Is There A Connection Between Mental Health And Addiction Near West Caldwell?
December 05, 2024
Have you ever wondered what triggers substance use disorders (SUD)? Knowing the answer could give us the ability to prevent and treat these disorders. Fortunately, current research is enabling us to grasp substance use and handle it better. Recent studies have discovered a compelling bond between substance use and mental illness. If you are struggling with a SUD, you might also have a co-occurring mental disorder. With this insight, you can pursue more worthwhile treatment that addresses both mental health and addiction near West Caldwell.
What’s The Connection Between Mental Health And Substance Use Near West Caldwell?
In a recent finding, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) calculated that approximately 17 million adults in the U.S. experience both a mental illness and a SUD. They also found that adults and adolescents with mental illnesses were more likely to use habit-forming substances. This data indicates a strong connection between mental health and substance use in West Caldwell and the rest of the country. But how do mental health disorders prompt substance use?
How Does Mental Illness Lead To Substance Use?
It’s no secret that mental disorders are often hard to cope with. If not treated properly, your disorder can make you feel despondent, angry, fearful and confused. You could even encounter some distressing physiological symptoms. This can occur whether you have been diagnosed with a condition or do not know you have one.
If a mental condition makes your life challenging, it’s understandable you may have been driven to use addictive alcohol or drugs to cope. The chemicals in these substances cause you to feel better temporarily. They may give you a “high” that feels good or reduce the pain you experience. When using, you could feel more capable and balanced.
When you take dependency-causing substances to offset the symptoms of a mental disorder, it’s referred to as self-medicating. You might utilize these substances to feel temporarily content, more focused, or less distressed. You could also take them to alleviate physical pains and discomforts. Self-medication encompasses using substances not ordered by a doctor, such as alcohol or illicit drugs, as well as misuse or excessive use of prescribed medicines.
Self-medication typically commences accidentaly. Overindulging in alcohol or improperly using drugs looks like a reprieve and a method of dealing with reality. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to stop ingesting something that causes you to feel better. Your mind and body become dependent on those substances, and you cannot function without them. What results is a cycle of self-medication that can spiral out of hand and lead to hazardous and damaging actions.
Recognizing the origin of your substance use provides a a place to begin your recovery. Once you comprehend that mental illness exists at the foundation of your drug or alcohol use, you can address both and have a better opportunity for recovery.
Can Substance Use Affect Mental Health Too?
The effects of mental conditions and substance use disorders are often cyclical. The chemicals in addictive substances modify neural pathways. They can trigger or aggravate mental illnesses. The strain of being overwhelmed by addiction might also trigger mental disorders like anxiety and depression. In response, you may depend on alcohol and drugs even more to manage, and the cycle starts over.
Why Address Mental Health And Addiction At The Same Time?
Facing a substance use and mental illness could seem daunting, even insurmountable. But digging into the cause of your substance use is essential for long-term recovery. Once you understand what co-occurring disorder precipitated your drug or alcohol use, you have an excellent basis for treatment. Managing mental disorders with therapy and approved medications places you in a better frame of mind for abstaining from addictive substances. Various skills you work on in therapy for navigating mental health will help you remain sober, too. You’ll have more success navigating your addiction when you address any underlying mental health issues first.
Get Treatment For Substance Use Disorders And Mental Illness Near West Caldwell
If you are facing co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders, The Counseling Center at West Caldwell can guide you. Our expert staff are equipped to help you handle the obstacles you face with proven treatment. Place a call to 973-453-0808 or fill out our contact form to speak with someone immediately about our intake process.
Author
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Stephen Cooke brings over a decade of experience in international and American healthcare communications to Praesum. A prolific writer and published author, Stephen has dedicated his career to promoting health and recovery across various organizations.
