Substance Abuse Mental Health

speak with a treatment specialist

1-877-788-5932

Life is full of challenges for everyone regardless of gender age race or economic status. No one likes painful or uncomfortable feelings and every person has his or her own way of coping. Some learn healthy coping skills early on while others ascribe to the idea that you can pop a pill for just about anything to make it go away. Sadly that very mentality has contributed to a society in which self-medicating is a common way to deal with the painful aspects of life.

While some self-medicate compulsively with things like food shopping or sex a significant number of people use alcohol or drugs. The quick and temporary high is the one way they know to numb minimize or eradicate the negative feelings. In many cases this is a learned behavior. Children learn coping skills from their primary role-models their parents. If one or both parents use alcohol or drugs to deal with problems the children are likely to follow suit.

Substances as a crutch.

For individuals who have mental health issues such as depression or anxiety the allure of a quick fix such as alcohol or drugs can be particularly seductive. It's hard enough to cope at times even for the normal person add a psychiatric disorder and all the additional challenges that come with it and it can feel almost impossible at times. Alcohol and / or drugs can quickly become a convenient tool for those who don't know how to cope with the challenges of their disorder.

In the beginning they can soothe their mind with a substance which provides them with a temporary sense of euphoria. However the dark side of self-medication is that it can quickly turn to an addiction. Sadly in addition to the challenges already present in their life they have now added even more problems which are inherent with substance abuse and addiction. Not only that they soon find that the substance stops giving them the relief they so desperately wanted in the first place yet they continue to crave it and need it once the addiction sets in.

Dual diagnosis

People who have serious drug or alcohol problems in addition to a psychiatric disorder have what is called a dual diagnosis. It's hard to know just how many drug addicts and alcoholics actually have a dual diagnosis because in many cases the mental health condition is never diagnosed. It can be very challenging to accurately diagnose a psychiatric condition in a person who's been drinking or using much of his or her life. Often the underlying disorder does not become evident until the person stops using.

Disorders which are particularly vulnerable

While any mental health condition can render a person vulnerable to substance abuse and addiction individuals with some disorders are particularly susceptible. Those with major depression or any type of anxiety disorder are especially vulnerable. Individuals with bipolar disorder ADHD schizophrenia antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder are also at high risk when it comes to abusing substances.

When treatment itself leads to an addiction

In the case of anxiety the addiction may stem from the very treatment itself. This is because benzodiazepines a type of medication often used to treat anxiety are highly addictive. They are fast-acting and provide quick relief. But sadly it is very easy to develop a tolerance for them if used for an extended period. They are typically prescribed for short term use but once a person with anxiety experiences their quick relief the desire to continue using them beyond the prescribed period can be very hard to resist. After all it's much easier to pop a pill than to practice relaxation exercises when a panic attack sets in.

Substances often make symptoms worse

Unfortunately when a person self-medicates with drugs or alcohol not only is the relief fleeting it can make their symptoms worse. Schizophrenia for example is a psychotic disorder. This means the person is out of touch with reality when his or her symptoms are active. He or she may be hallucinating e.g. hearing voices when no one is there or experiencing delusions powerful and often bizarre beliefs which are not based in reality. Many drugs also cause psychotic symptoms and can interfere with prescribed antipsychotic medications.

Individuals who are depressed often use alcohol to self-medicate. Sadly although alcohol may temporarily make them feel better it is actually a type of depressant itself. Their depression ends up exacerbated by their use of alcohol. Additionally once the effect of many drugs wears off the person crashes feeling more depressed than he or she did before using the substance.

Treatment is key

When it comes to individuals with mental health disorders it is basically impossible to treat the disorder until they are clean and sober. This makes a good treatment facility especially important for treating individuals who have a dual diagnosis. It can provide a safe setting in which the person can stop using while learning how to manage their disorder in much healthier ways.