Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Factsheets for young people
- 1 Bipolar disorder
- 2 Cannabis and mental health
- 3 Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT)
- 4 Coping with stress
- 5 Depression
- 6 Drugs and alcohol
- 7 Exercise and mental health
- 8 Mental illness in a parent
- 9 Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)
- 10 Psychosis
- 11 Schizophrenia
- 12 When bad things happen – overcoming adversity and developing resilience
- 13 Worries about weight and eating problems
- 14 Worries and anxieties
- 15 Who's who in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- Factsheets for parents, carers and anyone who works with young people
6 - Drugs and alcohol
from Factsheets for young people
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Factsheets for young people
- 1 Bipolar disorder
- 2 Cannabis and mental health
- 3 Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT)
- 4 Coping with stress
- 5 Depression
- 6 Drugs and alcohol
- 7 Exercise and mental health
- 8 Mental illness in a parent
- 9 Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)
- 10 Psychosis
- 11 Schizophrenia
- 12 When bad things happen – overcoming adversity and developing resilience
- 13 Worries about weight and eating problems
- 14 Worries and anxieties
- 15 Who's who in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- Factsheets for parents, carers and anyone who works with young people
Summary
What are the commonly used drugs?
Society's favourite drugs are alcohol and tobacco. They are both very addictive and are misused by millions of people. There are many other drugs which are addictive. Some of these are ‘legal’ and others ‘illegal’.
Some legal substances, such as petrol and glue, if misused, can be very harmful. Even medicines such as painkillers and certain drugs for sleep problems can be addictive, particularly if they are not used in the way they were prescribed. The obviously illegal drugs are things like cannabis (hash), speed (amphetamines), ecstasy (‘E’), cocaine and heroin.
For more detailed information on drugs and their effects, see the websites listed at the end.
Why do people take drugs or alcohol?
People may do this for many reasons:
• they may worry that if they don't take drugs, they will be seen as ‘uncool’ and won't fit in
• they may just want to experiment
• they find that taking a particular drug makes them feel confident and may help them to face a difficult situation
• if they are unhappy, stressed or lonely, they are more likely to turn to drugs to forget their problems.
What leads to problems with drugs and alcohol?
Problems can happen for different reasons.
• Drugs can make you feel good for a while. Just experimenting with a drug may make you want to try again … and again.
• If you take drugs or alcohol to help cope with a situation or a feeling, after a while you may need the drug to face that situation or feeling every time.
• If you find that you are using a drug or alcohol more and more often, be careful as this is the first step to becoming dependent on it.
• If you hang out with people who use a lot of drugs or drink heavily, you probably will too.
What are the dangers of taking drugs and alcohol?
Drugs and alcohol damage your health. Here are some basic facts.
• It is dangerous to mix drugs and alcohol. They each may increase the effects of the other substance, e.g. ecstasy and alcohol can lead to dehydration (overheating) and cause coma and death.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Mental Health and Growing UpFactsheets for Parents, Teachers and Young People, pp. 16 - 18Publisher: Royal College of PsychiatristsPrint publication year: 2013