What happens to our most precious possession after years of legal and not so legal indulgence? Do you want the bad news or the bad news?

When even Liam Gallagher can say no to a white line, perhaps it’s time for us, the non-rock’n’roll demigods of his generation, to take a look in the mirror... and, no, we don’t mean it that way. “I don’t know what decade you’re in lads, but this ain’t the Nineties”, quipped the singer in an interview when asked how he responds to offers from fans of a drink and drugs bender.

But, if we are choosing to go straight in our thirties or forties after a decade or more smoking, snorting and downing anything put in our paths, what damage have we done to ourselves, even as moderate users? While your body may give you pretty clear signs to slow down on the hedonism as you get older, your brain and your mental health is a little more coy in displaying the consequences of long-term good times.

“You have to remember that the vast majority of drug users aren’t addicts,” says Dr John Turner from the Drugs And Addictive Behaviours Research Group at the University Of East London’s School Of Psychology. “But the mental effects of excessive recreational drug and alcohol abuse over the course of your twenties and thirties can have serious repercussions.” Here, Turner takes us through the aftereffects of a habit of a lifetime.

Alcohol

Most studies of alcohol’s effect on mental health have focused on the most severe addicts, who had almost completely dropped out of society. However, research revealed in the British Medical Journal in 2017 is genuinely game-changing. An Oxford University study looked at groups of UK drinkers over a 30-year period and highlights negative brain change and cognitive problems in people (mainly men in the sample), with the most significant issues impacting on those who consume 30 or more units a week – about three bottles of wine.

According to Turner, “The most amazing part is that this study shows there are some changes even in people consuming 14 to 21 units a week. The most vulnerable structure appears to be the hippocampus, which is part of our memory systems and a structure that’s behind many of the symptoms we see in dementia.”

The other conclusion is that dementia may be more common in heavy drinkers – rather than alcoholics – than previously thought, with problems with early onset dementia appearing in their thirties and forties. In short: that bottle of wine after work to “de-stress” may be doing a lot more than simply giving you a paunch and a headache the next day.

Cocaine

The almost instant effects of cocaine on the body are sometimes painfully transparent. But those deep and utterly meaningless late-night conversations are nothing compared to what long-term use can do to a vital part of your brain. ‘There’s no evidence that cocaine does long-term harm to the central nervous system, but it can change how the pleasure-seeking pathways work in your brain,’ says Turner.

Evidence suggests that long-term cocaine use can lead to your pathways being permanently changed so that, even years after you’ve stopped, the drug will always be attractive. ‘It can be a continual cycle of obsession,” says Turner. Not only that, but your ability to concentrate can also be impaired. “One study showed drug images to former addicts while they were performing a task,’ Turner explains. ‘So, literally, putting a picture of talcum powder in front of a former cocaine addict while asking them to perform a task will lead them to be far more distracted than somebody who was never addicted. The images alone can be enough for those altered pathways to reveal themselves again.’

MDMA

‘It’s unlikely you’ll meet somebody who takes MDMA, but never touches cocaine, beer or cannabis,’ says Turner.The result is that there is confusion over precisely what individual drugs are responsible for doing to your brain and your body.

‘We know exposing your brain to very high levels of stimulants will lead to some sort of dysfunction,” says Turner. “Brain damage is a toxic word – I prefer to use brain reorganisation – but in the long term this can prompt a range of problems, including depression and anxiety.’

Although the story that we have finite amounts of serotonin in our brains, which we burn through until none of it is left, is not true at all. Turner explains that what can happen is a“pruning” effect.

‘Each brain cell has a mass of branches that connects to all other cells – these branches are called the dendrites,” he says. “MDMA can reduce the density of these dendrites – just like the pruning of a bush. Although it’s true that these will regrow, if you’re always topping up then that won’t happen.’

Cannabis

‘The big question with cannabis comes down to asking how young you were when you started,’ says Turner. ‘A study in Sweden took data on army conscripts at the age of 18, including records of their mental health and history of drug use, and followed them for 20 years. They found that men who smoked cannabis before the age of 18 were seven times more likely to show symptoms of schizophrenia, manifested through signs of psychosis, delusional thinking, and excessive paranoia.’

The science is intriguing. Our brains contain endocannabinoids – neurotransmitters that coordinate and regulate the brain, control pain and affect appetite and pleasure – which cannabis copies and interferes with.Essentially, it interferes with the blueprint of your brain.

‘If you started smoking dope heavily at 15 or younger, then negative health outcomes are far more likely than if you started at 19 or 20,’ says Turner. So if you were the guy bunking off maths to listen to that scratched Cypress Hill CD, perhaps you should consider laying off the weed for good.

So what should you do now?

‘Firstly, it’s important to make sure there aren’t other things behind any problems, so a visit to the GP is a must and where possible a full health check,’ Turner reveals. ‘Poor diet, lack of sleep, stress and depression have all been shown to contribute to poor memory, for example. So sorting these problems out with professional help could be the answer.

‘The next step is to limit exposure to possibly toxic substances, which may be making things worse. This could mean giving up or seriously reducing alcohol intake, in particular. Drugs, as you get older, are obviously unhelpful.’

There is some good news for brain health, however: neuroplasticity, the capacity brain tissue has to recover from injury and to benefit from stimulation and new experiences. Research involving brain training has shown that relatively simple memory exercises (such as learning word lists) and training apps can lead to improvements in a wide range of people, from those with brain injuries to older adults and those with schizophrenia or ADHD.

Keeping the brain active, stimulated and challenged is essential as we get older, especially if we haven’t been treating our brains with the respect they deserve. Improved diet, regular exercise and improved sleep all help too, but getting the grey matter working is key.

‘At the moment, there is no direct research of this kind in former drug users and drinkers,’ says Turner, ‘but the study of neuroplasticity has taught us that we can enhance brain function through learning, stimulation and new experiences.’

[Via GQ UK]