The Connection Between Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Substance use disorder doesn’t always exist in isolation. In fact, mental illness and alcohol addiction often go hand-in-hand. This creates a unique challenge for patients and treatment, requiring individualized strategies that treat both challenges together. The more you understand the relationship between mental illness and drug addiction, the better you can develop practices that promote a happy, healthy life in Torrance, CA! Read on to learn about the connection between mental illness and substance abuse and how to treat co-occurring disorders effectively.

Self-Medication and Coping

Often, those struggling with mental health issues turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with challenging symptoms. Since mental health disorders have biological roots, self-medication is used to target and alleviate those symptoms. While these substances offer temporary relief, they create unhealthy dependencies and, ultimately, lead to drug and alcohol addiction. These coping mechanisms can lead to adverse side effects that worsen mental health issues, such as damaged relationships, instability, anxiety, and even homelessness.

Understanding the biological link between mental health disorders and substance abuse informs drug addiction treatment, ensuring it targets the root causes of substance abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and drug addiction, a rehab treatment program may be the perfect solution for both.

Shared Risk Factors

Shared risk factors refer to risk factors that contribute to both mental illness and substance use disorder, such as biological vulnerabilities or external stressors. If your family has a history of mental illness or addiction, odds are you have a biological predisposition toward both. Childhood traumas also create psychological vulnerabilities to mental illness and alcohol addiction, as past traumas can lead to anxiety and depression in adult life.

The past isn’t the only factor in creating shared risks. Present stressors such as job loss, financial hardships, and divorce all increase the odds of developing mental illnesses and substance use disorder. Recognizing shared risks, past and present, helps licensed professionals tailor treatment for improved chances of recovery in Torrance, CA.

Co-Occurring Disorders

Co-occurring disorders refer to the dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance use disorder. This complicates treatment and recovery by presenting an even more intricate network of symptoms and triggers, one leading to the other in a cognitive domino effect. One statistic states that up to 50 percent of individuals with severe mental illness also deal with substance abuse. This concerning prevalence underscores how important it is for comprehensive addiction treatment programs to address both issues simultaneously.

Recovery Strategies

Dual diagnosis treatment approaches mental illness and substance use disorder with a comprehensive array of strategies. It often includes individual counseling, support groups, healthy coping skills, and family therapies. This treatment method addresses the complex relationship between mental illness and alcohol abuse, teaching patients lifestyle practices that help them confront internal and external stressors without chemicals.

Rehab treatment centers connect patients with support groups to provide emotional support during and beyond addiction treatment. Patients share their experiences in a safe, non-judgmental space, where they can meet others who understand the challenges of mental illness and substance use disorder. These strategies are the most effective way to treat co-occurring disorders for patients in Torrance, CA.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, call Twin Town Treatment Centers for reliable support. We provide individualized, evidence-based programs that help patients address triggers and develop relapse prevention strategies. We offer comprehensive care to increase your chances of a lasting recovery. Call Twin Town Treatment Centers today at 866-594-8844 or contact us online to schedule an appointment.