Drugs

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Dr John Crosby Wellbeing Guide to Alcohol

My name is John.

I'm a doctor working in Psychiatry in the Greater Manchester area. and commonly I work with lots of people with problems with drugs and addiction.

Drugs Issues

There are a few different ways that you can recognise that drug use is becoming a big problem to you. Look at what you are using, where you are using and how much. Often people start using one substance in a specific place and then when the desired effect from that is not achieved they go onto mixing substances and using larger amounts. That is one indication that, you know, the drugs are getting to be a problem and that you are becoming tolerant to smaller doses.Marijuana

If you are becoming isolated at home and are only using drugs there and withdrawing from your friends and family that's an indication that, probably, it's getting quite severe and you need to seek help.

If you don't have any social contact, so you feel that you can't talk to your family or friends the best person to talk to is your own family doctor. They'll be able to give you some good, impartial advice. Your family doctor has access to lots of different services that they can then refer you to if they feel that that's appropriate. That might be a local drugs service who can give you advice or put you on a program of rehabilitation to decrease your drug use.

I think it's also important to, sort of, realise that lots of people who use drugs often have underlying mental health problems that previously might have been unrecognised. So what your GP will also do is sort of indirectly screen you for any sort of illnesses, such as depression and anxiety disorder and if they feel that that's a problem they will offer you treatment for those as well.

Further Information

If you want anymore information go to bbc.co.uk/headroom.