Drugs that worsen mental health exist. Typical signs you have mental health symptoms include anxiety, sleep problems, unhappiness, guilt and suicidal thoughts. Rather than ease these symptoms by visiting a doctor, some people resort to self-medication. What they don’t realize is that sometimes drugs can worsen the symptoms and make it hard for doctors to treat them. In the long run, they may have to take more prescribed drugs to trigger a certain healing effect.
Before identifying drugs that worsen mental health symptoms, you should know that individuals respond differently to them. Therefore, some may not experience significant negative effects. However, that doesn’t mean that you should use these drugs as you don’t know what may happen. Without further ado, here are drugs that worsen mental health symptoms.
1. Alcohol
Moderate alcohol consumption provides some relief. Unfortunately, some people drink in excess and end up experiencing increased feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and sadness. That is because alcohol is a depressant that affects the neurotransmitters, including serotonin which is necessary for mood regulation.
Some people drink alcohol to cure their insomnia. It makes sense why they would do that since the drink has sedative properties. Unfortunately, drinking before bed leads to disruptions in your sleep cycles. Thanks to not getting enough sleep at night, you’ll experience excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability and fatigue.
2. Cannabis
Some people resort to using cannabis to ease their depression. While the drug offers some relief, its effects are unfortunately short-lived. Once the effects wear off, a “rebound” effect occurs where their moods or feelings worsen. Furthermore, the drug leads to increased feelings of apathy which makes such users unable to take part in hobbies or maintain relationships.
Cannabis can intensify the effects of psychosis in individuals prone to psychotic disorders. The psychotic episodes typically occur due to high doses or using cannabis that contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Regular and heavy usage during adolescence and early adulthood can lead to a psychotic disorder regardless of whether or not you’re susceptible to psychosis.
3. Hallucinogens
Hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and ecstasy heighten anxiety in two ways. One way they do that is by changing your perception leading to distortions in sensory experiences. These experiences are abnormal hence the anxiety. Also, the fear of a bad trip (anticipatory anxiety) can contribute to anxiety since it’s a fear of the unknown especially to new users. That means you will be afraid before and after using hallucinogens.
Some users experience a reoccurrence of flashbacks with hallucinogenic drugs. They do that by influencing the brain to create vivid and intense memories. These memories can be triggered or reactivated by external stimuli such as sensory cues, objects or situations. Interestingly, these triggers are more often than not unrelated to the current situation.
4. Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids lead to increased aggression and rage hence the colloquial term, “roid rage.” They do that by disrupting the natural hormonal balance. Thanks to fluctuations in hormones that influence mood (serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine), some people express perpetual rage.
Anabolic steroids can worsen manic episodes in individuals prone to bipolar disorder and other mood disorders. They achieve that by increasing the activity of dopamine, a hormone involved in motivation, reward and mood regulation. Increased dopamine activity is responsible for mania.
Conclusion
As earlier mentioned, these drugs cause different effects on individuals. To be safe, it would be best to avoid them especially if you have pre-existing mood disorders. If for some reason you feel compelled to use any of these drugs, consult healthcare professionals. They will be able to advise you accordingly.