How drugs affect your body

Drugs and your body

All drugs affect the body, but not all drugs affect your body in the same way. 

Medicines are drugs that help people suffering from pain or disease. Recreational drugs are taken by people because they like the effects they have on their bodies. Any drug that is misused can cause damage to the body.

It can be difficult to predict how a drug might affect you, especially as illegal drugs are not controlled, so the quality and strength may differ from one batch to another.

Different types of drugs and their effects

Recreational drugs can be depressants or stimulants.

Depressants 

Depressants are drugs that slow down the messages between your brain and body. They can make you feel calm, relaxed, or sleepy. Some people use them to take the edge off stress or help them sleep.

At first, depressants can make your body and mind slow down. You might:

• Feel relaxed or sleepy
• Speak or move more solely
• Feel less worried or tense
• Have slower reactions or poor balance
• Forget things or lose focus

Using depressants often can make your body used to them. Over time, they can:

• Make it harder to sleep or feel calm without them
• Affect your memory and mood
• Cause tiredness, sadness, or anxiety
• Harm your liver, heart, or breathing

Even small amounts can be risky when mixed with other drugs, alcohol, or medicines, because they all slow your body down.

Stimulants

Stimulants are drugs that speed up the messages between your brain and body. They can make you feel full of energy, wide awake, and confident. Some people use them to stay alert, party longer, or feel more focused - but the effects don’t last, and the ‘come down’ can be hard.

When you take stimulants, your body speeds up. You might:

• Feel full of energy or talk a lot
• Have a fast heartbeat
• Lose your appetite
• Feel excited, restless, or anxious
• Have trouble sleeping or relaxing afterwards

Using stimulants can often put a lot of strain on your body and mind. Over time, they can:

• Make you feel anxious, tired, or low when they wear off
• Affect your sleep and mood
• Lead to weight loss or poor appetite
• Put pressure on your heart and blood pressure

Stimulants can also make existing mental health struggles worse, especially if you’re already feeling stressed or low.

Tolerance and dependence

Over time, your body can get used to a drug. This is called tolerance. It means you might need more of the drug to feel the same effect.

Sometimes, using a drug regularly for a long period of time can also lead to dependence. This means your body or mind starts to rely on it to feel ‘normal.’ You might notice cravings or feel unwell when you stop.

Not all drug use leads to dependence, and everyone’s experience is different.

However, it's important to know that if you're dependent on drugs or alcohol, it can be dangerous to try to cut down or stop on your own. The safest way is with advice and support from a trained expert.

Risk factors for drug-related harm

Drugs can affect people in different ways. The same drug can feel stronger, weaker, or last longer depending on lots of factors.

Some of the main things that can change how a drug affects you include:

• The type of drug
• How much you use
• How you take it
• Weight, age, fitness, and general health
• Tolerance
• Mood and mindset
• Where you are
• Mixing with other drugs or alcohol

Come downs

After using some drugs, you might feel low, tired, or unwell for a while. This is called a come down. It happens when the effects of the drug wear off and your body and brain try to get back to normal.

Come downs can feel different for everyone. You might:

• Feel sad, anxious, or irritable
• Have trouble sleeping or feel very tired
• Lose your appetite
• Find it hard to concentrate
• Feel shaky or unwell

These feelings can last a few hours or a few days, depending on the drug, how much you used, and how your body reacts. Come downs can be harder if you haven’t eaten, slept, or looked after yourself properly.

If you often feel low or anxious after using, it can help to rest, eat well, drink water, and avoid using again straight away.