Tag Archive

While an opioid epidemic is poisoning communities and neighborhoods across the country in staggering numbers, it’s easy to forget how damaging such drugs can be to just one person. Heroin has long been at the center of America’s drug woes, and its short-term and long-term mental health effects on users explain how and why the […]

Heroin is an opiate derived from the opium poppy, but it is a synthetic substance. Although heroin was once a prescription painkiller, the drug was outlawed in the early 20th century because it was extremely addictive. To this day, heroin is a Schedule I drug, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Controlled […]

This page will discuss fentanyl, its risks and health effects, and fentanyl addiction treatment. What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a fully synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is sometimes prescribed for legitimate medical reasons; however, it is also commonly synthesized in illicit labs and sold on the black market.2 Prescription […]

Effects on Mood, Emotions, and Mental Health Both freebase (crack) and powdered cocaine can cause long-term damage to mental health, which appears in the form of mood or emotional disturbances. Because the drug directly interferes with dopamine being reabsorbed by neurons, one of the symptoms of a cocaine comedown is serious depression. If the brain […]

It’s often referred to as angel dust, amp, rocket fuel, and animal tranquilizer, among other names. Introduced as an intravenous anesthetic in the 1950s, the drug is now used for its psychoactive effects. Phencyclidine can be ingested as a tablet or capsule, or snorted as a powder. People also smoke PCP by mixing it with […]

Including aerosol sprays, solvents, gases, nitrites, and more, inhalants can generate a host of short- and long-term effects.3 Additionally, long-term misuse of some inhalants can lead to a host of issues such as liver injury, hearing loss, asphyxia-related brain damage, and bone marrow disease.2 Plus, in some instances, first-time use of inhalants can be fatal.4 […]

Can Substance Misuse Impact the Eyes? Misusing certain substances can have serious adverse effects on the eyes—ranging from dilated pupils related to alcohol consumption to vision loss, which may be associated with intravenous drug misuse.1 Thus, the type and severity of the ocular manifestations brought on by substance use depend on the substance, the method […]

Methamphetamine (d-methamphetamine, crystal meth, or meth) is a man-made central nervous system stimulant. The substance often appears as bluish-tinted or white rocks or pieces of glass. It is most commonly smoked or snorted, and it is manufactured in private home laboratories using pseudoephedrine or ephedrine along with other substances that can be purchased at drugstores […]

Read on to better understand marijuana, its short- and long-term effects on your physical and mental health, and how to get help if you or someone you love misuse it. Take Our Marijuana Addiction Self-Assessment Take our free, 5-minute marijuana addiction self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with […]

When taken as directed, Klonopin is generally safe but there are risks associated with its use and misuse.2 Klonopin is a Schedule IV controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act. This means it has a known potential for misuse and dependence.2,3 Misuse of clonazepam may include taking a higher dose than was prescribed; taking it […]