Addiction & Mental Health
Mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) are deeply interrelated. Many people struggling with mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and trauma, turn to substances like alcohol and drugs to cope with their symptoms. Unfortunately, substance use often exacerbates these mental health conditions, creating a vicious cycle that can be difficult to break. In this blog post, we will explore the complex relationship between mental health and SUD and discuss some of the most effective ways to address both issues.
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The Connection Between Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder
Mental health issues and SUD often co-occur. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 9.5 million adults in the United States experience both a mental health condition and SUD. This phenomenon is known as co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis.
One reason why mental health and SUD often co-occur is that people may turn to substances as a way to cope with their mental health symptoms. For example, someone with depression may drink alcohol to numb their feelings of sadness, while someone with anxiety may use marijuana to calm their nerves. While this may provide temporary relief, it can also lead to a host of negative consequences, including addiction, physical health problems, and worsening mental health symptoms.
Substances can also exacerbate existing mental health conditions. For example, alcohol is a depressant that can make feelings of sadness and hopelessness worse, while stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine can trigger anxiety and paranoia. Over time, repeated substance use can lead to changes in brain chemistry, making it harder for individuals to manage their mental health symptoms even after they stop using.
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Effective Treatments for Co-Occurring Disorders
Treating co-occurring disorders can be challenging, but it is possible. The most effective approach is to address both issues simultaneously, using an integrated treatment approach that addresses both mental health and SUD. Here are some of the most effective treatments for co-occurring disorders:
- 1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of therapy that helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors. It is often used to treat both mental health conditions and SUD.
- 2. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): MAT combines medication with therapy to treat SUD. This approach can be especially effective for individuals with opioid use disorder.
- 3. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT is a type of therapy that teaches individuals coping skills and mindfulness techniques to manage their emotions and behaviors.
- 4. Mutual support groups: Mutual support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) can provide a supportive community for individuals in recovery from SUD.
- 5. Holistic therapies: Holistic therapies like yoga, meditation, and acupuncture can help individuals manage stress and improve their overall well-being.
Conclusion
Mental health and substance use disorder are closely linked, and addressing both issues is essential for achieving lasting recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with co-occurring disorders, it is important to seek professional help. Integrated treatment approaches that address both mental health and SUD can be highly effective, and there are many resources available to support individuals in their recovery journey. With the right support and treatment, it is possible to overcome co-occurring disorders and achieve a fulfilling, healthy life.
Learn More“I’m Too Smart for a Detox Program”
Getting and staying sober has been the biggest hurdle for me in this life so far. I have been at it since 1986, and that is A LOT of in and out of recovery. Six months here, three months there. One excuse after another, but I think it boils down to the unfortunate idea that I thought I was too smart for the simple program of recovery that has saved literally millions of lives. Too smart to get sober. The perilous mindset of countless alcoholics.
My Personal Backstory
I go to high school and interact with hundreds of people followed by college, which allowed me to have a broader understanding of the social variances in the population. I learn that there are many different types of people with varied types of experiences out there. Yet they all seem, in my eyes, to share an underlying cohesiveness. A common viewpoint about what is useful and meaningful in each of their individual lives and collective communities. But I don’t think I have the filter or focus that others have. In fact, I KNOW I don’t have it. My joy comes from shocking others, the way I balk at their connectedness. I am at the fray, the subversive outcast. I search out the differences and shun the similarities. I drink to numb my otherness. This is when I feel the need to fit in.
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Alcohol Made Me Think I Was Invincible – I Was Wrong
I drink more and when I do, I begin to understand the connections all these people have to one another. I can talk without fear of saying the wrong thing. How glorious this is! Albeit a little louder than I intended. Everyone around me is laughing at my jokes, confiding in me with their secrets and ideas. Conviviality is finally mine! And I drink more, and get louder still. And the stories I tell are less my own and more creative in origin. And I see doubt in some eyes. Then I feel the heat of anger in my face. Because I know that for tonight, this is the end. The spell has broken. The window has closed. No more laughs. They are walking away as I speak. Another drink and another. A couple of these people are still near me, though it seems more out of responsibility and fear of what I might do if they leave me alone than of camaraderie. Then, nothingness. I awake without my keys or my wallet or my phone. The only thing I seem to have left on me is regret.
The 12 Keys to the Kingdom
I’m handed what the recovery community call, the “Keys to the Kingdom” in these 12 Steps[r1] . So simple. Sure, let me give it a whirl! I work through them with a hungry fervor. And I feel alive again for the first time in a long time. A glimpse of clarity. I’m told these tools will only work if I work them daily. But I’m smarter, quite frankly, than MOST of these drunks who need it every day. So I set them aside. And the fog slowly returns. And before long I’m drunk again. No wallet, no phone, no comprehension of how this could have happened again.
Almost 3 Years Sober!
Now, as I approach my 3 years sober mark this time, I occasionally think I’ve outgrown the program. I don’t need to run every idea by my sponsor and that meetings are just for fellowship. I’ve read the literature to the point of being able to recite it all from memory and have confidence that I can do this alone. Experience has taught me time and time again where my intellectual independence leads me.
I go to a meeting and call my sponsor. I read my literature, sometimes out loud to a new sponsee! I get on my knees and pray. And because I do all these things on a daily basis I don’t pick up the drink. I don’t question why it works. Or how. I don’t try to out-think the magical simplicity that arises out of surrendering, cleaning house and helping others. I just do it. And I begin to focus on the similarities. And I recognize my story in others. I begin to feel our commonality and our connection. And in connection I find the truth about all knowledge. That we each have unique, personal experience, and therefore a limited understanding of the world. But we can see everything through the eyes of one another.
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