The Brain on Drugs

Recreational drugs can be classified as a simple cup of coffee all the way down to Meth or Heroin. Recreational drug use consists of abusing psychoactive drugs for reasons other than medical or spiritual reasons. Twenty percent of people with a mental illness have a co-occurring drug abuse problem. Recreational drug use directly relates to mental health, and the psychological well-being of people. People who use drugs recreationally have a higher chance of developing mental health issues in the future, many people with mental health issues rely on the use of drugs recreationally to ease symptoms, and people with mental disorders often have an addictive personality and may get addicted to substances quicker than the average person.

First off, recreational drug users have a higher chance of developing mental health complications in the future. Schizophrenia, is one of the most crippling psychological disorders in existence, luckily there is only a two percent chance that a person may develop the disorder, the risk can vastly increase to four percent in a chronic marijuana user, however there is a ten percent chance if the disorder runs in the family. At least twenty percent of people with a mental illness have a co-occurring substance abuse problem. This reveals how the prominent use of drugs can affect a person’s brain in such a way that it increases the risk factor of mental illness. Secondly, people who use certain drugs recreationally can worsen the symptoms of the psychological disorder that person possesses. People who are at risk for schizophrenia and do meth have more severe symptoms of the mental disorder, such as more intense hallucinations, and more extreme paranoia. Through its actions on the brain, Marijuana can directly worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression. This reveals the severity of using recreational drugs when mentally ill. Third, substance-induced mental illness is a huge problem among people who use drugs recreationally. Many mental illnesses are the root of substance use, these include delirium, dementia, anxiety, persisting amnestic disorder, and mood disorders. When substance abuse co-exists with a mental illness it is called a dual diagnosis because of the co-existing substance use it is difficult to diagnose a patient with a mental illness as it is hard to differentiate symptoms of the disorder with the effects of the substance. Many people who have a co-occurring substance use problem with a mental illness are unaware of their illness and assume what they feel is because of their drug use problem; this makes it hard for those people to get help. This reveals just how dire treatment is for these individuals, as continuous use of substances can lead them into a bottomless pit of despair. In spite of this, many people use drugs recreationally to relieve symptoms of mental illness.

Although, drugs can lead to many mental health issues people with a mental illness tend to rely on the use of drugs recreationally to ease the symptoms of their mental illness. First, the rate of people who smoke in the general population is approximately 20 to 30 percent, the rate of smokers who have schizophrenia is nearly tripled to 90 percent, this is because smoking is believed to relieve symptoms of schizophrenia. Symptoms of schizophrenia are so severe that it is estimated approximately 80 percent of people with schizophrenia will experience a substance abuse problem in their lifetime. Second, anxiety is a disorder in which the sufferer is trapped in a constant unpleasant state of inner turmoil, this is often accompanied by nervous behaviour, fidgeting, and rumination. Anxiety can be very serious and can be absolutely paralyzing, many people with anxiety tend to withdraw from situations which have provoked the anxiety in the past, these things can be completely common and normal, for example things like taking a test or picking up the phone for an unrecognized number. Many people to combat these feelings of anxiety turn to drugs as the only relief of symptoms. One such drug is Marijuana; it works by acting on the part of the brain that regulates pain, memory and appetite; which is called the endocannabinoid system. The main ingredient of the drug THC reacts with a neurotransmitter that is called anandamide, which produces a relaxed feeling that takes the edge off when dealing with anxiety. This reveals that, although Marijuana can be dangerous, in some cases it may be the only way to effectively deal with intense anxiety that overcomes someone. Third, depression is a very serious illness that can lead to self harm, eating disorders, weight loss, weight gain, loss of sleep, lack of self esteem, and in serious cases may cause suicide. People with depression sometimes take stimulants like methamphetamine to help them not to feel so depressed. Methamphetamines are used by victims of depression as self-medication as they sense no escape in sight, and feel as if