Is There A Connection Between Mental Health And Addiction Near Fair Lawn?
December 05, 2024
Have you ever wondered what triggers substance use disorders (SUD)? Understanding the answer could give us the ability to stop and treat these disorders. Fortunately, modern research is helping us grasp substance use and manage it better. Recent studies have found a strong link between substance use and mental illness. If you struggle with a SUD, you may also have a co-occurring mental disorder. By knowing this, you can pursue more effective treatment that manages both mental health and addiction near Fair Lawn.
What’s The Connection Between Mental Health And Substance Use Near Fair Lawn?
In a recent finding, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) determined that around 17 million adults in the U.S. live with both a mental illness and a SUD. They also found that adults and teens with mental illnesses were more likely to use addictive substances. This data reveals a significant connection between mental health and substance use in Fair Lawn and all of the nation. But how do mental health disorders lead to substance use?
How Does Mental Illness Result In Substance Use?
It’s well known that mental disorders can be hard to deal with. If not managed properly, your disorder can leave you feeling confused, frightened, angry, and miserable. You could even experience some distressing physiological symptoms. This is true whether you have been officially diagnosed with a mental illness or do not realize you have one.
If a mental condition makes your life a struggle, it’s no wonder you may have been driven to consume dependency-causing substances to manage. The chemicals in these substances cause you to feel better for a brief period. They could minimize the distress you feel or provide a “high” that makes you feel good. When consuming, you could feel more at ease and capable.
When you use habit-forming substances to manage the symptoms of a mental disorder, it is called self-medicating. You might ingest these substances to feel temporarily content, more focused, or less troubled. You might also use them to alleviate physical ailments. Self-medication includes using substances not ordered by a healthcare professional, such as illicit drugs or alcohol, as well as misuse or excessive use of prescribed medicines.
Self-medication typically commences accidentaly. Drinking large quantities of alcohol or excessively using drugs seems like an escape and a method of coping with reality. Regrettably, it’s difficult to quit ingesting something that makes you feel better. Your body and mind become reliant on those substances, and you cannot function without them. What results is a pattern of self-medication that may spiral out of control and produce dangerous and harmful actions.
Grasping the source of your substance use provides a a place to begin your recovery. Once you understand that mental illness resides at the root of your alcohol or drug use, you can address both and have a greater chance at recovery.
Can Substance Use Impact Mental Health Too?
The effects of mental disorders and substance use disorders are frequently cyclical. The chemicals in addictive substances alter brain chemistry. They can trigger or aggravate mental illnesses. The strain of being overwhelmed by addiction might also trigger mental disorders like depression and anxiety. As a response, you might rely on alcohol and drugs even more to cope, and the cycle begins again.
Why Treat Mental Health And Addiction Together?
Dealing with a substance use and mental health disorder may seem daunting, even impossible. But delving into the root of your substance use is crucial for long-term recovery. Once you recognize what co-occurring disorder precipitated your alcohol or drug use, you have an excellent starting point for treatment. Managing mental conditions with therapy and medication empowers you to steer clear of addictive substances. Many skills you learn in therapy for navigating mental health will help you stay sober, too. You’ll have more success managing your addiction when you deal with any foundational mental health disorders first.
Find Treatment For Substance Use Disorders And Mental Illness Near Fair Lawn
If you are facing co-occurring addiction and mental health conditions, The Counseling Center at Fair Lawn is here for you. Our expert staff are equipped to help you handle the difficulties you experience with proven treatment. Call 201-389-5326 or complete our contact form to talk to someone at once about our admissions 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.
