No Stupid Questions

It’s entirely okay to use medication to improve your mental health. There are serious things like depression, anxiety, and mania out there that are chemical in origin and there is nothing wrong with using chemistry to get rid of them.

You should do this with the help of a good doctor and trusted people who can help give you perspective on how you’re doing. When you say “take drugs to make yourself a better person” I can’t tell if you are looking for permission to get high or addressing the topic of mental health meds in earnest.

I think you answered your own question. If taking drugs actually makes you a better person, of course it's OK. That's true for both physical and mental considerations.

But look, you put everything into one definition. What is "better", who decides, and how do they decide? If you don't have anywhere to go, you probably won't get there. Or maybe you will get there but you won't realize it.

There is much debate on all kinds of drugs, but I can tell you that some of my friends have had various experiences that are relevant. For several friends, acid or shrooms helped them deal with some harsh trauma. For several other friends, various uppers helped them handle ADHD relatively effectively. But of course we all have different problems and goals, so the burden is right back on you to figure out what you want to do. There's no way around this basic fact of life.

Drugs are fine, great even! If you have the personality type where you can just do them once in a blue moon and not get addicted or do anything that could harm you, or others, or potentially ruin your life.

Although no matter what there’s some you should probably just stay away from. Like heroin or meth.

Don't take non-OTC drugs without consulting a physician first. You could really screw yourself up with some of them, the hard stuff especially. The potential ups of doing them aren't worth the likely losses.

People who take aspirin or ibuprofen take it for a specific purpose, and when they no longer need it, they stop. With things like steroids, heroin, cocaine, and Adderall (if they don't have specific conditions like ADHD), people frequently end up chasing a horizon that only gets further away the harder they run to catch it. It's a miserable existence and it causes them, and often their friends and loved ones, endless pain.

You deserve the best from yourself. That includes self-care. You're more than your flaws and disorders, whatever they may be. Don't make those an excuse to wreck yourself in pursuit of a goal that probably isn't real.

Better is better. Everything else is just silly pointless judgment

Why do you want to be better? What is the problem?

I think so, yes. Always OK. Is it always the best possible way to go? Probably not.

And no, I don't think it matters if it's physical or mental, what matters is balancing the risk of the drug vs. the benefit. So for example my kid takes Adderall for ADD, I don't, because I know how much I like speed and also have a (very far past) history of disordered eating and still occasional anxiety about eating - I judge the potential risk too high even if it would "fix" my mind in one way, and make me better in that way.

But yeah, if it will improve you overall why wouldn't it be ok?

I'm a better person with Adderall. I feel more like myself, like I escape a frustrating fog. I've been on it for ~14 years. It doesn't seem to have the same effects on everyone.

Everything in life is ultimately brain chemistry and addictions. Most of the drugs in our chemistry soup are the substances the human body synthesises on its own. Biology is a funny thing. It can handle immense complexity, but can struggle with precision.

If you have the self awareness to seek out and optimise your brain or body chemistry where it might be lacking, I'd argue that you are the better person than someone that suffers through the deficiencies of their natural biology.

However, humans have a very difficult time assessing their own brain chemistry objectively without biases. It is both harmful and unsafe to self diagnose or self medicate without the assistance of someone that is trained to objectively asses your situation and needs.

Define better.

There's people that think they're better with a few drinks in them. There's people that think they're better when they're on meth. Same with pretty much every drug.

But drugs are never, ever a one stop shop for self improvement. I'm not talking treating medical conditions here, that's a different issue entirely.

It doesn't matter if an a given drug helps, it never fully works in a vacuum. It takes some degree or another of willingness to change, and some degree of work.

Example: roids. Used appropriately, they can help improve your body. But if you just shoot them and stay at home, it's a waste of money. That being said, I've seen way too many otherwise good people turn into wrecks by using them, so don't unless it's on a regimented and careful medical plan. So, while the drugs have benefits, they can only give you an edge, they don't do the work for you.

If you go to something that isn't as often abused, antidepressants are a great tool in dealing with depression and related illnesses. But they're a bandaid. If you don't do the work needed to fix the underlying issue that's causing the depression, they aren't any better than weed, or booze, or whatever because they do have side effects that can be just as problematic as use of recreational drugs (as opposed to abuse or dependency, which aren't the same as having a toke or a drink after work to deal with the stress).

Afaik, there aren't any drugs, legal or illegal, that improve the self without effort on the part of the patient. Again, this is not about treating an injury, infection, or whatever. It's about self improvement in the general sense.

It's ok if you call then medicines instead of drugs. Otherwise maybe ok anyway.

What a cracker of a question!

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, what sorts of side effects happen as a result of said medication? I don't think there's a single medication or even supplement out there that doesn't have some sort of side effect (e.g., ibuprofen can cause gut bleeding, iron supplements can lead to constipation, grapefruit can screw with all sorts of medications), so balancing the cost benefit ratio is important.

It really depends on the drug and who gave it to you.

When a doctor gives you medication against high blood pressure its to keep you healthy.

When the guy from the gym gives you testosterone that he got from his friend its a very bad idea.

If its a drug you can buy yourself at the store, like caffeine, it really depends on the dosage cause you can get caffeine poisoning.

Regarding stuff like weed or LSD or similar. They shouldn't be taken regularly because they can be mentally addictive and might further psychological issues or get you over the edge faster regarding psychosis.

And for harder drugs like Heroin, Meth... No. Just no.

Depends on what drugs

Mental healþ aids, perfectly fine

Heroin, bro why?

I... think this question is a bit more complicated for this community. Following are only my personal opinion

Prescribed medication? I think so, I'd rather be physically and mentally healthy rather than have the other alternative. And usually medication (even ones with noted negative effects) are meant do do more good than harm so...

Recreational drugs... the line between this and the above is surprisingly not as clear-cut as it seems. I believe there are active lines of study of using various psychedelic compounds to treat mental disorders or other conditions... Personally I would take medically prescribed psychedelics if I am 1) under medical supervision and 2) based on evidence it would help my mental health (maybe that's the answer to the question?)

Hard drugs: I don't see how they can make anyone a better person, and no