When it comes to substance abuse, do you consider yourself well educated on the subject? If so, then you probably understand how drugs can influence the way you think, but do you know to what extent? Online drug class has put together some facts regarding how drugs influence your decision making so you can make the smartest and safest choices.
Altering Your Decisions
Drugs may feel good in the moment but the downside is that they can really mess up your life. Drugs wreak havoc in your body but they also affect your cognitive functioning. Drugs change the chemistry in your brain which causes you to feel "high" but it also compromises your ability to make smart decisions. In fact, people on drugs tend to make choices that they wouldn't had made if they were not under the influence. For example, here are some drug influenced decisions:
- Driving under the Influence
- Having Unprotected Sex
- Having Sex with someone you don't know well
- Ignoring or avoiding an important commitment/responsibility
- Taking a drug you aren't familiar with or from a stranger
- Getting Involved in a Fight
- Putting yourself in an unsafe environment (walking home late at night in a bad area)
- Saying Something You Don’t Mean
- Unintentional Injuries/Death
- Causing Property Damage/vandalism
Since drugs can affect your reasoning skills, people on drugs often underestimate their risk in a particular situation. For example, someone on drugs may feel "fine to drive" and then crash their car or another person may be flying high opt to "try" a different drug that happens to be laced with PCP.
Addiction
Not only do people who use drugs tend to make less mindful and safe decisions, but they tend to diminish the risk of addiction. Addiction is a serious problem and if you consume drugs on a regular basis, then your body and mind are both vulnerable to needing more and more of that drug to function. Not only will you crave drug psychologically but you'll physically need it to feel "normal". The addiction process is just another example of how drug consumption can and does influence your choices.
Take Care of Yourself
It's important to take care of yourself and your body. Substance abuse can cause a myriad of problems. When you make the decision to take drugs, you are going into unknown and dangerous territory. Educate yourself on the risks of each and every drug, and make the wisest decisions regarding them.
