I’ve always considered myself fortunate to have been able to witness the effects of drug-abuse from the sideline. I think what really confirmed my disinterest in taking drugs was when I got to see the shocking effects of their use on the nerve cells in the brain of our close relative, the monkey.

Three images from Hatzidimitriou, G., McCann, U.D., & Ricaurte, G.A. (1999) side by side; one image is a healthy brain FULL of connections and cells (A). The image is one two weeks following a SINGLE dose of ecstasy (B)- majority of these connections have gone. The third is an image 7 YEARS LATER (C).

Everyone in my circle of friends at school was an active and frequent drug user- in particular they used ecstasy, pot or speed. What started off as fun for them became physiological symptoms that were frightening. Panic attacks and anxiety, suicidal ideation and hallucinations. These hallucinations were funny in hindsight for them and others, but at the time, were often experienced as extremely frightening.

When I left school, I met more and more people who I witnessed deteriorate or change due to drugs- in particular, coke.  I remember seeing a friend who I had not seen in 2 months because they worked abroad. In those 2 months he had become a frequent coke user. Not only was he extremely white, he had black eye bags bloodshot eyes, droopy skin and his attention was here there and everywhere. It was horrible to see a close friend deteriorate so quickly.

So what happened to some of these individuals? Their focus became so narrow it included only drugs, interpersonal relationships were ruined, and once-happy people now needed substances to give them the same happiness. I guess what occurred to me was that I felt as though these people were no longer thinking for themselves. Their minds and brains were completely dictated by the drugs. When I think about this, I think about the image above where half the brain cells are gone.

The drug-taking experience doesn’t always end out this way, but the question is, how do you know yours isn’t going to?

We may only live once, but the way I see it is, if you only live once, why would you shorten and limit the experience using drugs. Drugs don’t just cost money; they cost health, personality, friendships, relationships, real-life experiences. I substitute drugs in my life with travel. At times the costs are comparable, except with travel I see new things everyday and meet all sorts of diverse people. I don’t have addictions or dependencies on substances, my long-term health is not sacrificed, and neither is my ability to think or relate to others.

Jenn.

Reference:

Hatzidimitriou, G., McCann, U.D., & Ricaurte, G.A. (1999). Altered serotonin innervation patterns in the forebrain of monkeys treated with (6)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine seven years previously: Factors influencing abnormal recovery. The Journal of Neuroscience, 19(12), 5096-5107.