About Recreational Drugs and Their Effects

Understanding the types of recreational drugs and their effects is important when trying to find out if your loved one is an addict

We’ve all heard the excuses before, “It’s just this once”, or “I’ll never do it again”, but have those sentiments ever deemed true? Likely not. When discussing addictions of any sort, you can confidently say that addiction is a disease that takes hold of a person’s life and leaves the person hopeless, helpless, and unrecognizable in the deadly grip of addiction. And when in the grips of addiction, nothing else matters except the outcome of getting their fix– regardless of any repercussions or who they may hurt. Understanding recreational drugs and their effects will help you more easily gauge whether or not you or a loved one has crossed the line from a one-time-user to a full-blown addict.  

Many people want to know, “is alcohol a recreational drug?” First, let’s get into what recreational drugs are. For those unfamiliar with the term- recreational drugs are chemical substances taken for leisure and enjoyment, not for their intended medicinal use as prescribed by a doctor; caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol (yes, alcohol), can all be classified recreational drugs.

Although, not all recreational drugs are illegal like the aforementioned, they can still be some of the greatest addictions to overcome. Typically, they are taken at first by people seeking instant pleasure. Or by people trying to self-medicate. Most, not all, of these substances are illegal and can get you a nice jail sentence if caught buying, selling, or using. Nonetheless, addicts don’t see this as a big enough consequence to cease using.

It doesn’t matter your age, sex, religion, socioeconomic status, career or anything about you as an individual or human being. If you begin using drugs enough, for a long enough period of time, you will become addicted and begin to show signs of recreational drugs and their effects. It may start out as a sporadic “party thing”, or experimentation, but when you get to the point of needing some of the most popular recreational drugs to satisfy a craving, you need to realize and accept that you or your loved one has a problem.

When an addiction is present, the first thing that needs to be done is, admission. You must admit you have a problem that you are powerless over. You must admit you are no longer in control of your life and drugs are currently taking hold of the wheel.

Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most popular recreational drugs:

• Alcohol
• Heroin
• Tobacco
• Cocaine
• Meth
• Opioids
• Benzodiazepines
• Marijuana
• MDMA
• Mushrooms

These drugs aren’t all deadly, but with enough abuse for a long enough time, they can all result in death– whether it’s emphysema from smoking a lifetime, or liver failure from a life of drinking endlessly. Even the legal recreational drugs can cause significant consequences. So, now, when asked, “is alcohol a recreational drug”, you can answer, “yes”. It’s actually one of the most abused drugs in America, among many others in this crazed time of the drug epidemic.

Letting an addiction go un-diagnosed or untreated can not only ruin the life of the addict, but the lives of every person who love the addict. It is heart wrenching watching a loved one who was once a great and contributing member of society, whose smile was contagious, go through addiction and watch them slowly turn into someone nobody recognizes.

Don’t lose hope. There are ways out of this. White Sands Treatment Center is capable of handling the strongest addictions. Staffed with only the most professional and experienced people, you can rest assured your loved one is in good hands. Don’t be silent. Say something if you see something. You can help save a life. Give White Sands a call today if you have any questions about getting help for yourself or a loved one.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.