Your mental health is very important to your psychological and emotional state. Poor mental health can have adverse effects on your overall well-being and as such, it is very critical that you look after your mental state.
One way of taking care of your mental health is by considering the effects drugs and alcohol can have on your frame of mind.
Drug and alcohol use can provide a somewhat pleasurable experience to the user, but only for the short-term, click here to learn more about it. Prolonged use can cause serious concerns for the user’s mental well-being.
Let’s take a detailed look at the complications drug addiction can have on your mental health.
The Relationship Between Addiction and the Brain
Addiction affects the brain in many ways. Once consumed chemical compounds such as opioids, alcohol, and stimulants go to the brain, they can cause people to lose touch with their natural impulses, providing the users with feelings of euphoria.
The euphoric experience can be so intense that the user develops a compelling desire to continue using the drugs. As the user continues using the substance, they gradually develop an addiction which can be very difficult to overcome since it changes how the brain functions.
Here are some of the mental health effects associated with drug addiction.
Anxiety and Nervousness
As per the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about a fifth of the adult population in the U.S. suffers from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety affects our abilities to function through our everyday life.
While it’s hard to determine what came before the other between anxiety and addiction, a combination of both can place a huge burden on a person’s mental health. Drug addiction will exacerbate the feelings of anxiety causing them to be uncomfortable and physically agitated.
Feelings of Depression
Depression is common among people suffering from an alcohol or drug addiction. It can trigger feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness.
It’s normal for people to experience highs and lows throughout their lives but clinical depression can last for weeks, months, or even years. While psychoactive substances can briefly suppress depressive feelings, addiction will only amplify the symptoms of depression which can lead to brain damage in the long-term.
Chronic Stress
According to a study done by the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, there exists a very strong correlation between stress and drug addiction.
There are a number of theories that view drug dependence as a coping mechanism for stress. Stress can result from neglect as a child, abuse, and other traumas that can hamper the brain’s ability to make decisions, understand information, and perform tasks.
A Drug Rehab Facility Can Help
Everyone’s mental health situation is solely unique to them. Similarly, everyone has a unique mental relationship with substance use.
While all psychoactive drugs will affect a person’s feelings, thoughts, and mood, you’ll find that the negative mental health effects of drug use are worse in some people than others. Even when one person uses the same drug on different occasions, the effects can vary.
Anyone that’s struggling with a drug addiction can benefit from going to rehab. Rehab is designed to offer people struggling with addictions the help they need to recover. A quick Google search on ‘drug rehab near me’ will provide you with a list of options to consider.
