One thing that not many people know is that people who develop one or more types of addiction to substances are also struggling with their mental health, and vice versa. Studies and surveys show that half of the people who experience a mental illness in their lifetime will also be struggling with substance abuse. The link is so strong that they are considered comorbidity. 

There is a connection between mental health struggles and addiction to various substances. If you have a loved one who’s struggling, or if you’re the one who’s going through a tough time, here are some links between the two that you need to know.

Drugs and alcohol as self-medication

Visit a rehabilitation center, talk to those in recovery, and chances are many will tell you that they took drugs and alcohol as a means to escape their mental distress, and to quiet their overwhelming and racing thoughts. This is because people who become addicted or dependent on substances use them to ease the symptoms of what may be a mental disorder or illness that has been undiagnosed. For them, it’s the only way they’re able to manage their difficult emotions, alleviate their mood, or simply get their minds off of their emotional and mental pain.

So if you ever have someone in your life who you suspect is abusing alcohol or drugs, consider the very likely possibility that they are going through deep pain in their lives, and they need serious medical help for their psychiatric problems as well.

Drug and alcohol abuse can trigger underlying mental disorders

When it comes to finding the links between mental health problems and substance abuse, there is a chicken and egg dilemma: Do mental health problems trigger substance abuse, addiction, or dependency, or is it the other way around? While one does not necessarily cause the other in direct and quantifiable ways, we do know that both can aggravate the other.

The same can be said about how substances can worsen mental health problems. While we cannot say that using drugs or binge drinking can cause depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders (especially since mental illnesses are caused by a complex interplay of one’s environment, genetics, and other contributing factors), but we do know that drug and alcohol abuse can push one who is already struggling over the edge even more.

One clear example is the evidence that shows that those who abuse opioid painkillers are much more likely to develop depression, while those who heavily use cannabis have more chances of developing schizophrenia.

Sharing common symptoms

Another thing that is not common knowledge is how both conditions—drug and alcohol addiction and mental health illnesses—share plenty of common symptoms. Here are some of them:

• Feelings of sadness, lethargy, and hopelessness, especially for those who use substances that mimic the effects of antidepressants
• Those who abuse stimulants like cocaine can exhibit symptoms that are similar to those who struggle with schizophrenia—hallucinations, delusions, and psychotic episodes
• Drug-induced psychotic episodes might be more limited in duration for those who have no predisposition for it, but for those who are, it might act as a trigger for a more long-term psychotic illness

If you or someone you are caring for are experiencing symptoms of one or more of these mental disorders, and there is a family history of abusing certain substances, you or your loved one need to be more vigilant in caring for yourself and seeking professional medical help.

Many people suffer from a dual diagnosis

A 2018 study by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health concluded that 9.2 million adults in the United States were diagnosed with mental health or behavioral disorder as well as struggled with substance abuse of some kind. This is a big number, and it indicates that millions of Americans are recovering from dual diagnoses. It’s a distinction that we need to make because there are different treatments for both.

For treatment and recovery to be effective, doctors and caregivers must focus on both disorders and find a course of treatment that addresses both, not just one.

The good news is that there is hope. Addiction is a treatable disease, and many mental health disorders can be managed for the long term. There is hope for people struggling with a dual diagnosis because the medical world has gone through great strides to find effective means to help those in recovery. Don’t lose hope; lean hard on the resources available to you, and believe that brighter days are possible.