How Drugs Affect Your Body in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Drug use can affect your body and mind in many different ways, and these effects can vary from person to person. In Grand Rapids, where residents face seasonal stressors like long, cold winters and changing social patterns around college life, work, and nightlife, understanding how drugs affect your body is especially important for staying healthy and safe.

Factors that influence how a drug affects you include:

  • The type and strength of the drug
  • How the drug was made (especially with illegal or street drugs)
  • Whether you’ve taken other drugs or alcohol at the same time
  • Your height, weight, age, and metabolism
  • Your general health (for example, heart, liver, or mental health conditions)
  • Your mood and the environment you’re in when you use the drug

Because illegal drugs are not regulated, their quality and strength can vary widely from batch to batch in West Michigan. This makes it harder to predict their effects and increases the risk of overdose and other harms.

Drugs can have both short‑term and long‑term effects on your physical and mental health.

Physical and Psychological Effects of Drugs

Drugs affect the body’s central nervous system, changing the way you think, feel, and behave. Some of these changes may feel pleasant at first, but they often come with risks and potential long‑term harm.

People in Grand Rapids use drugs for many reasons, including to:

  • Feel good or “high”
  • Relax or cope with stress, anxiety, or low mood (especially during long Michigan winters)
  • Deal with emotional pain or past trauma
  • Stay awake for work or study
  • Fall asleep
  • Increase confidence or enhance social experiences, such as partying or going out downtown

Not all drug use leads to dependence, and not everyone who uses drugs or alcohol wants or needs treatment. However, regular use over a long period can lead to:

  • Tolerance – needing more of the drug to get the same effect
  • Dependence – feeling like you need the drug to function or feel “normal”

Dependence can be:

  • Psychological – craving the drug, thinking about it often, feeling unable to cope without it
  • Physical – experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop or cut down

When someone becomes dependent, using drugs can become more important than work, school, family, or other activities. It’s important to remember that there is no completely safe level of drug use.

The Main Types of Drugs and Their Effects

Health providers in Grand Rapids—such as Spectrum Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, and Mercy Health—often see the effects of these seven main types of drugs:

1. Depressants

Depressants slow down the messages between the brain and the body. They can:

  • Make you feel relaxed or drowsy
  • Reduce anxiety in the short term
  • Impair coordination and reaction time
  • Affect judgment and decision‑making

Common depressants include alcohol, benzodiazepines (like Xanax or Valium), and some prescription sleep medications.

Using depressants—especially alcohol—is common in Grand Rapids’ social settings, but mixing them or using them in high doses can lead to overdose, breathing problems, and accidents (including winter‑related falls and car crashes).

2. Psychedelics

Psychedelics affect perception and all the senses. They can:

  • Alter thinking, sense of time, and emotions
  • Cause hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there or are distorted)
  • Trigger anxiety, panic, or paranoia

Examples include LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and some synthetic substances.

3. Stimulants

Stimulants speed up messages between the brain and body. They can:

  • Make you feel more awake, alert, confident, and energetic
  • Increase heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature
  • Reduce appetite
  • Lead to agitation, anxiety, or aggression

Examples include cocaine, methamphetamine (ice, crystal meth), amphetamines (speed), and some ADHD medications when misused.

High‑dose or long‑term stimulant use can lead to serious heart and brain problems, including stroke and heart attack—issues that local cardiology and emergency departments in Grand Rapids regularly treat.

4. Empathogens

Empathogens increase feelings of empathy, emotional closeness, and connection with others. They can:

  • Make you feel warm, chatty, and socially connected
  • Intensify sounds, colors, and touch
  • Cause anxiety, confusion, or paranoia
  • Lead to overheating and dehydration, especially in crowded indoor venues

The most common empathogen is MDMA (ecstasy, molly).

5. Opioids

Opioids act on opioid receptors in the brain and include natural, semi‑synthetic, and synthetic drugs related to the opium poppy. They:

  • Slow heart rate and breathing
  • Provide strong pain relief
  • Create sensations of pleasure or euphoria

Examples include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine.

In Michigan—and specifically in Kent County—opioid misuse and overdose are major public health concerns. Local hospitals and the Kent County Health Department provide naloxone (Narcan) distribution and opioid treatment resources to help prevent overdose deaths.

6. Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are the active chemicals in cannabis (marijuana). They:

  • Cause psychoactive effects when cannabis is smoked, vaped, or eaten
  • Can make a person feel relaxed, happy, anxious, or paranoid
  • Affect memory, coordination, and concentration

With legal cannabis available in Michigan, it’s important for Grand Rapids residents to understand that “legal” does not mean risk‑free—especially for teens, young adults, and people with a history of mental health issues.

7. Dissociatives

Dissociatives (also called “dissociative anesthetics”) can:

  • Make people feel detached or separated from reality or their body
  • Cause hallucinations and changes in thoughts, emotions, and consciousness
  • Impair coordination and judgment

Examples include ketamine, PCP, and some nitrous oxide misuse.

How Drugs Enter Your Body and Why It Matters

The way a drug is taken affects:

  • How quickly it works
  • How strong the effects are
  • How long the effects last
  • The risk of overdose and infections

Common methods include:

  • Swallowing (orally) – slower onset, often safer than other methods
  • Snorting – faster effects, higher risk of nasal damage and overdose
  • Smoking or vaping – rapid effects on the brain and lungs
  • Injecting – very fast and strong effects, but highest risk of serious harm

Compared with swallowing, snorting and injecting are more likely to lead to overdose.

Injecting drugs carries additional risks:

  • Infection at the injection site
  • Vein damage and vein collapse
  • Tetanus and other bacterial infections
  • Bloodborne infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV—especially when sharing needles or other injecting equipment

In Grand Rapids, harm reduction services and syringe access programs (often coordinated through the Kent County Health Department and local nonprofits) exist to reduce these risks and connect people to care.

Risk Factors for Drug‑Related Harm

Some people are at higher risk of experiencing serious harms from drug use. Risk factors include:

  • The type and strength of the drug
  • How the drug was made (street or counterfeit pills can contain fentanyl)
  • How much you take and how often you use
  • Your body size, age, and metabolism
  • Your general health (heart, liver, kidney, and lung health)
  • A personal or family history of mental health issues (anxiety, depression, psychosis)
  • Mixing multiple drugs, including alcohol and prescription medications

Mixing drugs—such as alcohol with opioids, or stimulants with depressants—is common but very dangerous and can lead to unpredictable reactions and overdose.

Short‑ and Long‑Term Harms from Drug Use

Drug use can affect nearly every area of life. In Grand Rapids, healthcare providers often see a mix of physical, mental, and social impacts.

Possible Short‑Term Effects

  • Mood swings, irritability, or increased aggression
  • Risky behaviors such as drunk or drug‑impaired driving (especially dangerous in winter conditions), or unprotected sex
  • Problems with sleep or insomnia
  • Reduced appetite or poor nutrition
  • Regular colds and flu due to weakened immune function
  • Financial stress, work or school problems, and relationship conflicts

Possible Long‑Term Effects

Depending on the type of drug, how much, and how long it’s used, long‑term impacts can include:

  • Liver, kidney, and heart problems
  • High blood pressure and increased risk of stroke or heart attack
  • Lung conditions (asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung infections, lung cancer)
  • Dental problems (cavities, gum disease, tooth loss)
  • Cognitive and memory problems (difficulty concentrating, learning, or retaining information)
  • Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis
  • Dependence and withdrawal symptoms
  • Overdose (which can be fatal)
  • Infectious diseases from shared injecting equipment (HIV, hepatitis B and C)
  • Permanent damage to veins and tissues from unsafe injecting practices

Effects of Common Drugs

Below are some common drugs and their possible effects, many of which are seen in emergency rooms and clinics across Grand Rapids and West Michigan.

Cannabis (hash, pot, weed, grass, marijuana, skunk)

Cannabis use may:

  • Cause relaxation and altered perception
  • Increase heart rate and blood pressure
  • Be linked to mental health problems such as schizophrenia or psychosis in vulnerable people
  • When smoked, increase the risk of lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and lung, throat, mouth, and tongue cancer
  • Reduce fertility
  • When mixed with tobacco, increase the risk of heart disease and other smoking‑related illnesses

Cocaine (powder cocaine, coke, blow, Charlie, crack)

Cocaine use can:

  • Give you increased energy and confidence
  • Reduce pain perception, increasing the risk of injury
  • Harm a developing baby during pregnancy and increase the risk of miscarriage
  • Increase the risk of mental health issues such as anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis
  • Damage the lining of the nasal passages and cause nosebleeds when snorted
  • Overstimulate the heart and nervous system, leading to seizure, brain hemorrhage, stroke, or heart attack (people have died from cocaine‑induced heart failure)
  • Become more dangerous when mixed with alcohol or other stimulants, especially in people with high blood pressure or existing heart conditions

Mephedrone (meow meow, m‑cat, plant food, bubble, meph)

Mephedrone use can:

  • Induce feelings of happiness, euphoria, and confidence
  • Also cause anxiety and paranoia
  • Lead to vomiting, sweating, and headaches in some people
  • Overstimulate the heart and nervous system
  • Cause insomnia and agitation
  • Trigger hallucinations and fits (seizures) at high doses
  • Cause tingling of the hands and feet, respiratory failure, and has been linked to deaths

Ecstasy / MDMA (pills, E, molly, eckies)

MDMA use can:

  • Make you feel alert, warm, and talkative
  • Make sounds, lights, and colors seem more intense
  • Cause anxiety, confusion, paranoia, and even psychosis
  • With long‑term use, be linked to memory loss, depression, and anxiety
  • Lead to overheating and dehydration, especially in crowded, hot venues

Speed (amphetamine, billy, whizz)

Speed can:

  • Make you feel alert, energetic, and confident
  • Reduce appetite
  • Cause agitation, aggression, confusion, paranoia, and even psychosis
  • Lead to severe “come downs” with depression and lethargy lasting hours or days
  • Cause high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attacks
  • Be more dangerous when mixed with alcohol or if you have heart or blood pressure problems
  • Increase the risk of overdose, vein and tissue damage, and infectious disease (like hepatitis C and HIV) if injected

Ice / Crystal Meth (crystal meth, shabu, crystal, glass, shard, P)

Ice can:

  • Create intense feelings of pleasure and confidence
  • Make you feel very alert and energetic
  • Lead to repetitive behaviors (like scratching or picking at skin)
  • Cause enlarged pupils, dry mouth, and teeth grinding
  • Cause excessive sweating
  • Increase heart rate and breathing
  • Reduce appetite
  • Increase sex drive, which may lead to risky sexual behavior
  • Damage nasal passages and cause nosebleeds when snorted
  • Put you at high risk of infectious diseases (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV) if injected

In Grand Rapids and across Michigan, methamphetamine use has been a growing concern, with local health systems and public health agencies working to expand treatment and support.

“Come Downs” After Drug and Alcohol Use

If you use drugs or drink heavily, you may experience a come down afterward. This is common with stimulants (like cocaine, speed, or ice), MDMA, and heavy alcohol use.

How long a come down lasts depends on:

  • The type of drug
  • Its strength and how much you used
  • Whether you mixed substances
  • Your general health and sleep status

Common Come Down Symptoms

You may feel:

  • Anxious, depressed, or irritable
  • Very tired or, in contrast, unable to sleep
  • Shaky, dizzy, or sweaty
  • Headaches or body aches
  • Nauseous, with reduced appetite

Ways to Ease a Come Down

While the safest option is to avoid drug use, if you are experiencing a come down:

  • Avoid using again right away – this increases the risk of dependence and overdose
  • Be kind to yourself – avoid people or places that stress you out
  • Eat healthy food – to help your body recover and restore energy
  • Stay hydrated – drink water regularly, especially in heated indoor environments during winter
  • Rest as much as you can – your body and brain need time to heal
  • Get some fresh air – gentle movement and outdoor time can help your mood

Using depressants (like alcohol or benzodiazepines) to “soften” a stimulant come down can create a dangerous cycle of dependence and increase overdose risk.

Local Help and Resources in Grand Rapids, Michigan

If you or someone you care about in Grand Rapids is struggling with drug or alcohol use, confidential help is available.

Local Healthcare and Treatment Resources

  • Spectrum Health (Corewell Health) – Offers addiction medicine, detox, and behavioral health services throughout the Grand Rapids area.
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids – Provides inpatient and outpatient behavioral health and substance use treatment services.
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health – Offers primary care, emergency care, and referrals to addiction and mental health services.
  • Mercy Health (now part of Trinity Health) – Provides hospital‑based care and referrals for substance use treatment.

Public Health and Community Support

  • Kent County Health Department
    – Provides information on substance use, harm reduction, vaccinations (including for hepatitis), and infectious disease testing.
    – Can connect you to local treatment programs, syringe access services, and naloxone (Narcan) distribution.

  • Grand Rapids Public Health and local community organizations
    – Offer education, support groups, and referrals for people dealing with addiction, mental health concerns, and related social issues.

If you’re unsure where to start, you can:

  • Talk to your primary care provider in Grand Rapids about substance use—they can offer confidential advice and referrals.
  • Contact a local behavioral health clinic or community mental health center for assessment and counseling.
  • Visit the Kent County Health Department website for updated information on substance use, harm reduction, and treatment options in West Michigan.

Key Points to Remember

  • Knowing the risks of drug use can help you reduce potential harm.
  • The seven main types of drugs are: depressants, psychedelics, stimulants, empathogens, opioids, cannabinoids, and dissociatives.
  • Many drugs can cause hallucinations, or seeing and hearing things that are not real or are distorted.
  • Dissociative drugs can make you feel detached from reality and can significantly change thoughts, emotions, and consciousness.
  • Mixing drugs, including alcohol and prescription medications, can be unpredictable and dangerous.
  • There is no completely safe level of drug use, but support and treatment are available in Grand Rapids to help you stay safer, cut down, or stop if you choose.

If you’re worried about your own use or someone else’s, reaching out early—to a local doctor, counselor, or public health service in Grand Rapids—can make a real difference.