Legal High Addiction

If you go back far enough, most drugs, even ones we now recognise to be incredibly dangerous, were legal at one point. Cocaine was found in Coca-Cola and cough syrups; heroin was used as a painkiller, and methamphetamine was prescribed for everything from ADHD to obesity. However, there are a new group of “legal highs” which have emerged more recently and which can be incredibly addictive. Anyone who is using these drugs must understand the risks of legal high addiction and the harm it can cause to users, their families and entire communities.

Legal highs, also known as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), are designed to produce the same effects as traditional illegal drugs. They are called legal highs because they usually start out as drugs that haven’t been banned yet. This is often because drug manufacturers tweak the chemical formulas just enough to stay ahead of the law, making them technically legal – at least for a while.

But just because they might not be illegal at first doesn’t mean legal highs are safe. In fact, legal high drugs can be incredibly dangerous, especially because they are often made with unknown, untested chemicals. Legal high effects can be unpredictable, leading to serious health risks, including drug addiction, overdose and even death.

New forms of legal high drugs are popping up all the time. Some are completely new substances while others are slight adaptations of existing drugs designed to get around bans on specific chemical formulas. Not all of these go on to become widely used substances, but some of the most commonly found legal high addictions in the UK include:

Legal high addiction is like getting caught in quicksand – you start off thinking it’s just a bit of fun or a way to relax but before you know it, you are stuck and sinking fast.

Legal high addiction usually begins with experimenting, trying to chase a certain high or escape from reality for a while. This can work at first but as you take more legal highs, they stop producing the same effects unless you begin to up your dose.

This increased use can then make you physically dependent on the drug. This is not exactly the same as addiction, but it is usually the first major step towards it. Physical dependency means your body starts to believe it needs legal highs in your system at all times, so if you stop taking them, it reacts in protest. Even reducing how much you are taking can make you feel shaky, anxious or even sick, so you keep using.

As your body’s need grows, so does your mind’s, and what started as just a physical dependence transitions into a psychological one. This means you are not just using legal highs to avoid feeling bad but because you convince yourself that you need them.

This cycle of dependency is what makes legal high addiction so dangerous, pulling you further and further away from the life you once knew. But just like quicksand, the harder you try to escape on your own, the deeper you might sink, making it crucial to get help before you can’t get out.

Some people may not even realise that legal highs can be addictive because “legal” drugs are surely safe. This misconception, both on the legality and safety of legal highs, can provide a backdoor for legal high addiction to sneak in and start causing chaos. Here are some of the signs you need to be aware of:

• You’re constantly thinking about your next hit, planning your day around when you can use legal highs
• Work, school and family commitments are falling by the wayside as legal highs take over
• You are doing things you never thought you would, like taking risks or breaking the law to get more legal highs
• You are keeping your legal high use a secret, lying to loved ones and pulling away from people who care
• Your finances are in a mess because all your money seems to be disappearing on legal highs
• You are making excuses to use legal highs, even though you promised yourself you would cut back
• You are having health problems, but you are ignoring them, blaming everything but the drugs

Recognising these signs early on can make a huge difference, allowing you to seek help before legal high addiction takes an even stronger hold on your life.

Different legal highs can pose a range of different health and personal dangers. Legal highs which are smoked can cause serious respiratory issues, while powders that are snorted can damage your nose and throat. Some legal highs can create major heart issues like palpitations, high blood pressure and even heart attacks, especially when taken in large doses or mixed with other substances.

The psychological effects of legal high addiction can be just as severe, leading to paranoia, hallucinations and severe anxiety. You might start to feel disconnected from reality, unable to trust your own thoughts and feelings as legal highs create a thick mental fog.

One of the most terrifying dangers is the risk of overdose. Because legal highs are often unregulated, you never really know what you’re taking or how strong it is. This unpredictability can easily lead to taking too much, with potentially fatal consequences.

Treating legal high addiction starts with getting the body clean through drug detox. This can be tricky because of withdrawal, but Oasis Runcorn has an experienced medical and therapy team who can plan your detox and guide you through it.

The next step is drug rehab, which will unveil the reasons you started using legal highs in the first place and teach you to live without them. This involves various types of therapy to help you rebuild your life without the crutch of legal highs.

Aftercare then keeps you connected to support once you’re back in the real world through outpatient group therapy. This will help you stay on track and avoid slipping back into legal high use.

If you are caught in the talons of legal high addiction, Oasis Runcorn can help break its grip. We have guided many people out of addiction, and our expert team is dedicated to finding the best path for you. Take that first step towards a brighter, drug-free future—reach out to us today.