National Institutes of Health. Drug Topics. More Drug Topics. Quick Links. About NIDA. Health Consequences of Drug Misuse Introduction. Drug use is dangerous. It can harm your brain and body, sometimes permanently.
It can hurt the people around you, including friends, families, kids, and unborn babies. Drug use can also lead to addiction. Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease. It causes a person to take drugs repeatedly, despite the harm they cause. Repeated drug use can change the brain and lead to addiction. The brain changes from addiction can be lasting, so drug addiction is considered a "relapsing" disease. This means that people in recovery are at risk for taking drugs again, even after years of not taking them.
Not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted. Everyone's bodies and brains are different, so their reactions to drugs can also be different. Some people may become addicted quickly, or it may happen over time.
Other people never become addicted. Whether or not someone becomes addicted depends on many factors. They include genetic, environmental, and developmental factors. Treatments for drug addiction include counseling, medicines, or both. Research shows that combining medicines with counseling gives most people the best chance of success.
Medicines can help with the symptoms of withdrawal. For addiction to certain drugs, there are also medicines that can help you re-establish normal brain function and decrease your cravings. If you have a mental disorder along with an addiction, it is known as a dual diagnosis. It is important to treat both problems. This will increase your chance of success. If you have a severe addiction, you may need hospital-based or residential treatment. Residential treatment programs combine housing and treatment services.
Drug use and addiction are preventable. Prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media may prevent or reduce drug use and addiction. Drug use can affect short- and long-term health outcomes.
Some of these health outcomes can be serious, and possibly irreversible. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has a list of drugs and their effects. A 'come down' is your body's reaction to the substances that you have taken, after the initial reaction. In other words, it is the after effect. How long it lasts, and how bad it is, depends on the type of drug stimulant or depressant and your age, sex and tolerance.
ReachOut provides information on how to manage the effects of a come down. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The type of pain felt in the abdomen can vary greatly. Children may feel stomach pain for a range of reasons and may need treatment. For unexpected after-hours medical issues, there are telephone helplines, pharmacies, after-hours medical clinics or doctors who can visit you at home. Asking for help when you first suspect you have an alcohol or drug problem is important.
If you think you have an addiction, speak to your local doctor or phone DirectLine. The size of a standard drink can vary according to the type of alcohol. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Home Drugs. How drugs affect your body. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Different drugs, different effects Risk factors for drug-related harm Physical harms from drug use Effects of common drugs Effects of a 'come down' Where to get help.
Different drugs, different effects Drugs affect your body's central nervous system. The three main types are depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants: Depressants slow or 'depress' the function of the central nervous system. They slow the messages going to and from your brain. In small quantities depressants can cause a person to feel relaxed and less inhibited.
In large amounts they may cause vomiting, unconsciousness and death. Depressants affect your concentration and coordination, and slow your ability to respond to situations.
It is important to not operate heavy machinery while taking depressants. Alcohol, cannabis, GHB, opiates heroin, morphine, codeine and benzodiazepines minor tranquillisers are examples of depressants. Hallucinogens distort your sense of reality.
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