How Drugs Can Cause Mental Illness

Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person 's body or mind works. Drugs are not good for health as they have many side effects and damage our brain, heart and other important organs. Drug is a depressant that slows down the functions of the central nervous system and makes us less aware of the events around us. It exaggerates communication, and destroys our physical and emotional pains. Drug use is illegal and is rarely prescribed by doctors. Some of the illegal drugs are marijuana, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin. Drugs are consumed in different ways, by inhaling, taking by mouth, injecting, applying on skin, and smoking. When a person is addicted to drug,

Reading this text I have realized that drugs can and will have a big effect on a persons life mentally physically and spiritually.It is actually depressing to see what

Individuals with a mental illness often turn to drugs or alcohol to reduce their symptoms, as opposed to or in addition to seeking treatment for their illness. This problem is much worse than previously imagined, with experts estimating 65 percent of prison inmates suffering from a dual diagnosis. The prevalence in the general population is likely very high also, thus anyone with a mental illness or substance abuse problem may find they need specialized care.

A statistical piece of information that was interesting is that how the number of mental disorders increases as the number of substance abuse disorders increases as well. Services, U.D. (2005) states the likelihood of mental disorders rises alongside with substance abuse dependencies. With the rise of both abuses at the same time, it complicates treatment for the mental disorder patients that have drug use however, multiple drugs is normal for those who are substance abusers (Services, U.D., 2005). The reason this information is found to be interesting is because with the two disorders rising at the same level, it appears that the challenges will be harder and more co-occurring disorder patients are going to need help with their issues. As a counselor, one must be dually competent to treat these clients or have staff available to treat the clients who have co-occurring disorders to ensure an effective outcome.

The reason why most teens are abusing drugs is because they want to experiment and try new things. Also, teenage years are the most difficult because that is the time you want to make new friends and be cool. Teenagers are more susceptible to peer pressure. Another way it relates to psychology is that in certain situations people react differently especially in times of trauma. Some people become depressed which leads them to being addicted to drugs because they want to escape their issues. As you can see addiction of drugs and psychology are very

Although co-morbidity is common in regard to the co-occurrence of mental health disorders and substance use disorders, many agencies do

According to the American Psychiatric Association chronic drug abuse may occur together with any mental illness that may include some of the following disorders. “Some common serious mental disorders associated with chronic drug abuse include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and antisocial personality disorder” (Center, 2004). Some of these disorders carry with them an increased risk of drug abuse. Another example of a drug that can cause a mental disorder, is MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) which is commonly known as ecstasy. It produces long term deficits in serotonin function in the brain, leading to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Hallucinogens are drugs that results in an altered state of consciousness and can have several affects on the body. They result in distorted perception, thoughts, and feelings. The main outcome of consumption of these drugs is hallucinations or other similar sensations that results in seeing images that seem real but are not. Hallucinations also tend to cause the user to feel that they are out of control, which leads to a sensation that they are disconnected with their body and/or their environment. Various different types of hallucinogens can be ingested in different ways. This includes smoking, snorting, eating, absorbing, and other such means of ingestion. The most well-known and common hallucinogens include LSD, Psilocybin (mushrooms), PCP, and Salvia. Statistically, individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 are most likely to abuse hallucinogens.

53% of substance abusers (other than alcohol) will have a mental disorder which is four times the rate found in people who do not abuse a substance.

When it comes to mental illnesses and drug abuse, there are many myths as to the connection between the two.  It is important to determine which ideas are true and which are simply myths.  The first idea is that mental illness leads to drug abuse.  This can be both true and false.  While people under psychological duress may turn to substances in order to help them cope, there is no finding that mental illnesses necessarily cause substance abuse.  However, those diagnosed with mental disorders are twice as likely to develop a drug abuse problem.  "According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, those with mental illnesses consume around 38 percent of the alcohol, 44 percent of the cocaine and 40 percent of the cigarettes ingested within the United States."  The

If people use drugs, they will be bothered with drug symptoms. Drug symptoms are mainly hallucinations and health problems. Hallucinations are the same as illusions. There are hallucinogens which cause illusions on people. Some of hallucinogens have unforeseeable influences. After people use this kind of drug, they will see thing that it does not exist in reality, like insects. Then, they will try to fan off them. They do not aware that they see illusions. Hallucination is one of symptoms of drugs. Sometime, drug users go through a flashback. Flashback is to recall

Human life is mostly a collection of sensations and perceptions, the byproduct of our interactions with our environment as we do the things necessary for survival. Much of our success in life seems to depend on accurately perceiving the dangers and opportunities we are presented with. In the modern age of information processing, we are more dependent than ever on the perceptive capacity of our brains. By using hallucinogenic drugs, a person intentionally alters their brain’s ability to accurately perceive the stimuli it receives, producing an altered state of consciousness in which they have experiences with little or no basis in reality. There are many documented risks and side effects associated with the abuse of these drugs. (National Institute

A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body Drugs are substances that change a person 's physical or mental state. The vast majority of drugs are used to treat medical conditions, both physical and mental. Some, however, are used outside the medical setting for their effects on the mind.’’ These are referred to as recreational drugs, and many of them are illegal in all fifty states’’(Quain). There are several different kinds of drugs. When a doctor prescribe you a medication and you use it as followed it is still considered a drug because it altar’s your body normal body cells, it can impair how you think see and handle situation’s while under the influence this is why medicine bottles or labled that while taking this medication it can alter how you handle situtions and you shouldn’t drive a car until you know how the drug will affect your body. Drugs can affect person 's mental state, whether prescribed for a medical condition or taken for recreational purposes such as alcohol. There are some drugs affect the way a person thinks and feels—which may also affect the way they behave. Many people misuse used legal drugs, apart from drugs taken on prescription, are alcohol and tobacco. The most commonly used illegal drug is cannabis (marijuana). People use marijuana for the purpose of getting high .

The use of drugs has caused many mental health issues to many people due to the consumption of these drugs. According to Dr. Richard J. Frances “a higher frequency of devastating consequences such as paranoia, violence, child abuse, high risk of sexual behavior, and addiction.” (Natasha Tracy, N.D). What he

Have you ever dealt with the effects of drug addict? A drug is a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, which has a psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. The effects of drug use can vary depending on the person. According to “Causes and types of narcotic addiction: A Psychosocial View” in the Psychiatric Quarterly it says, “The causes of drugs stem from the manner of which you were introduced to it whether it be by abnormal curiosity, chance encounters with addicts and narcotic peddlers, or prolonged illness” (Ausubel). The effects of drugs can be have different effects on everyone differently depending if its for pleasure or for relieving pain Most of the effects of drugs occur in the brain, where it increases the level of dopamine at a specific site possibly giving the addict the pleasure they were feigning for (Robbins). As a child I didn’t know much about drugs except for what your parents and teachers at school tell you which is, “Just Say No.”