Is There A Connection Between Mental Health And Addiction Near Yorktown Heights?
December 05, 2024
Have you ever questioned what causes substance use disorders (SUD)? Finding the answer could enable us to avoid and address these disorders. Thankfully, the latest research is helping us grasp substance use and manage it better. Recent studies have found a powerful connection between substance use and mental illness. If you struggle with a SUD, you may also have a co-occurring mental disorder. With this knowledge, you can pursue more beneficial treatment that navigates both mental health and addiction near Yorktown Heights.
What’s The Connection Between Mental Health And Substance Use Near Yorktown Heights?
In a recent report, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) calculated that about 17 million adults in the US experience both a mental illness and a SUD. They also discovered that adults and adolescents with mental illnesses were more likely to use habit-forming substances. This data reveals a noteworthy connection between mental health and substance use in Yorktown Heights and all of the country. But how do mental health disorders lead to substance use?
How Does Mental Illness Lead To Substance Use?
It’s common knowledge that mental disorders are typically difficult to live with. If not addressed adequately, your disorder can make you feel miserable, angry, afraid and confused. You might even experience some crippling physiological symptoms. This can occur whether you have been diagnosed with a mental illness or do not know you have one.
If a mental condition makes your life a struggle, it’s understandable you may have been pushed to take habit-forming drugs or alcohol to deal with it. The chemicals in these substances make you feel better for a brief period. They may dull the distress you feel or provide a “high” that feels good. Under their influence, you might feel more productive and at ease.
When you take habit-forming substances to handle the symptoms of a mental health condition, it is called self-medicating. You might use these substances to feel temporarily happier, more focused, or less distressed. You could also ingest them to deal with physical aches and pains. Self-medication includes using substances not ordered by a physician, such as illegal drugs or alcohol, as well as overusing or misusing prescription medications.
Self-medication typically begins unintentionally. Overindulging in alcohol or improperly using drugs looks like a reprieve and a way of managing reality. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to cease using something that makes you feel better. Your body and brain become reliant on those substances, and you cannot function without them. What comes next is an endless loop of self-medication that might spiral beyond your control and cause dangerous and destructive behaviors.
Understanding the source of your substance use offers a a place to begin your recovery. Once you comprehend that mental illness lies at the core of your drug or alcohol use, you can treat both and have a better chance at recovery.
Can Substance Use Influence Mental Health Too?
The effects of mental illnesses and substance use disorders can be cyclical. The chemicals in habit-forming substances change brain chemistry. They can trigger or worsen mental illnesses. The distress of succumbing to addiction might also prompt mental conditions like anxiety and depression. In return, you may depend on drugs and alcohol even more to manage, and the cycle repeats.
Why Treat Mental Health And Addiction At The Same Time?
Facing a substance use and mental illness may sound overwhelming, even hopeless. But digging into the origin of your substance use is essential for enduring recovery. Once you understand what co-occurring disorder led to your alcohol or drug use, you have a solid basis for treatment. Managing mental conditions with therapy and medication helps you abstain from addictive substances. Various skills you develop in therapy for managing mental health will help you stay sober, too. You’ll be more successful in navigating your addiction when you deal with any core mental health conditions first.
Find Treatment For Substance Use Disorders And Mental Illness Near Yorktown Heights
If you battle co-occurring addiction and mental illness, The Counseling Center At Yorktown Heights can help. Our specially trained staff are equipped to help you handle the difficulties you face with proven treatment. Call 914-977-0608 or fill out our contact form to speak with someone right away 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.
