Unarguably, drugs and alcohol change your behavior and alter your body’s physical and mental mechanisms. The chemical balance in your brain shifts, influencing your mental health, emotions, decisions, etc. Therefore, we can say that your mood and behavior are affected by the usage of drugs to a lesser or greater extent.
However, with drugs and alcohol being the center of many social gatherings and a popular unhealthy coping mechanism, health problems are prevalent worldwide.
It’s complex to fully generalize the mental health effects of alcohol and drug usage, as some people are more prone to negative impacts than others.
Nonetheless, it’s still well-established that long-term use of any drug or alcohol can cause alterations in the brain. But the extent of that effect depends upon the drug type and its potency.
To explain a bit more on this topic, let us discuss the health effects of drug and alcohol use.
Alcohol
Even though alcohol is legal for consumption in many countries, it’s also one of the most commonly consumed drinks that leads to various conditions.
When it comes to alcohol consumption, even moderate drinking habits can adversely impact your mental health.
Alcohol is typically considered a depressant as it helps you feel pleasant and relaxed. This effect can make you drink more often and in larger quantities. However, it can also cause behavioral issues such as mood swings or aggression.
Some of the long-term side effects of alcohol consumption are:
- Memory loss
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Delirium
- Hallucinations
- Poor concentration and so forth
There are many other detrimental health effects of excessive alcohol consumption. For this reason, if you find yourself or your loved ones engaging in addictive behavior, seek professional help immediately.
Approaching reliable facilities such as Serenity at Summit will help you curb addictive behaviors. As a result, you’ll be able to live a more fulfilling and addiction-free life.
Below is an infographic to help you understand how Alcohol impacts the brain.
Infographic provided by mental health facility Arizona company, Fountain Hills Recovery.
Nicotine
Nicotine, an addictive stimulant drug, is typically consumed via cigarettes, vapes, etc. While it doesn’t have too many mental health effects, it is still highly addictive, and addiction consists of three dimensions.
The first is chemical addiction, where the brain feels cravings and withdrawals without nicotine. Eventually, it becomes a habit, and the consumer makes emotional ties with the substance.
After a while, your body gets used to it, and then you need to consume it daily to feel relaxed and content. Unfortunately, most individuals who try to give up on nicotine experience:
- Anger
- Irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety and restlessness
Also read: 5 Ways To Deal With An Addicted Loved One
Cannabis
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is another stimulant and depressant drug. People who consume cannabis use it to feel happy and relaxed.
For the most part, the effects of continuous cannabis usage depend upon your genes, the quality and type of cannabis you use, the quantity, and if you are used to consuming drugs.
But almost everyone who uses cannabis feels relaxed, happy, hungry, and excited. However, there are some negative side effects of using cannabis, such as:
- Impaired short-term memory
- Lack of attention
- Lack of judgment
- Impaired balance
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Sleep problems
- Marijuana addiction
- Impaired learning
- Schizophrenia for genetically vulnerable people
- Depression
- Acute panic attacks
Cocaine
Cocaine, also known as crack, comes in powder form and is snorted, smoked, or injected. It is a stimulant drug and causes the person to feel wide awake and full of energy.
However, some alarming mental health issues of using cocaine are:
- Depression
- Negative thoughts
- Hallucinations
- Delusion
- Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- Brain damage
- Paranoia
Cocaine also makes people feel low and depressed after using it due to the chemical imbalance in the brain. Moreover, cocaine happens to be extremely addictive, making it difficult for anyone to stop consuming it after they start.
Ecstasy
Ecstasy (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that can alter perception and mood. Individuals who use this drug lose proper awareness of their surroundings, the people around them, and so forth. Hence, ecstasy is a hallucinogen and stimulant drug.
Moreover, it produces feelings of pleasure, warmth and makes the person feel energetic. At the same time, it makes the person lose their sense of time, hindering their alertness.
Ecstasy tablets are mostly impure and contain other harmful substances which are dangerous to health. So, some effects of ecstasy on the body are:
- Increased heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Muscle tension
- Nausea
- Faintness
- Sweating and chills
- Ride in body temperature
Whereas some mental health effects of the drug include:
- Lowered inhibition
- Confusion
- Problems with attention
- Memory loss
- Sleep problems
- Increased anxiety
- Impulsiveness
- Depression
- Concentration problems
Therefore, using ecstasy is not only highly dangerous to the body but also deteriorates mental health.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, there is more acceptance of drugs in young adult circles than in others. But the truth is that their usage is dangerous regardless of whether you use them in a controlled setting or not.
For starters, you aren’t aware of what’s in them. Moreover, your genetic conditions are impossible to determine, making it impossible to understand how your body reacts to them.
The harmful substance in them causes mental health problems and major health issues. Hence, unless your physician prescribes anything for medical purposes, such drugs will always pose some repercussions for your health.
Modern Mental Health Treatment Centers are designed to provide individuals with the tools and support they need to effectively manage their mental health. Their Depression Treatment Program typically involves a combination of psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle changes, as well as other supportive therapies.
Treatment plans are tailored to each individual‘s needs and include cognitive–behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, psycho-dynamic therapy, mindfulness-based practices, and/or group therapy.
By helping individuals understand the underlying causes of their depression and providing them with the skills and resources to cope and thrive, these programs can help individuals lead healthier, happier lives.
Note: This article was first published on 18 Jan 2022 and last updated on 28 Feb 2023.
This article is published by our independent team of health and wellness pundits that publish original and informative content to empower readers to take charge of their health and embark on a physically, mentally, and emotionally balanced lifestyle.
Thank you for explaining how an addiction recovery program could help someone recover from depression. My friend suspects that his uncle is unable to stop drinking since losing one of his closest friends. I will suggest this information to him so they can find a recovery center in the future.