This is a field that affects millions of adults worldwide, most of whom suffer from substance abuse and mental health disorders. As they often go hand-in-hand, these conditions are diagnosed and treated as intricate challenges. They are then called co-occurring disorders or dual diagnoses when these conditions occur. The connection between substance abuse and mental health is quite complex because they feed into each other, which makes recovery very complicated.
These substances have been related to a heightened susceptibility to substance use disorders among adults diagnosed with conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. On the other hand, substance abuse is said to activate or even enhance dormant mental health symptoms and hence becomes even more difficult to gain control over without integrative treatment.
A deeper understanding of how substance abuse and mental illness feed off one another is critical to developing treatment plans for those suffering from co-occurring disorders. This blog post will discuss the subtle relationship between substance abuse, mental health, challenges in the treatment of co-occurring disorders, and approaches available for treatment and management.
How Substance Abuse Impacts Mental Health
The abuse of drugs does not only impact the body but also dramatically impacts mental health. Many drugs, including alcohol, prescription medicines, and illicit drugs, affect neurotransmitters in the brain, causing changes in mood, cognition, and behavior.
The Neurochemical Impact
When individuals engage in substance abuse, drugs such as alcohol, opioids, and stimulants interfere with the natural chemistry of the brain. These may alter or otherwise interfere with neurotransmitter balances within the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which control mood and emotions.
| Neurochemical Impact | Description |
Alcohol and Depression | Alcohol is a CNS depressant. Though alcohol makes people feel elated initially, long-term exposure to it will decrease serotonin and dopamine levels, making depression worse and increasing the potential for anxiety and mood disorders. |
Stimulants and Anxiety | Anxiety Drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine can produce an intense “high,” but they also stimulate the brain in ways that lead to anxiety, paranoia, and aggressive behavior. Symptoms of mental health can linger long after the effects of the drug have worn off. |
| Opioids and Emotional Regulation | Although opioids such as prescription painkillers and heroin do temporarily numb emotional pain, chronic use increases one’s chances of developing anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation. |
Mental health effects of substance abuse often linger long after the person has quit substance use because treatment of these effects must address the abused substance and the concealed mental health disorders.
Why Mental Health Issues Lead to Substance Abuse
On the other hand, mental health disorders often tend to lead to substance abuse as a self-medication therapy. People with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD may use alcohol or drugs as a means of coping with emotional pain.
The Role of Self-Medication
Most people, as adults, desire to alleviate their mental illness symptoms, so they begin to use substances to relieve their issues. The transitory relief of substances will make them look like an effective coping mechanism. Some common examples of this include:
- Anxiety and Alcohol. Anxious people may consume alcohol or benzodiazepines to soothe their nerves. Though alcohol may initially be antianxiety in nature, chronic use results in the worsening of the state and makes an individual dependent.
- Depression and Stimulants. People with depression may use cocaine, meth, etc, which are stimulants to bring stimulation and relief from hopelessness. This does, but only for a short time, and the condition of depression can be heightened in the long term.
- PTSD and Drug Abuse. Individuals with PTSD may abuse drugs to help forget traumatic memories or alleviate hyperarousal symptoms like irritability and sleep disturbances. Unfortunately, these substances do increase susceptibility to substance use disorders.
The substance use and mental illness link places a greater need on the need for an integrated treatment. Treating the mental condition first can often minimize the desire to treat it with chemicals.
Challenges in Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
The main challenge of co-occurring disorders is their treatment process, which requires the input of both a mental health specialist and of a substance abuse counselor. Dual-diagnosis disorders, at least over time, have been traditionally treated separately, sometimes with the result it is treated effectively because their root causes are not addressed. Treating the two disorders in isolation does not contribute to healing, since the disorders are connected interdependently.
The Complexity of Dual Diagnosis
A dual diagnosis involves the diagnosis of a person with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. Such dual diagnoses have integrated treatment plans. The challenges involved in such co-treatments include:
- Misdiagnosis. Symptoms of substance abuse overlap with those of mental health conditions, leading to misdiagnoses. Such as, withdrawal from substances manifests anxiety symptoms, and the effects of substance abuse sometimes closely mimic depression.
- Resistance to Treatment. Patients diagnosed with dual disorders will often present as resistant to treatment since they may require alleviation of the nature that was induced by substances over coping with symptoms of a mental disorder.
- Lack of Specialized Services. Most mental health rehabilitation centers offer purely psychological therapy. Conversely, most addiction rehabs concentrate more on detoxification and rehabilitation. Finding such treatment facilities specializing in dual diagnosis treatment is difficult but necessary to ensure adequate and proper recovery.
Approaches to Treatment: Dual Diagnosis Programs
The best treatment of substance abuse and mental health disorder issues can be made through dual diagnosis programs by acknowledging both at the same time. These programs seek to integrate addiction treatment with mental health therapy, which results in an overall approach.
Components of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
- Integrated Care. An integrated treatment plan ensures both mental health professionals and addiction specialists work hand-in-hand in devising a treatment plan tailored to the individual needs.
- Therapy and Counseling. Behavioral therapies include CBT and DBT, which aim at reaching out to individual clients on the relationship of substance abuse and mental health, teaching them how they can handle both disorders.
- Medication. Sometimes, medication stabilizes mood disorders, anxiety, or depression. Medication helps in symptom management during withdrawal to alleviate cravings in detoxification.
- Holistic Treatments. Holistic interventions like mindfulness, yoga, and exercise are effective in managing stress and maintaining emotional well-being. These intervention methods can be added to conventional therapies for better recovery outcomes.
The likelihood of successful long-term recovery is higher with dual diagnosis treatment, where substance abuse and mental health in adults are treated simultaneously.
Finding Help and Resources
It’s vital to seek professional help if you or a loved one is struggling with co-occurring disorders. The first step would be contacting healthcare providers specializing in dual diagnosis treatment. Here are a few ways to find support and some steps for finding help:
Steps to Finding Help
- Consult a Professional. Start with a talk to a therapist, counselor, or physician who can assess your mental state and your substance use. An evaluation is crucial for tailoring your treatment.
- Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers. Many of today’s rehab and mental health centers have specific services for dual-diagnosis conditions. Look for centers that offer substance abuse treatment and mental health therapies combined.
- Support Networks. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and the like are a means of support groups that also comprise emotional components when interacting with substance abuse and mental health.
- Emergency Assistance. If you, or anyone you know, are in an emergency situation, call an emergency service or helpline to proceed.
Getting help is the first, most important step in countering substance abuse and mental illness. The sooner the treatment begins, the greater the possibility for long-term recovery.
Moving Forward With a Supportive Approach
Overcoming substance abuse and mental health problems can be extremely difficult, but treatment and recovery remain an option for those provided with support, treatment, and available resources.
Both substance abuse and mental health disorders are treatable. Treatment of both together has dramatically improved the probability of effective recovery. Co-occurring disorder solutions remain critically essential keys for using integrated care, comprehensive programs, and ongoing support networks.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse and mental health in adults, it’s not ever too late to get help. Effective treatment of only one problem cannot happen without effective treatment of both issues, providing the best opportunity for recovery.
FAQs
- How are substance abuse and mental health linked?
Substance abuse and mental health have always been interlinked. Sometimes, substance abuse can lead to mental health conditions and vice versa since mental health disorders often lead to substance abuse as people find ways of self-medicating from their symptoms.
- Can substance abuse cause mental health problems?
Long-term abuse of drugs alters the chemical composition of the brain, which leads to depression, anxiety, and even psychosis. Mental health conditions caused by substance abuse are irreversible and affect a person’s well-being.
- What are co-occurring disorders?
Co-occurring disorder is a condition when a person suffering from a mental disorder also has a substance use disorder. Both these disorders occur simultaneously and affect each other, making the treatment process complicated as well.
- What are dual diagnosis treatment programs?
Dual diagnosis treatment is a program that deals with the diagnosis of both substance abuse and mental health disorders to be treated together at once in an integrated approach to both disorders.
- How might I seek assistance for substance abuse as well as mental health disorders?
Health professionals, dual diagnosis treatment centers, and support networks, such as 12-step programs, should be approached. Intervention and proper treatment are best started during the initial steps toward recovery.
