calm or happy.
Although, there are studies that suggest that when it is taken over a long period of time, cannabis can cause people to feel incredibly paranoid in their daily lives. Furthermore, there is also a risk that you may become the victim of periods of psychosis.
Getting Help For Drug Addiction
When it comes to overcoming drug addiction, your best chance of actually succeeding in forging a long-term recovery from substance abuse is to take advantage of a professional drug and alcohol rehab — such as Asana Lodge. Treatments and therapies which are implemented in professional facilities will massively improve your chances of putting your drug addiction behind you, and also improving your overall mental health.
Our staff can help you with relapse prevention training and in setting up a complimentary aftercare programme.
So, if you’re looking for a way to put drug addiction behind you and start living with a better quality of mental health, call Asana Lodge today.
