This section explains how using drugs and alcohol can affect your mental health. It also explains how you can get help to stop using drugs and alcohol. In this section, ‘drugs’ means recreational drugs, alcohol, or prescription drugs.
There are many reasons why you might use drugs and alcohol.
Some people use them to try and deal with their symptoms of their mental illness. This is called 'self-medication'.
Drugs and alcohol can make the symptoms of your mental illness worse.
Some drugs may make it more likely for you to get a mental illness, and they may make it harder to treat.
Mental health, and drug and alcohol services should work together to give you the support you need.
If you have any problems getting help, you could make a complaint.
How can drugs and alcohol affect my mental health?
People use drugs and drink alcohol for lots of different reasons. Whatever your reason, using drugs or alcohol may have a long-term negative effect on you. The possible long-term effects include the following.
Needing to take more to get the same effect.
High blood pressure and strokes.
Problems with your liver and pancreas.
Development of certain cancers e.g. liver cancer, bowel cancer and mouth cancer.
Difficulty obtaining or maintaining an erection.
Problems with orgasms.
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 you don’t take 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.
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