Oh what’s mental health got to do, got to do with it,
What's depression but a second hand emotion
What's health got to do, got to do with it
Got to look after your head
‘Coz a head can be broken

The mental health and drug discussion for many years has mirrored that of the mystery of the chicken and the egg. “Am I feeling this way because of the drugs?” or “I need drugs to stop feeling this way!”

Any which way you look at it, you cannot deny the inextricable link between mental health and drugs.

For the purpose of clarity of discussion I must define the scope and boundaries of what is classified as a drug and what I mean by mental health.

Drugs defined

1.        Any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or other animals.

2.        Any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals.

3.        A chemical substance, such as a narcotic or hallucinogen that affects the central nervous system, causing changes in behavior and often addiction.

Mental health

1.        Using your brain, mind and emotions to be able to function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life.

(It's important to note here that mental health is to the brain and mind what physical health is to body, inside and out.)

Physical health: is defined as being able to function according to the way the body has been designed to function. 

Achieving health - both physical and mental - and remaining healthy is an active process. Even though there are some factors that contribute to our health over which we have no control, such as genetics and biology, for the most part health can be maintained and improved through efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual. 

Some of us live our lives not even thinking about mental health, ironically enough. We talk all day and all night about keeping fit and staying healthy and almost always are referring to our bodies, yet talking about mental health is still seen as taboo.

Having said that within our circles of friends we also talk about drugs quite openly, but mental health, heck no! What’s that got to do with anything?

Whether you are taking drugs because you are sad or think it will make you happier or for medical purposes, if you ask me, it’s got everything to do with it.

Know your drugs, know your body and know your mind. It doesn’t have to be as complicated as people like to make it.