How Does Substance Abuse Affect Mental Health?

Woman struggling with substance abuse affecting her mental health

There are so many reasons why someone might abuse alcohol and/or drugs. If you or someone that you know has a substance abuse disorder, learning more about how it can affect a person’s mental health can be beneficial. Not only can it help you to better understand addiction, but it can help you to see that your mental health state could be so much better if you overcome the disorder through professional treatment help. If you are ready to take this step now, reach out to us here at Transformations Care today. 

Do You Have a Substance Use Disorder 

Are you unsure of whether you or your family member has a substance use disorder? There are common signs that you can look for in their life or yours to see if professional addiction treatment may be needed. If so, you can also get mental health disorder treatment to help with co-occurring disorders. 

Some of the common signs to look for with someone who you suspect has a substance use disorder include:

  • Needing more of a drug to get the effects desired
  • High blood pressure
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Craving the drug
  • Dealing with withdrawal symptoms 
  • Sudden mood swings
  • Negative perspective on life
  • Loss of focus and motivation 
  • Anxiety and/or depression
  • Relationship orblems
  • Lying and/or being secretive 
  • Drug-induced psychosis 

If you or your family member or friend relates to these signs, it is time to reach out for professional addiction treatment. Here at Transformations Care, we have an extensive number of addiction treatments that can help you to overcome both a substance use disorder and mental health issues. 

Which Drugs Affect Mental Health the Most

Any drug that you take, especially when it is abused , can affect your mental health. Some of the most common drugs that are likely to negatively affect your mental health include:

  • Stimulants
  • Alcohol
  • Cannabis
  • New psychoactive substances 
  • Methamphetamine
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Cocaine 
  • Ecstasy 
  • Heroin 
  • LSD

If you or your family member or friend is abusing any of these drugs or others, whether they are affecting your mental health or not, treatment is available to help you get clean and sober. The hope is that when you are living a sober, recovering lifestyle, you can work on putting your life back together, improving your mental health, reducing the risk of future physical health problems and live the best life you can. 

Getting Help for a Substance Use and/or Mental Health Disorder

mental health

Did you relate to the signs that were noted above? If so, it is very likely that you could have a substance use disorder. Now, are you also experiencing anxiety, high stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, psychosis or other mental health-related issues? If so, you should get help for the substance use and/or mental health disorder right away. 

Many people will go to their primary care physician to try getting help with their addiction. While that can be a safe and good place to start, they aren’t specialized in addiction or mental health treatments. 

If you are struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues, it is best to reach out to a professional treatment center. 

Here at Transformations Care, we offer an individualized approach to creating everyone’s treatment plans. We make sure to go over your history with alcohol and drugs. We will talk to you about your mental health symptoms and your history with mental health and other disorders. Once we assess your life and your current situation, we can place you in the best treatment program possible. Some of the excellent, beneficial treatments we offer include:

  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Individual therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Group counseling
  • Nutritional therapy
  • Education workshops 
  • Meeting resources
  • Aftercare planning 
  • Detox services

Each one of these services can help you in similar and different ways than the next one. They are all provided to help people stop abusing alcohol and drugs. These services are also helpful in overcoming and improving mental health disorders. 

Do you want more information about any of these treatments or services? If so, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Transformations Care team today. We are ready and able to to discuss each one of these options in detail with you.

What Can Friends or Relatives Help With?

Do you know someone in your family or a friend group that is struggling with a mental health disorder and substance abuse disorder? If so, you may be struggling to know what you can say or do to help them. 

Here at Transformations Care, we want to be there for everyone affected by addiction and mental health issues. We want to give you the support you need to best help your loved one or friend. With this being said, some of the things that friends and relatives can do if someone in their life has a co-occurring disorder (mental health and substance use disorders at the same time) include:

  • Be there when they need to talk 
  • Stop enabling them
  • Offer practical help such as scheduling or taking them to appointments
  • Go to meetings with them if they want you to
  • Don’t use alcohol or drugs around them
  • Don’t talk about parties or other events when you were drinking or doing drugs
  • Keep your medicines locked up
  • Go to family therapy or couple’s therapy sessions with them
  • Be involved in their treatment plan as much as possible
  • Offer to drive them to the treatment program 

These are some of the best things you can do if your friend and/or family member has been abusing alcohol and/or drugs. If they are dealing with mental health-related issues, as well, it is important to encourage them to get professional treatment ASAP. The sooner they start getting the services they need, the sooner they can get their life going again. 

Overcome Substance Abuse and/or Mental Health Disorders Today

If you, a family member or a friend have a substance abuse and/or mental health disorder, don’t let it keep dragging you down. You can save you future and your life by overcoming substance abuse and/or mental health disorders right now.
Contact us today, here at Transformations Care, to begin the substance abuse and mental health disorder recovery process.