Mental Health: How Addiction Effects It

While addiction can stem from mental health issues, it can also be a leading factor in causing mental health issues…

Sometimes, those who have suffered from:

  • Sexual abuse
  • Mental abuse
  • Depression and anxiety

…and many other issues related to mental health will find themselves in the midst of addiction. However, this also works the other way around.

Chronic use of some drugs can cause both long-term and short-term effects on the brain.

Drugs and alcohol actually take a toll on the brain – effecting the brain’s pathways, its response to specific hormones, and how the brain normally functions. This change in function can lead to several issues such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, and even later on – suicide.

Some drugs that can cause mental health issues later include:

  • LSD
  • Cocaine
  • Inhalants
  • PCP
  • Steroids

…and several other drugs.

It is estimated that in 2015, around 43.4 million people suffered from mental illness. And, of these 43.4 million, 8.1 million had both a substance abuse disorder and mental illness. This is probably because those who abuse drugs are twice more likely – than the general population – to suffer from anxiety and other various mood disorders.

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In addition to changing the brain’s pathways, the effect that drugs have on the normal functioning of the brain lead to a much greater risk of mental illness. As a result of extensive drug usage, addicts might experience a lack of sleep and might also become incredibly unhealthy.

A lack of sleep leads to depression and anxiety. However, it can also lead to weight gain and other physical changes that could also cause the onset of mental illness.

Overview

Because our brain plays a vital role in our overall well-being and life in general, several factors can contribute to messing it up.

Addiction affects you overall – it messes with your mental and physical health which are so closely connected that most people often experience issues with both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQBuvcMUUkM

Who knows? Getting healthy might just be the answer you need to help overcome your addiction.

Don’t let the bottle or pills cost you everything – focus on getting clean and getting healthy to live a better life and be a better you.