People use drugs and alcohol for lots of different reasons. Whatever your reason, using drugs or alcohol may have a long-term negative mental health effects on you. Can-Am Interventions would like to bring awareness to some of the common issues related to drug and alcohol abuse.
The possible long-term effects include the following:
- Needing to take more to get the same effect.
- High blood pressure and strokes.
- Problems with the liver and pancreas.
- Development of certain cancers e.g. liver cancer, bowel cancer and mouth cancer.
- Sexual related issues.
- Difficulties becoming pregnant.
- Feeling like you must use the drug or alcohol. This is known as being dependent.
- Withdrawal symptoms including feeling sick, cold, sweaty or shaky when not using them.
- Having sudden mood changes.
- Having a negative outlook on life.
- Loss of motivation.
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Problems with relationships.
- Being secretive.
- Having episodes of drug-induced psychosis.
If you use alcohol or drugs for a long time it can cause serious issues for your mental well-being. Drugs can make you more unwell and more likely to try and harm yourself or take your own life. There is also some evidence that using some drugs may cause mental illness for the first time. For example, research has shown that cannabis can increase your chances of developing psychosis or a psychotic disorder.
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is a medical term. If you have psychosis you will process the world around you differently than other people. This can include how you experience, believe or view things. You might see or hear things that others do not. Or believe things other people do not. Some people describe it as a “break from reality”. There are different terms use to describe psychosis. Such as “psychotic symptoms”, “psychotic episode” or “psychotic experience.” It can be a symptom of mental illness and can also be a short-term effect of some drugs.
Which substances can affect my mental health?
In this section we have listed some of the different types of substances that could have an impact on your mental health. Please be aware that this list is not a list of all substances. Taking any substances can be dangerous. They can also have bad interactions with any medications or other substances you might use.
Cannabis
(Also known as: bud, chronic, dope, ganja, grass, herb, maryjane, pot, skunk, weed)
Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs in North America. According to one study, 1 in 13 people aged 16-59 had used it in the last year. Young people aged 16-24 are more likely to use cannabis. The same study shows that just under 1 in 5 young people had used cannabis between 2023 and 2024.mSome people take cannabis because it makes them feel relaxed or happy, but It can also make you feel anxious or feel paranoid. Some people may experience things that aren’t real. This is a sign of drug-induced psychosis.
The risk of psychosis may be higher if you:
- Long-term exposure to cannabis.
- Frequent use.
- use of high-strength cannabis such as Indica.
Alcohol
(Also known as: bevvies, booze)
Some people with a mental illness have problems using alcohol. Alcohol is legal, which means it is easier to get. It can make the feelings of some mental health issues feel worse.
The long-term effects of alcohol also depend on how much you drink, and how regularly you drink it. If you drink too much on a regular basis then you could cause yourself serious physical and mental harm. Drinking can make you do something you would not normally do. This can include self-harm and suicide. Very high levels of alcohol can cause psychosis.
New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)
(Also known as: PlantFood, NPS, Mdat, Eric 3, Dimethocaine and Bath salts).
These are drugs that contain one or more chemical substance. They produce effects that are similar to cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy.
Some of the drugs classed as NPS used to be known as ‘legal highs’. This is a common term with the people that use it. It is used because some NPS were legal before 2016. However, the name is now incorrect, because since 2016 they have been made illegal.
The short-term effects of an NPS depend on what you take.
Some new psychoactive drugs can cause confusion and a feeling of panic. You can also have hallucinations. This is when you see, smell, hear or feel things that other people don’t. Hallucinations can affect the way you behave. Your behaviour can become erratic and can put your own safety, as well as others safety, at serious risk. These drugs can also affect your judgement, which could put you at risk. Some NPS can be very dangerous. They can kill you or hurt you very badly. There is a higher risk of this if taken with alcohol or other psychoactive drugs.
Amphetamine and methamphetamine
(Also known as: Crystal Meth, Ice, Meth, Glass, Whizz, Speed, Billy, Base, Yaba, Tina and Christine)
In the short-term, these drugs can make you feel wide awake and alert. This can make it difficult for you to relax or get to sleep. They might cause you to have a drug-induced psychosis.
In the long-term, amphetamines might make you anxious and depressed. They can also be addictive.
When you stop taking the drug, you may feel depressed and have troubles with regular sleep.
Benzodiazepines
(Also known as: Benzos, Blues, Downers, Roofies, Vallies, Diazepam, Rohypnol, Valium, Xanax)
Benzodiazepines are a type of tranquilizer. They are used to treat anxiety. They are also used as a muscle relaxant. Sometimes a doctor will tell you to take benzodiazepines to help you with anxiety. But people also buy them illegally because of their relaxing effects. They can be addictive, so doctors only prescribe them for a short time.
In the short-term, these drugs can make you feel calmer. Depending on the type you take, they could make you feel confused or overly sleepy. Taking benzodiazepines with other drugs or alcohol can be dangerous. It can affect your breathing. It can also increase the risk of overdose and death.
In the long-term, some people become addicted. This can have a big effect on their day-to-day life.
Cocaine
(Also known as: Blow, Crack, Coke, Charlie, Chang, Freebase, Sniff, Snow)
In the short-term, cocaine can make you feel awake, talkative and confident. After this wears off, you can feel tired and depressed after taking it.
In the long-term, cocaine use can affect how you feel. It can affect your relationships with friends and family. Cocaine is also addictive and over time you are more likely to have ongoing problems with depression, paranoia or anxiety. Cocaine can cause fits, heart attacks and strokes. If you mix it with some other drugs you are more likely to overdose or die.
Help?
Long-term drug and alcohol abuse will most certainly have a negative effect in our lives. Finding a solution to be abstinent from these harmful products is easy on paper but can prove to be difficult to put into practice. Having a support system in place is imperative. Family, friends and other people in your community are important to have in your corner. When we do this alone we can make excuses that lead to drug/alcohol use, with nobody close to us to help keep us honest. Many times, professional assistance is required. Can-Am Interventions is here to help individuals, and the people close to them, to provide guidance, treatment and ongoing support as long that is needed until healthy recovery habits are established. If you or someone you care about is struggling with drug/alcohol addiction we encourage you to reach out to us. We are here to help and to provide treatment options best suited to your situation. We look forward to the opportunity to help.
E: patti.pike@canaminterventions.com
1-800-638-1812 Toll Free Internationally
415-827-3725 Cell /Text
415-578-2875 Office
