The big question is... Will using drugs send me mad?

The answer? Yes and no, writes Esther Coleman Hawkins.

The effects of drugs and alcohol – is this a mental illness?

Mental illness refers to a range of disorders which affect the way we think and feel. And that’s exactly what drugs and alcohol do – they are psychoactive. When we have a drink, or use a drug recreationally we hope that we will enjoy the way the drug makes us feel, if it made us feel worse we’d probably not do it again. Mental illness changes the way we feel but often not in a positive way, and we don’t choose to do it. The after effects of drugs and alcohol – come downs and hangovers – along with any side effects can be seen by some as the payment you make in return for having a good time. Drugs like ecstasy have well reported side effects of depression a few days after taking them known by some as ‘Blue Monday’. But this isn’t a mental illness, although it can give you an idea of what people with a mental illness experience

Will using drugs cause mental illness?

There isn’t a scientific formula or test you can take to say that if you take drugs then you’ll get ill. This is because there are so many variables around mental illness. Lots of people who have a mental illness also use, and misuse, tobacco, alcohol and anything else they can get their hands on. But it’s a chicken and egg situation as to which came first – the mental illness or the drug problem.

Apply some common sense to the situation. If you have depression you’ll feel down, if you drink alcohol (which has a depressive effect) you’ll feel more down. If you don’t have depression to help you imagine it, think about the emotional down feeling you can get with a bad hangover - this is how you feel all the time. Then go out and get drunk. The next day you can multiply that emotional down by two. Feels pretty bad doesn’t it?
 
The problem is, for people with a mental health condition, drug use can help temporarily relieve the symptoms of their condition in the short-term. For example, if you’re depressed and have low levels of serotonin, taking ecstasy will improve your mood for 10 hours or so, but then the levels of serotonin drop massively and you feel much, much worse than you did before.

Drug induced psychosis – what is it, is it permanent, who gets it?

It’s psychosis caused by taking drugs. This means you experience psychotic symptoms like hallucinations (seeing or hearing things which aren’t there), delusions (you believe things which aren’t accurate) or disordered thinking (this is when you’re brain doesn’t work like it normally does and your thinking is confused).

It is not a mental illness but a reaction to drugs in your system.

It’s temporary and goes away as your body processes the drug and gets it out of your body. It is often related to an overdose of speed but other drugs can cause it, cannabis in large quantities can cause paranoia, ice can cause psychosis even if you don’t take very much. A sensible way to look at it is if drugs other than LSD are causing you to hallucinate or experience extreme delusions about people, places or things then you’re probably experiencing a drug-induced psychosis and you might want to think about a drug free night or two and visiting a hospital to check you out.

What’s the impact of drugs & alcohol on my existing mental illness?

If you’re depressed and you take drugs which are depressants then you’ll be more depressed. Alcohol in large quantities can negate the effects of anti-depressants and cannabis can make you feel paranoid.

For more information:

SANE Factsheets on mental illness
http://www.sane.org/information/information/factsheets_%2B_podcasts.html

Reachout – for help in tough times
http://au.reachout.com/

The Right Mix – alcohol and medication
http://www.therightmix.gov.au/

Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia   
http://esvc000144.wic027u.server-web.com/

Australian Drug Foundation   
http://www.adf.org.au/

Counselling Online
http://www.counsellingonline.org.au/en/