Overview
Alcohol and drug use: Overview
Some people who drink alcohol, use other drugs, misuse prescription or non-prescription medicines, or misuse household products may develop substance use disorder. One of the signs of substance use disorder is that you keep using alcohol or drugs even though you know it's causing problems in your life. Another sign is that you have a strong need or craving to drink or use drugs.
Using alcohol or drugs can affect your health, work, school, and relationships. It can change how well you make decisions, how well you think, and how quickly you can react. And it can make it hard for you to control your actions. In young people, using alcohol or drugs can affect their general health, physical growth, and emotional and social development.
Alcohol
You may have alcohol use disorder if drinking alcohol affects your health or daily activities. You may be dependent on alcohol if you physically or emotionally need alcohol to get you through your day.
Symptoms of alcohol use disorder can include spending a lot of time drinking, giving up activities you used to enjoy in order to drink, having blackouts, drinking more to get the same effect, and trying to cut down on drinking but not being able to. You may also have family, school, or work problems or get in trouble with the law because of drinking.
Alcohol use patterns vary. Some people drink and may be intoxicated every day. Other people drink large amounts of alcohol at specific times, such as on the weekend. Others may be sober for long periods and then go on a drinking binge that lasts for weeks or months.
People who are dependent on alcohol may have withdrawal symptoms, such as sweating and feeling sick to their stomach, feeling shaky, and feeling anxious. In rare cases, severe symptoms of withdrawal can occur such as delirium tremens, or DTs. Treatment for withdrawal from alcohol requires medical care.
The use of alcohol with medicines or drugs can be very dangerous.
Other drugs
People who use cannabis or other drugs, such as methamphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, may develop substance use disorder. They may use drugs to get a "high" or to relieve stress and emotional problems.
Drugs like ecstasy (MDMA) and date rape drugs, such as gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), and ketamine, are often used at all-night dances, raves, trances, or clubs. These drugs are known as "club drugs." These drugs can be dangerous, especially in overdose or when combined with other drugs or alcohol. Inhalants like nitrous oxide may also be used.
Drugs come in different forms and can be used in different ways. They can be smoked, snorted, inhaled, taken as pills, put in liquids or food, put in the rectum or the vagina, or injected with a needle.
Prescription and non-prescription medicines
Some people misuse prescription medicines, like opioids (such as Oxyneo and Dilaudid), benzodiazepines (such as Valium and Xanax), and stimulants (such as Adderall).
Some non-prescription medicines can also be misused as a way to get high. What effects these drugs may have on your health depend on the type, strength, and amount of these drugs you use and whether you take them with another drug or alcohol. The use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines with alcohol or drugs can be very dangerous.
Household products
Glue, shoe polish, cleaning fluids, and aerosols are common household products with ingredients that are also being used to get high.
Signs of substance use disorder
Signs of substance use disorder depend on the drug you use and how that drug affects you. Not all drugs affect people the same way. One of the signs that your drug use may be becoming a problem is that you take more of a drug over longer periods of time and need more of the drug to feel "high." Another sign is that you spend a lot of time trying to get the drug, and you give up other activities to do this. When you have substance use disorder, you or others may notice some changes in your behaviour. You may be moody, have problems sleeping, or pay less attention to how you dress or look. Or you may lie, steal, or hide things from people and act sneaky.
You may have substance use disorder if your drug use affects your health or daily activities. You may be dependent on drugs if you physically or emotionally need drugs to get you through your day. You may not be aware that you have become dependent on a drug until you try to stop taking it. People who are dependent on drugs may have withdrawal symptoms, such as sweating and feeling sick to their stomach, feeling shaky, and feeling anxious.
Substance use disorder in older people may go unnoticed, since the signs may be similar to those of aging. Older adults often take medicines, such as sleep medicines and painkillers, that can lead to substance use disorder.
Health risks of alcohol and drug use
When you use alcohol or drugs, you may be putting your health and safety at risk.
Alcohol or drug use can:
- Make car crashes more likely. If you drink and drive, or if you drive while you are high, you can easily hurt yourself or others.
- Lead to unprotected sex and/or sexual assault. This can lead to pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
- Increase the risk of overdose, injury, and death.
- Cause you to do things you wouldn't usually do. You may say things that hurt your friends. Or you may do something illegal that could result in paying a large fine or going to jail, like being arrested for driving while intoxicated.
- Affect your work or schoolwork. It can cause you to lose your job or drop out of school.
- Change how you feel about your life. It can lead to depression and suicide.
- Cause mood swings and affect your sleep and your ability to think, learn, reason, remember, and solve problems.
- Harm many organs and systems in the body, such as the liver, pancreas, heart, brain, and nervous system.
- Contribute to the development of some cancers, such as cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast.
- Cause high blood pressure, stomach problems, or sexual problems.
- Cause harm to a developing baby (fetus) if alcohol or drugs are used during pregnancy.
Recognizing a problem
Alcohol
If you drink alcohol, try to drink less. Your risk of harm from alcohol is:
- Low if you have 2 standard drinks or less per week.
- Moderate if you have between 3 and 6 drinks per week.
- High if you have 7 or more drinks per week.
If you think you might have a problem with alcohol, talk to your doctor.
Drugs and other substances
A person might not realize that their substance use is a problem. They might not use drugs in large amounts. Or they might go for days or weeks between using drugs. But even if they don't use drugs very often, their substance use could still be harmful and put them at risk.
If you think you might have a problem with drugs or other substances, talk to your doctor.