Psychoactive Substance and Mental Health.

Running Head: PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Psychoactive substance and Mental Health
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

Psychoactive substance and Mental Health1
Introduction
I took part in a workshop that involved the conversation of a registered nurse working in
the intensive care unit of a public hospital. He had been in night shift before in which he had
consumed alcohol to minimum level. I learnt that the incident had been escalated though
there has been no ignorance to work from his end. I also got to know that he had encountered
a traumatic incident previously and had difficulty coping with it since he had lost his loved
one in the mishap. The only resort to his anxiety and paranoia was alcohol. He admitted that
he kept himself engaged till late and just went home to change clothes and sleep off. He
confessed he was afraid of staying alone at home for long. So even if he did not get sleep for
more than 10 to minutes he resorted to valium and temazepaum to combat my sleep
disturbances. Sinking into such kind of a lifestyle helped him to keep away from the negative
thought of the traumatic incident.
Discussion
I feel that Chris was highly ignorant of the fact that drinking on a daily basis prone an
individual to cancer and impacts the immune system facilitating liver disease, pancreatitis as
well as malnutrition. It also enhances the risk of unintentional injuries like car crash, falls,
drowning and similar impacts. Since he lost a dear one in a bike crash I would definitely not
like him to encounter such a scenario again and on purpose. I feel he should resort to
immediate help. Valium and temazepam also has side effects and he being a nurse cannot
avoid taking into consideration the fact as well as it is affecting him at all cost. I think all this
indeed makes him feel dizzy and lethargic and he is unable to deliver at his best. This will
promote ataxia. It will weaken his muscles and make him nauseated. This imbalance has
disrupted his biological clock to my knowledge. Inability to sleep at night promotes daytime
drowsiness in him even. Being a registered nurse he should be more responsible as an