The Connection Between Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Substance abuse and mental health issues are closely related. One may cause the other or they may start at the same time. Drug and alcohol use affects the brain physically which can cause an effect on moods, emotions, and mental health. When both substance use disorders and mental health disorders are present together, they are referred to co-occurring disorders.
Often, people with mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, and depression, will use substance abuse as a way to self-medicate negative symptoms and emotions. While it may work temporarily, drugs and alcohol will just make the symptoms worse once their effect wears off. This will cause people to use substances again to treat worsening symptoms and with continued substance abuse may develop physical dependence and eventually a substance use disorder.
Also, drugs and alcohol can bring out mental health disorders in some people. When drugs or alcohol interact with the brain, they mess with neurotransmitters and with continued abuse, the brain becomes dependent on these substances to regulate brain chemicals, causing physical dependency. When the person attempts to stop using, they develop withdrawal symptoms and cravings which can make quitting use on your own very difficult. So now that the brain can no longer regulate these chemicals that are critical for mental health on their own, they develop mental health disorders such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, and depressive disorders.