Our mental health affects how we think, feel, and act as do the drugs we use. 

Drugs can give us pleasurable feelings and sometimes we experience the opposite. We also can sometimes be in situations where our drug use complicates mental health challenges.

These mental health challenges can show up in different ways. Some are subtle, like feeling disconnected, low, or unmotivated. Others are more intense, like large mood swings, feeling paranoid or irritable, or feeling like hurting ourselves. Checking-in with yourself regularly can help you to spot early warning signs and avoid larger problems. 

Like other medications, mental health medications can also interact in dangerous ways with drugs. Our mental health meds & drugs article outlines some of these interactions. 

Some drugs, like alcohol, methamphetamine, opioids, and benzodiazepines, can also cause memory loss and affect your cognitive function. Some can also cause drug-induced psychosis, where you to see, hear, or feel things that are not there or believe things that are not real. 

Some useful checks are: 

  • Tracking your sleep. Are you sleeping too much, too little, or waking up often? 
  • Reflecting on your mood. Do you feel stuck, numb, anxious, or unusually irritable? 
  • Are you withdrawing from others or avoiding things you used to enjoy? 
  • Are you feeling more reckless and wanting to take more risks than usual? 
  • Are you using alcohol or other drugs as your main way to cope with emotions? 
  • Low mood or anxious feelings that don’t go away or are getting worse. 
  • Feeling hyperalert, paranoid, or disconnected from reality. 
  • Negative self-talk or feeling worthless. 
  • Sleep disturbances that don’t go away or are getting worse. 
  • Feeling numb, stuck, or apathetic. 
  • Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren’t there). 
  • Thoughts of suicide or of hurting yourself or other people – get help straight away. 

It can help to take note of these if these symptoms stick around or get worse, as that’s a sign to investigate further. 

If you are in a crisis or feeling unsafe, call 111 or your local crisis team straight away. You could also ask someone you trust to call on your behalf. You can also call 1737 to talk with a trained professional if you aren’t in a crisis. 

Doctors and mental health professionals are trained to listen without judgement. If you feel comfortable, sharing what drugs you have used with them can help them provide better care. Some drugs can cause serious mental health symptoms, such as drug-induced psychosis, and knowing what you have used will help the professionals provide the right support and avoid prescribing medications that may interact dangerously with other substances. 

They may: 

  • Ask questions in a clinical interview to understand your mood, thoughts, behaviours, and what you have experienced across your life. This is likely to include questions about your sleep, substance use, gambling, and other ways that you handle your emotions. 
  • Use screening tools or questionnaires to assess your mental health. 
  • Ask to speak with people close to you to understand what they’ve noticed and how they might be able to support you. 
  • Help you build a plan for support. This may include talk therapies, medication, and exploring support options in your community.