Short Term Effects of a Drug High, illegal or prescription, have powerful effects on both the body and mind. These effects can vary depending on the type of drug, dosage, and individual factors like tolerance and physical health. When people use drugs, they often seek the euphoric “high” that accompanies them, but this experience comes with a range of physical, psychological, and social consequences. While some effects may be pleasurable or exciting in the short term, the risks can be serious and, in many cases, life-threatening.
What Exactly Is a Drug High?
A drug “high” refers to the altered physical and mental state that occurs when someone uses a substance that affects the brain and body. Different drugs create different kinds of highs, ranging from feelings of euphoria and increased energy to relaxation and sedation. The intensity and duration of a high depend on several factors:
- The type of drug used: Stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and cannabis all affect the body differently.
- The amount consumed: Larger doses often lead to more intense effects and increased risk of harm.
- The method of use: Drugs taken orally, injected, snorted, or inhaled enter the bloodstream at different speeds, influencing how quickly and powerfully the high develops.
- The individual’s body chemistry and tolerance: A person’s previous experience with a drug, their health, and their body’s ability to metabolize substances can influence the strength of the high.
While many people seek out the pleasurable effects of drugs, these substances can also cause harmful short-term effects, including dangerous changes to the body and mind. Understanding these effects is key to recognizing the risks involved with drug use.
Physical Short Term Effects of a Drug High
The physical effects of drugs are often the most noticeable and can vary greatly depending on the substance being used. In the short term, drugs affect everything from heart rate and breathing to coordination and digestion.
Common Physical Symptoms of a Drug High
- Increased heart rate: Many drugs cause the heart to beat faster, which can put a strain on the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Dilated pupils: Drug use can cause the pupils to widen or constrict, depending on the substance. This is often one of the easiest signs to notice in someone who is high.
- Dry mouth: Many substances, particularly cannabis, result in dry mouth as they reduce saliva production.
- Sweating: Increased body temperature is a common side effect of drugs like stimulants and hallucinogens.
- Changes in coordination: Drugs can impair motor skills, making it difficult for users to walk, stand, or even move without stumbling or falling.
Drug-Specific Physical Effects
Different drugs have unique effects on the body. Here are some examples of how different categories of substances impact physical health:
Stimulants (e.g., Cocaine, Methamphetamine)
Stimulants speed up the central nervous system, leading to heightened alertness, energy, and physical activity. However, they also increase heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Users often feel jittery, restless, or unable to sit still.
- Short-term effects of stimulants: Rapid heart rate, dilated pupils, increased breathing rate, tremors, and agitation.
- Risks: Stimulants put a significant strain on the heart and can cause dangerous health issues, including heart attack, stroke, and seizures. Users may also experience a “crash” as the effects wear off, leading to exhaustion and depression.
Depressants (e.g., Opioids, Benzodiazepines, Alcohol)
Depressants have the opposite effect of stimulants, slowing down the body’s systems. While this can lead to feelings of relaxation or drowsiness, it also reduces heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, which can be extremely dangerous.
- Short-term effects of depressants: Slowed breathing, drowsiness, muscle weakness, impaired motor coordination, and difficulty staying awake.
- Risks: Depressants can cause respiratory depression, where breathing becomes so slow that it stops, leading to unconsciousness, coma, or death. This is particularly dangerous with opioid drugs like heroin or fentanyl.
Hallucinogens (e.g., LSD, Mushrooms)
Hallucinogens alter perception, causing users to see, hear, or feel things that aren’t there. These drugs can also affect physical functions like temperature regulation, leading to sweating or chills, and muscle tension.
- Short-term effects of hallucinogens: Altered sensory perceptions, increased body temperature, pupil dilation, muscle tension, and rapid breathing.
- Risks: Users may experience extreme confusion or panic during a “bad trip,” which can lead to dangerous behaviors or self-harm.
Cannabis (Marijuana)
Cannabis has both stimulating and depressant properties, depending on the strain and dosage. Its physical effects are generally milder than those of stimulants or opioids, but users still experience significant changes to their body and brain.
- Short-term effects of cannabis: Red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite (often called “the munchies”), heightened sensory perception, and altered motor skills.
- Risks: Cannabis use can impair judgment and coordination, increasing the risk of accidents, especially when driving. Some users also experience anxiety or paranoia during a high.
Psychological and Emotional Effects of a Drug High
Along with the physical changes that occur during a drug high, there are significant psychological and emotional effects. These effects vary depending on the drug used, but they often influence mood, perception, and decision-making.
Euphoria and Intense Feelings of Pleasure
One of the most sought-after effects of drug use is euphoria, or an intense feeling of happiness and pleasure. Drugs like stimulants, opioids, and cannabis trigger a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with reward and pleasure. This dopamine flood creates a temporary sense of joy, satisfaction, or excitement.
- Risks: While euphoria can feel rewarding, it is temporary. As the high fades, users may feel empty, depressed, or anxious, leading to repeated use to regain the pleasurable sensations.
Anxiety, Paranoia, and Panic
Not all emotional effects of drug use are positive. Many drugs, especially stimulants like methamphetamine and hallucinogens like LSD, can induce feelings of anxiety or paranoia. Users may feel like they are losing control, or they may experience intense fear or panic. In extreme cases, this can lead to psychosis, a severe mental disorder where individuals lose touch with reality.
- Risks: Anxiety and paranoia can be dangerous, as they may lead to irrational or aggressive behavior. Users experiencing a “bad trip” on hallucinogens, for example, may harm themselves or others.
Impaired Judgment and Decision-Making
Drugs often impair cognitive functions, including judgment, reasoning, and decision-making. This leads to risky behaviors, such as driving under the influence, engaging in unprotected sex, or getting into physical altercations. The loss of inhibitions during a high can also result in poor financial decisions, legal trouble, or even accidental injury or death.
- Risks: Impaired judgment can result in dangerous activities that put the user and others at risk. Overdoses, accidents, and legal issues are common consequences of impaired decision-making during a drug high.
How Different Drugs Affect the Brain and Body
Each drug affects the brain and body in unique ways, and understanding these effects can help individuals recognize the dangers of getting high. Here’s how different types of drugs alter brain function and physical health in the short term:
A. Stimulants (Cocaine, Methamphetamine)
Stimulants increase dopamine levels in the brain, causing a surge of energy, alertness, and euphoria. They also stimulate the body, raising heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
- Short-term effects: Increased energy, rapid breathing, dilated pupils, and extreme alertness.
- Crash: As the effects wear off, users often experience fatigue, depression, and irritability, known as the “crash.”
- Risks: Stimulants put a severe strain on the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. Prolonged use can lead to anxiety, paranoia, and addiction.
B. Depressants (Opioids, Benzodiazepines)
Depressants slow down brain activity, creating feelings of relaxation, sedation, or pain relief. However, they also depress vital functions like breathing and heart rate, which can be life-threatening.
- Short-term effects: Drowsiness, slowed breathing, and decreased coordination.
- Risks: Depressants carry a high risk of overdose, especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs. Respiratory depression, where breathing becomes dangerously slow, is a common cause of death in opioid users.
C. Hallucinogens (LSD, Mushrooms)
Hallucinogens alter brain chemistry, distorting reality and sensory perceptions. Users may experience vivid hallucinations, a distorted sense of time, and an altered sense of self.
- Short-term effects: Visual and auditory hallucinations, increased body temperature, and emotional swings.
- Risks: Hallucinogens can cause “bad trips,” where users experience extreme anxiety, paranoia, or panic. These episodes can result in self-harm, dangerous behavior, or psychological trauma.
D. Cannabis (Marijuana)
Cannabis has a wide range of effects on both the mind and body. It can act as a stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogen, depending on the strain and dose.
- Short-term effects: Relaxation, heightened sensory perception, increased appetite, and altered judgment.
- Risks: Cannabis can impair coordination and reaction times, increasing the risk of accidents. It can also cause anxiety or paranoia in some users, particularly in high doses.
Risks and Dangers of a Drug High
While some may view drug use as a way to relax or escape, the risks involved with getting high are significant. From physical health complications to social and legal consequences, the dangers of drug use extend far beyond the high itself.
A. Risk of Overdose
Overdose occurs when too much of a drug is taken, overwhelming the body’s ability to process it. This is especially common with depressants like opioids, where respiratory depression can lead to death.
- Signs of overdose: Difficulty breathing, confusion, unconsciousness, and unresponsiveness.
B. Danger of Accidents and Injuries
Being high impairs coordination, reflexes, and decision-making, making accidents more likely. This is particularly dangerous when operating vehicles or machinery.
- Risks: Drug-impaired drivers are responsible for a significant percentage of traffic accidents and fatalities. Falls, burns, and accidental injuries are also common among those who are intoxicated.
C. Health Complications
Some drugs, especially stimulants and opioids, can cause immediate health crises. Heart attacks, seizures, and respiratory failure are all potential consequences of drug use.
- Risks: Even a single use of a potent drug can lead to lasting health damage or death. The risk is particularly high with drugs like fentanyl, which is often mixed into street drugs and can be lethal in small doses.
Understanding the “Come Down” or Crash After a Drug High
After the euphoric effects of a drug wear off, users often experience a “come down” or crash. This phase can be physically and emotionally draining, leading to intense cravings for more of the drug.
A. Physical and Emotional Exhaustion
After the high fades, users may feel extreme fatigue, irritability, or depression. This crash is particularly severe with stimulants, where the sudden drop in dopamine levels leaves users feeling drained and unmotivated.
B. Intense Cravings
The desire to avoid the crash often leads to intense cravings for more of the drug. This creates a cycle of repeated use that can quickly spiral into addiction.
C. Risk of Dependence
The more frequently drugs are used, the more the body adapts to their effects, requiring larger doses to achieve the same high. This process of tolerance and dependence can lead to addiction.
Recognizing the Risks of a Drug High
While the short-term effects of a drug high may seem pleasurable or exciting, the risks involved are serious and far-reaching. From physical health complications like overdose and accidents to emotional and psychological distress, drug use poses significant dangers. Recognizing the signs of a drug high and understanding the risks can help prevent harm and encourage individuals to seek help before it’s too late.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug use or addiction, don’t wait to get help.
