Taking recreational drugs helps me in the moment but what is the long term effect?
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Last Updated: 06/14/2016 at 5:43am
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Alex DS Ellis, MA, LMFT
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This depends very much which drug you are taking, for some the effects are known (not allowing for the risks you take as a consequence of impurities). For others (especially legal highs) the long term effects are as yet unknown. However many recreational drugs are addictive or can provide a gateway to other 'harder' drugs which are addictive. One common example of a drug that is considered to have a long term risk is cannabis which can in some people increase the risk of psycotic illnesses such as schizophrenia. If you are interested in the long term effects of drugs it might be worth speaking to a healthcare provider and there is also a very good website called 'talktofrank.com' which is UK based but has lots of good info on this.
Anonymous
April 14th, 2015 4:06am
The long term effects of recreational drugs highly depends which ones you're taking. Having said that, they can range between permanent changes in brain structure & chemical balance, respiratory issues, liver and renal(kidney) system issues, rapid decaying of teeth in some cases, cardiac issues and then some. Sharing needles is one of the top reasons people contract HIV in the first world, but the point is: basically, recreational drugs are only recreational at first. The body basically shuts itself over time with prolonged use - best not, really.
Anonymous
April 25th, 2015 1:43am
You can become addicted. In many people, recreational drugs can awaken mental illnesses that they had a susceptibility to. It can mess up your health and interpersonal relationships, too.
Anonymous
June 15th, 2015 2:06pm
Long term such drugs can have many bad affects on your health. Liver kidneys and brain damage are some things affected. Also sadly death as an indirect or direct result is often the case. Death can be slow and very painful. It places great expense on country health systems also. The other serious thing to consider before you next use, in most countries in the world such drugs are illegal. This can lead at the lest to a criminal conviction or goal term if caught. But far more serious is that depending on quantity some counties drugs carry a death penalty So I really urge you to think hard before you even consider that next hit.
Acid (LSD) and magic mushrooms
Short term: Acid and magic mushrooms are hallucinogenic, making people see, hear and experience the world in a different, ‘trippy’ way. Colours may become intensified and sounds distorted. Users may also become panicky and suffer from paranoia. The effects of acid can last 12 hours or more which, if it’s a bad trip, can be very frightening.
Long term: Some LSD users experience flashbacks. "Sometimes people may experience psychosis or paranoia, believing or seeing things that aren’t really there," says Barnes.
Cannabis (marijuana, weed, dope, skunk)
Short term: People smoke cannabis to relax and get high, but it can make it difficult to remember things, even if they’ve only just happened. It can cause anxiety attacks or feelings of paranoia. "If you use a lot of cannabis regularly, you’re putting yourself at risk of some temporary problems, such as confusion or delusions," says Barnes.
Long term: "It’s possible that cannabis might trigger long-term mental health problems, including psychosis, schizophrenia and depression," says Barnes. "Evidence suggests that cannabis users who come from a family with a history of mental health problems may be particularly susceptible to these symptoms.â€
Cocaine and crack cocaine
Short term: Cocaine is a stimulant that makes you feel high, confident and full of energy. But this can turn into feelings of anxiety, panic and paranoia. Users of cocaine can end up feeling tired and depressed.
Long term: Giving up cocaine and crack can be mentally distressing and physically difficult for dependent users. Long-term use can worsen existing mental health problems and lead to depression, anxiety and paranoia.
Ecstasy (E)
Short term: Ecstasy is a stimulant with hallucinogenic effects that makes you feel relaxed, high, ‘loved-up’ and ready to dance all night. But people who are already feeling anxious or who take high doses can have bad experiences of paranoia or feeling 'out of it'.
Long term: Regular use may lead to sleep problems, lack of energy, drastic weight loss, depression or anxiety. People can become psychologically dependent on the feelings of euphoria and calmness that ecstasy gives them. Research shows that taking ecstasy can reduce a user’s serotonin levels, and may have an effect on certain areas of the brain.
Heroin (smack, diamorphine)
Short term: Heroin and other opiates slow down the body’s functions and stop both physical and emotional pain. Users find they need to take more and more herion to get the same effect, or even feel ‘normal’. Taking a lot can lead to coma or even death.
Long term: Heroin is psychologically and physically highly addictive. "The withdrawal from heroin is really unpleasant," says Professor Nutt. "Long-term heroin users are often depressed because of their overall lifestyle." Coming off and staying off heroin can be very difficult.
Ketamine (K)
Short term: Ketamine is an anaesthetic that makes people feel relaxed and high, but its effects are unpredictable. "It’s like drinking a whole bottle of vodka: you don’t have any control over what you’re doing," says Professor Nutt. "The biggest danger is wandering off in a daze and having an accident or getting lost and staying out all night, resulting in hypothermia." Ketamine can make you feel detached from yourself and others, and make existing mental health problems worse.
Long term: Tolerance develops quickly so people need more K to get high. "The longer term effects are more difficult to pinpoint, but may include flashbacks and losing your memory and ability to concentrate," says Barnes. "Occasionally, people get psychotic symptoms, while evidence is growing that long-term use of ketamine can severely damage the bladder. Some people find it hard to stop taking K."
Solvents (gases, glues and aerosols)
Short term: Solvents make you feel drunk and sometimes cause hallucinations.
Long term: Heavy use of solvents poisons your brain and can damage it, making it hard to control your emotions, think straight or remember things.
Speed and crystal meth (amphetamine and methamphetamine)
Short term: Speed can quickly make you feel energetic and confident but, with the high, can come panic, irritability and a paranoid sense that everyone is looking at you. Smoking a version of speed called methamphetamine (crystal meth) can give an intense and prolonged high but a severe comedown, when feelings of hopelessness and sadness are common.
Long term: There’s no research on the long-term heavy use of speed. Professor Nutt has seen users, especially those who have injected speed regularly, who appear to be permanently depressed. They have difficulty thinking straight, remembering things, problem solving and coping with their emotions.
Steroids
Short term: Steroids pump up muscle mass but can bring on ‘roid rage’, with users becoming physically violent and sexually abusive. Steroids can make sleep difficult and cause confusion, depression and paranoia.
Long term: They can lead to psychological dependence, where people become convinced they cannot perform well without the drug.
Tranquillisers (benzodiazepines)
Short term: Tranquillisers such as Valium are sedative drugs. They are used to relieve anxiety and aid sleep. Some drug users take them to help a comedown from drugs such as cocaine or speed.
Long term: The body quickly gets used to benzodiazepines and soon needs more to get the same effect. It’s possible to become addicted in just a few weeks and withdrawal can be difficult and make people feel sick, unable to sleep and very anxious. Sudden withdrawal from high doses can be very dangerous and result in serious convulsions (fits).
recreational drug use can lead to long term addiction long term addiction can destroy your life along with this you can a lien at you from your family and loved ones there is no end benefit and using drugs
The kidneys can be damaged by habitual drug use over a period of many years.
Liver failure is a well-known consequence of alcoholism, but it is also can occur with people using Vicodin and OxyContin
habitually over many years.
Cocaine addicts and stimulant users are doing significant damage to their heart each time they use the drug.
Any person who smokes the drug to which they are addicted is putting their lungs in jeopardy.
When you use you will develop a tolerance to drugs, it will take ever-increasing amounts of the substance to get high (More money.) And when you're scrounging around for every last penny to get your fix, that's anxiety.
The long term effects or recreational drugs would be change in mood and behavior and risk of addiction. It may seem like it helps in the moment but in the long run its not benefiting you in any way
Anonymous
June 14th, 2016 5:43am
recreational drugs have long term effects. yoyu lose the ability to solve issues without the help of drugs. using them you are burying emotional pain. you want to lose yourself. getting sober is a hard road . you have to relearn how to deal with life and the ups and downs. it makes it harder to function the way you should be able to
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