Coping With Substances

In our last post we talked about the impact & effects of alcohol use. But alcohol is often taken along side other substances, prescribed medicines, over-the-counter medicines, as well as illegal drugs.

Those who drink & use other substances often think it’s a simple matter of taking one substance to achieve one effect and another to counter the negative effects of the first substance. This highlights how the impact & effects of these combinations are often misunderstood or unknown so let’s try to shine a light on what is often a blind spot.

The 2 most common drugs to consume with alcohol in Ireland are first cannabis & secondly cocaine so these feel like a good place to start: 

Alcohol & Cannabis: There have been numerous small scale studies on the effects of mixing alcohol & cannabis. Ironically the results paint a confusing picture. As you might expect, the effects on your body & mind depending on whether you consume alcohol first, last or continuously mix the two, as well as the quantity & strength of what you consume & the method of consumption. However, broadly speaking, it is thought that cannabis can reduce the rate that the body absorbs alcohol if taken first. This might seem like a positive but actually it can make it difficult to assess how impaired & intoxicated you are and if you continue to consume in this way it can create a pathway to dependence. If you drink alcohol first it can change the way your body absorbs THC which is the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Drinking beforehand can result in higher levels of THC being absorbed – In short, drinking alcohol before consuming cannabis can boost the effects of using cannabis and may lead to what some call a ‘green out’ which can involve symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Vomitting

Alcohol & Cocaine: These substances are often taken in combination to counteract some of the effects of the other. For example, alcohol is a depressant – Users may take cocaine in combination to arouse them from a state of drunkenness after consuming alcohol. Using cocaine, which is a stimulant, can leave people feeling anxious or twitching. Alcohol can depress those reactions. Because of these counteractive effects, the risk of developing dependence is increased.

The impact & effects of mixing these two substances are effected by the quantity consumed, the strength of the substances consumed, the period over which the substances are taken & the method of use. For example, using ‘freebase’ or ‘crack cocaine’ delivers a much quicker high because the method of use (usually smoking) means that the substance is absorbed into the blood stream much quicker.  

Let us be absolutely clear about this: Although the perceived negative effects of using each of these substances may seem to be mitigated by consuming them together, using cocaine in any form with alcohol is incredibly dangerous. Mixing the two can result in them being metabolised through the liver and create cocaethylene. The euphoric feelings created by consuming alcohol & cocaine together belie the levels of cocaethylene building up in the organs, putting them under enormous stress. Cocaethylene is extremely toxic and can result in sudden death by means of the following:

• Heart attack with heart pain
• Death of blood vessels and brain tissue, leading to brain damage, stroke, or aneurysm
• Brain hemorrhage
• Heart disease
• Cardiac arrhythmia, which can contribute to a later heart attack

Using drugs or alcohol to cope with any mental distress is, unsurprisingly, a bad idea and is ultimately self-defeating. Even if substances like these ease symptoms in the short term, in the longer term the mental health issue remains unaddressed and consumption often creates other problems such as short-term health impacts like fatigue & hang overs, to longer-term health issues such as dependency, organ damage, and potentially death; And of course, it is entirely possible that the negative health effects often associated with longer term use may occur with much shorter-term use.

If you would like to talk about alcohol or substance use, or any other mental health issue, feel free to contact BroadMinds Therapy where your enquiry will be dealt with discretely, privately & in complete confidence. We remain open for business as usual. You can reach us on (+353) 0899420568, email help@broadmindstherapy.org or message us via our web page or facebook page. 

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Thank you for taking the time to read.