Drawing the Connections Between Mental Health and Substance Abuse

When we go through difficult times, we can deal with that in either a healthy way or an unhealthy way. For instance, if you’re feeling slightly anxious, you can decide to go for a walk or talk with a friend. On the other hand, you could also decide to use food to soothe or comfort yourself, which can feel good in the moment, but it has many negative consequences down the line.

Similarly, if you’re struggling with emotional, social, or other problems, you might make the unhealthy choice to turn to alcohol or drug use to alleviate negative thoughts and feelings of anxiety or hopelessness. There are connections between a person’s mental health and substance use and abuse, though these aren’t always straightforward.

Understanding Substance Abuse and Mental Health

A person’s mental health refers to their cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. One’s mental health affects how they think, feel, and act, and it has a determinative role in whether a person makes healthy choices, how they handle stress, and how they relate to other people. When you’re in good mental health, you’re able to work well, cope with various life stresses, contribute to your community, and make use of your various skills and gifts.

When a person’s mental health is affected, their capacity to cope with life and handle daily stress is diminished. Poor mental health leads to an inability to work well and difficulty functioning effectively in social or work situations.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is the term that is preferred over “substance abuse” to describe the uncontrolled use of a substance despite experiencing negative consequences to one’s work, studies, health, family, and day-to-day functioning. SUD can be moderate to severe, and it affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to an inability to control their use of various substances such as alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, opiates, or prescription medications.

When a person is struggling with SUD, they will often unsuccessfully try to cut down or control their use of alcohol or drugs, and they will spend a large amount of time thinking about, getting, using, and recovering from drug or alcohol use. Even though their drug or alcohol use is causing problems, they may continue using these substances, nonetheless.

Signs of Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Disorders

When a person is misusing drugs or alcohol, there are some common signs to look out for. However, each person is unique, and they may not have the same symptoms as other people. If you suspect that you or your loved one may be misusing alcohol or drugs, you can look out for some of the following signs:

• Using drugs or alcohol even when relationship problems caused by use arise and persist
• Being preoccupied with and spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from use of drugs or alcohol
• Needing to use more drugs or alcohol to get the same effect
• Using or drinking increasingly larger amounts or over longer periods of time than intended
• Giving up or limiting cherished activities on account of drug or alcohol use
• Constantly wanting to cut down or control use of drugs or alcohol, or unsuccessfully trying to reduce use
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using drugs or alcohol
• Having a strong desire to use drugs or alcohol
• Continuing to use drugs or alcohol even when it interferes with work, school, or responsibilities at home
• Risky behavior, such as unprotected sex with multiple partners or driving under the influence
• Using drugs or alcohol even when it is causing or adding distress

Regarding mental health disorders, many of us will have some mental health concerns at one point or another. These become concerning when they are ongoing, and they hamper your ability to function well. Depending on the disorder, your circumstances, and other factors, the signs of a mental health disorder will vary. Some of the signs to look out for include the following:

• Excessive anger, irritability, hostility, or violence
• Feeling sad or down
• Excessive worrying or fear
• Persistent feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness
• Confused thinking or a reduced ability to concentrate and learn
• Extreme mood swings
• Avoiding or withdrawing from friends and previously cherished social activities
• Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
• Fatigue
• Increased alcohol or drug use
• Major changes in eating habits, either eating too much or too little
• Changes in weight, either drastically reducing or gaining weight
• Fearing weight gain, or having an excessive concern with appearance
• Changes in sleep patterns, whether sleeping too much or too little
• Physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, back aches without an obvious cause
• Experiencing delusions, paranoia, or hallucinations
• Struggling to handle daily activities, problems, or stress
• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
• Changes in sex drive
• Thinking about suicide or self-harm

It’s important to speak with a doctor if you experience any of the signs, so that you can receive appropriate care.

The Links Between Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health

Often, people with SUD may also have other mental health disorders. Similarly, people with mental health disorders such as anxiety and anxiety disorders, depression, or bipolar disorder may also struggle with substance use.

Studies have indicated that people with a mental health disorder may use drugs or alcohol as a form of self-medication. While these may help temporarily by alleviating symptoms of mental health disorders, over time, they worsen those symptoms.

The links between substance abuse issues and mental health concerns are complicated to pin down. These links could develop autonomously because of risk factors that they have in common, or one issue could lead to the other due to experiencing prolonged distress or because of self-medicating to cope.

A person may have SUD, which co-occurs with a mental health disorder, or vice versa, but this does not necessarily mean that one caused the other. There are at least 3 possibilities that could explain why SUDs and other mental health disorders may co-occur, and these include the following:

Changes in brain structure and function

One possibility is that substance use and SUDs can contribute to the development of other mental health disorders. Using substances like drugs, alcohol, opiates, inhalants, and hallucinogens may trigger changes in a person’s brain structure and function, and these changes may make a person more susceptible to developing a mental health disorder.

Mental health disorders contributing to SUD

Individuals with mental health disorders may choose unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medicating. These coping mechanisms are ultimately self-defeating, and substance use affects the reward structures of the brain, making it likely to continue using the substance, and possibly in even higher doses, to continue being rewarded.

Existing risk factors

Both SUD and other mental health disorders may have the same risk factors underlying the conditions. Mental health disorders and SUD may be triggered by environmental factors such as trauma or stress, and they can also run in families.

Finding Help for Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

To address co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, the most effective and efficient way is to intervene as soon as possible before they escalate. Early intervention through specialized care and treatment is helpful, and where there is prolonged substance use, detoxification, where it is needed, depending on the substance, and long-term recovery and follow-up will be needed for successful treatment.

Talk therapy is also crucial as part of the process of recovery, as it can help to address underlying issues that may have contributed to or resulted from the development of a substance use disorder. Whether through individual or family talk therapy, these underlying issues can be pinpointed so that one receives adequate support for long-term recovery.

If you or a loved one has a substance use disorder or a mental health disorder, reach out to a counselor or therapist for help. They will tailor a treatment plan to help with addressing your needs and assisting with recovery. Call one of our representatives or browse our online directory to learn more.