How do drugs and alcohol affect mental health?

Is addiction a mental illness or disease?

Today, it’s widely accepted by major scientific associations that addiction is a medical illness. The National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA] defines addiction as a “brain disease,” and the DSM-V lists criteria for classifying addiction as a mental health condition called “Substance Use Disorder.”

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is the definitive resource of diagnostic criteria for all mental disorders, includes criteria for drug use disorders, distinguishing between two types: drug abuse and drug dependence. Drug dependence is synonymous with addiction. By comparison, the criteria for drug abuse hinges on the harmful consequences of repeated use but does not include compulsive use, tolerance (i.e., needing higher doses to achieve the same effect), or withdrawal (i.e., symptoms that occur when use is stopped) that can be signs of addiction.

How are addictions and mental illnesses related?

Many individuals who develop substance use disorders (SUD) are also diagnosed with mental disorders, and vice versa. Multiple national population surveys have found that about half of those who experience a mental illness during their lives will also experience a substance use disorder and vice versa.

Mental health problems and substance use disorders sometimes occur together. This is because:

Certain illegal drugs can cause people with an addiction to experience one or more symptoms of a mental health problem
Mental health problems can sometimes lead to alcohol or drug use, as some people with a mental health problem may misuse these substances as a form of self-medication
Mental and substance use disorders share some underlying causes, including changes in brain composition, genetic vulnerabilities, and early exposure to stress or trauma

More than one in four adults living with serious mental health problems also have a substance use problem. Substance use problems occur more frequently with certain mental health problems, including:

Depression
Anxiety Disorders
Schizophrenia
Personality Disorders

What drugs most negatively affect mental health?

When it comes to overall brain health, drug use acts as a destructive circuit breaker. It interrupts the way neurons in our brains send, receive, and process signals. In a healthy person, neurotransmitters do the work of signalling the neurons, but drugs like marijuana and heroin mimic natural neurotransmitters, attaching to the neurons and sending abnormal messages throughout the brain and body.

Cocaine and amphetamines like crystal meth trick the neurons into releasing a flood of neurotransmitters which disrupts chemical conduction in the brain and distorts normal communication between neurons.

When the brain’s circuitry is interrupted, there is a significant negative impact on cognitive function, coping ability, and the critical communication between the brain and other organs.

One of the areas most affected by drug abuse is the prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain, which is the last part of the brain to mature, is essential because it is the command centre for our ability to plan, solve problems, and control impulses. Without a fully-functioning command centre, one’s ability to process information and make critical, healthy decisions is greatly diminished in the short term. And long term cognition issues are likely if drug use is a regular part of the adolescent experience as the brain is still building/writing its own code well into the 20s.

What do you treat first, addiction or mental health?

People who simultaneously experience a substance misuse problem and a psychiatric disorder may discover the symptoms of their co-occurring disorders differ in severity, and that the severity of these illnesses can ebb and flow over time. Compared to individuals who are only living with one of these disorders, those with addiction and mental health challenges may experience higher hurdles in recovery, and may also require longer periods of treatment. However, that doesn’t mean recovery is out of reach.

The best treatment for co-occurring disorders is an integrated approach, where both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously. Whether your mental health or substance abuse problem came first, long-term recovery depends on getting treatment for both disorders by the same treatment provider or team. Depending on your specific issues:

Treatment for your mental health problem may include medication, individual or group counselling, self-help measures, lifestyle changes, and peer support.

Treatment for your substance abuse may include detoxification, managing withdrawal symptoms, behavioural therapy, and support groups to help maintain your sobriety.

At The Recovery Lodge we offer various treatments for all addictions, this includes behavioural addictions. You can contact us now at info@therecoverylodge.co.uk, on 01795 431751 and via our social media – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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