The impact of substance abuse on mental health

Sober living

The impact of substance abuse on mental health

During the early phase, withdrawal and detoxification are typically the first hurdles. Withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, sweating, shaking, and anxiety. Repeated drug use can weaken the brain’s decision-making capabilities. This affects your ability to control urges, making you more likely to continue using despite harmful consequences. If your family has a history of drug abuse, you may be more likely to struggle with addiction. You can also reach out to your state, county, or local mental health and substance use agency to find other local resources like peer recovery.

Existing recovery definitions and those in recovery

If you or a loved one is starting the recovery journey, or you are curious about what it means, this article will help you understand what the stages of change in the recovery process are, different types of programs and treatment options you may encounter. The recovery process from drug or alcohol addiction often involves a person making a significant change(s) to improve their quality of life, including overall health and wellness. It can also help teach people to feel empowered in their lives and reach their full potential. Moreover, integrating various modalities into addiction recovery recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each person’s journey is shaped by a myriad of factors, including physiological, psychological, and social elements. Therapeutic modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions offer diverse tools to address the multifaceted aspects of addiction.

This drop in performance can further lead to diminished self-esteem and poor social interactions, creating a vicious cycle of mental distress. Youth may also resort to substances as a coping mechanism, isolating themselves from supportive relationships. Such isolation exacerbates feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. However, if your home environment isn’t stable, returning can potentially result in a big setback in your recovery journey. If your home still holds the people and things that trigger your substance use, returning could cause you to relapse.1 Sometimes it helps to separate from the people and places contributing to your addiction.

Because people’s surroundings silently but strongly shape thinking and behaving, it is essential to arrange the environment one inhabits to support the shifting of habits of thought and behavior—avoiding high-risk situations, developing new sets of friends. Another is reorienting the brain circuitry of desire—finding or rediscovering a passion or pursuit that gives meaning to life and furnishes personal goals that are capable of supplanting the desire for drugs. A third is establishing and maintaining a strong sense of connection to others; support helps people stay on track, and it helps retune the neural circuits of desire and goal-pursuit. Learning new coping skills for dealing with unpleasant feelings is another pillar of recovery. Individuals grappling with substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction often face complex challenges, necessitating a multifaceted approach for resolution.

A board of trustees selected by participating states in consultation with the other creditors will determine the future of the Purdue company. Purdue will continue to be overseen by a monitor and will be prevented from lobbying or marketing opioids under the settlement. If approved, the settlement will deliver funds to the participating states, local governments, affected individuals, and other parties who have previously sued the Sacklers or Purdue. University Core Competencies definitions may be found on the Human Resources website and in the staff performance management system. In 2023, 48.5 million people 12 Living in a Sober House: Fundamental Rules or older, or 17 percent of the U.S. population, had a SUD within the past year, according to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). So, while not everyone with risk factors for a SUD develops one, SUDs are common.

Step Alcohol and Drug Recovery Programs

An increasing number of high schools and colleges offer addiction recovery resources (CRPS, or Collegiate Recovery Programs) for students, including mentors, workshops, dedicated lounges, and group meetings and activities. For starters, family members need to learn what the risk factors for addiction are and the internal and external struggles an individual faces in recovering from addiction, and they need to understand their own complex emotional reactions to the entire experience. Because recovery involves growth, families need to learn and practice new patterns of interaction. Cravings are the intense desire for alcohol or drugs given formidable force by neural circuitry honed over time into single-minded pursuit of the outsize neurochemical reward such substances deliver.

Addiction can happen to anyone

People have disagreed strongly on whether and how substance use should be part of a recovery definition, and have often thought about substance use in terms of abstinence. We found that most respondents, regardless of subgroup/pathway, endorsed some substance use goal as central to recovery, whether abstinence (from alcohol, non-prescribed drugs, and/or prescription drug misuse) and/or nonproblematic use. However, the individual abstinence items were among those least highly endorsed overall. This may suggest a value for including commitment to some substance use goal in recovery definitions without emphasizing abstinence as the only goal.

Alternatives to 12-Step Recovery Programs

Relapse is common and experts see it as an opportunity for learning about and overcoming impediments to change. The endpoint is voluntary control over use and reintegration into the roles and responsibilities of society. Shortly after substance use is stopped, people may experience withdrawal, the onset of unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms —from irritability to shakiness to nausea; delirium and seizures in severe cases. For people with addictions to drugs like stimulants or cannabis, no medications are currently available to assist in treatment, so treatment consists of behavioral therapies.

Shame is an especially powerful negative feeling that can both invite addiction in the first place and result from it. It gets in the way of recovery, self-acceptance, and accessing help when needed. Studies show that craving has a distinct timetable—there is a rise and fall of craving.

Long-term recovery from addiction is a journey marked by personal development, improved health, and achieving significant milestones. Each of these areas contributes to sustaining a sober, fulfilling life. Both types of programs often include individual counseling, group therapy, and life skills training to promote long-term recovery.

Second, findings point to new elements for potential inclusion in formal definitions—namely, honesty with oneself and taking responsibility. These elements were among the 3 most highly endorsed elements overall and for most subgroups, but are not identified in any known, formal recovery definition. Third, findings offer new directions for thinking about substance use in relation to recovery definitions.

• Researches current health, mental health, and social issues as well as how they are impacted by AOD.6.
• By acknowledging differences, offering alternatives, and emphasizing flexibility, the recovery process becomes more accessible, person-centered, and ultimately more effective in promoting lasting positive change.
• There are several other ways in which recovery can be defined – some, for example, mention the resolution of a substance use problem, while others specify abstinence.
• Discover the proper detox definition and explore effective practices for achieving optimal wellness today.
• Centrality thresholds included endorsement by ⩾80% participants and ranking (by endorsement level) within the top 10 of all recovery items.

Behavioral therapies help people in drug addiction treatment modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug use. As a result, patients are able to handle stressful situations and various triggers that might cause another relapse. Behavioral therapies can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people remain in treatment longer. Understanding https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ the dynamic nature of addiction, harm reduction aligns with the idea that relapses may occur and should be viewed as opportunities for learning and adjustment rather than as failures. By adopting harm reduction strategies, individuals gain the tools to make healthier choices, manage risks, and gradually work towards minimizing the impact of substance use on their lives.

• Like many other chronic conditions, treatment is available for substance use disorders.
• Early intervention is essential as the majority of mental illnesses manifest before age 14, highlighting the urgent necessity for effective support and treatment for at-risk children.
• If people stop following their medical treatment plan, they are likely to relapse.
• During the early phase, withdrawal and detoxification are typically the first hurdles.

This free, in-person event on February 3, 2025, gathers over 4,000 prevention practitioners, advocates, scientists, community leaders, and more to explore innovative strategies, policies, and research in substance use prevention. The 2025 theme is “Telling the Prevention Story” — Celebrating prevention successes and inspiring action. The navigator displays state-by-state credentialing and licensure requirements for current and aspiring behavioral health professionals. Xenia Ellenbogen (she/they) is a journalist specializing in health, mental health, and wellness. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Everyday Health, Well+Good, Rewire News Group, Prism, and more. DT, or alcohol withdrawal delirium (AWD), is the most severe symptom of alcohol withdrawal and can be life-threatening.

This cycle of self-medication can initiate or exacerbate substance use disorders, complicating their mental health landscape further. Research indicates that nearly 50% of individuals with serious mental health issues also meet the criteria for substance use disorder (SUD). This overlap underscores the need for integrated treatment approaches. Addressing both substance abuse and mental health concurrently is critical to improving recovery outcomes and ensuring that individuals do not fall deeper into this cycle of dependency and mental distress. Continuous substance use, particularly with drugs such as cannabis, stimulants, and hallucinogens, can lead to severe mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and psychosis. For example, regular cannabis use has been linked to heightened risks of developing psychotic disorders, while stimulant abuse can trigger anxiety and paranoia.