Drug Abuse and mental illness

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Aspen Gale on October 14, 2011 at 10:03am

Hi Sally,

It seems like there are more abuses than just the classic drugs involved. Sometimes people eat themselves into bad health too or choose abusive behaviors toward their loved ones. In the past I have used marijuana for depression. Some say it helps others not. I don't find it so good for me really. Alcohol really makes my depression worse too. Funny that my whole family has a tendency toward alcohol but not me. I have an Irish heritage, but people say I must have been adopted. LOL I agree that abuse of substances can cause mental illness. I remember seeing a documentary once that said that cocaine will destroy certain neurotransmitters in your brain that are necessary for proper flow of hormones and peptides for a sense of well being. I can't imaging going from completely addicted to cocaine to never being able to experience real happiness again. That would be terrible.

Permalink Reply by Sally Austin on October 14, 2011 at 7:15pm

Yeah, food is my problem. Never used pot before but my brother does sometimes.
It's not surprising that that alcohol makes your depression worse, I was told in school that it's a depressant.
I can't imagine never being happy again either, another thing that makes cocaine not worth it.

Permalink Reply by Aspen Gale on October 17, 2011 at 5:26pm

Yeah it makes me nuts the amount of people I see abuse alcohol because they are depressed and I tell them it will only make things worse. But they just get mad at me.

Permalink Reply by Sally Austin on October 17, 2011 at 7:04pm

Yeah, the joys of chemical dependency tricking their body into thinking that alcohol is something they can't live with out. I remember hearing it put that they are guarding a resource or something like that.