Mental illness is one of the consequences of substance abuse. When someone is addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling or any other, it is often accompanied by some kind of mental disorder including anxiety, any personality disorder or psychological disorders, even schizophrenia.
It is very common to have both addiction and mental imbalance occurring simultaneously. In fact, during the year 2018, America alone had about 9 million of such cases reported. Unfortunately, this figure doesn’t include the adolescents. A staggering 60% of adolescents battling addiction are diagnosed with a co-occurring mental illness as a result of their brain being developed at this stage of their lives.
While suffering form both these conditions, it is very likely for them to fall prey to depression. To assist such people in their sobriety journey, Boardwalk Recovery Center, drug addiction rehab San Diego, strives to leave you well-equipped to live your life in good health. The staff members support you every step of the way, as they themselves have walked the same path.
Let’s have a look at the most commonly co-occurring mental illnesses with addiction:
1. Anxiety Disorder
Perhaps the most common illness with substance abuse is GAD- Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Most adults suffering from this will resort to self-medication using drugs and alcohol. Anxiety usually creeps in when you are stressed or worried about relationships or work or money or health or any other such issues. The visible symptoms of this condition might include- headache along with nausea. PTD- Post Traumatic Disorder is something that stems from a specific traumatic experience, where the person might have flashback of the trauma leading to gain some solace through drugs or alcohol.
2. Depression
In comparison to general public, people struggling with substance abuse are three times more likely to develop depression. The opposite situation also holds true i.e., people trying to “drown their sorrows” tend to develop addictive disorders struggling with feelings such as dejection, hopelessness, isolation and sadness. Alcoholism or drug abuse is adopted when you want to escape your reality and get high to relieve yourself from pain and negative thoughts.
3. Bipolar Disorder
As defined by NIDA, bipolar disorder is a chronic condition where the victim has unstable mood with frequent episodes of mania or depression. The victims, during their lifetime, are at high risk to turn to substance use while trying to self-medicate themselves.
4. Personality Disorders
Borderline, Antisocial, Paranoid, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders are among the many such disorders. Each of them affects the person in a different manner. This might also lead to use of drugs or alcohol.
In addition to those mentioned above, Schizophrenia and other eating disorders are also some of the commonly co-occurring mental disorders with dipsomania and narcotics abuse.If you find yourself or someone near to you being a sufferer of these, you should consult an expert soon and opt for treatments that offer a holistic plan to help you regain the control over your life with less chances of a relapse.
