Substance Abuse
Substance use disorder is a disease marked by a harmful pattern of substance use that causes significant issues or suffering, including resistance to or abstinence from the substance, as well as additional issues that the substance might create for the sufferer socially, professionally, or academically. Drug addiction has far-reaching societal consequences. Substance abuse and dependence, now both referred to as substance or drug use disorder, is a self-destructive pattern of substance use that causes substantial issues and discomfort, including tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance (Jones & McCance-Katz, 2019).
Substance Classes
In the United States, controlled substances are illegal or prescribed medications that are governed under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Physicians have long known that different types of medications have varying effects on different persons. Drugs can, however, be grouped or categorized based on common symptomatology’s or effects. These long-standing, medically acknowledged facts are the foundation of the physicians classification procedure (Jones & McCance-Katz, 2019). Drugs are divided into one of seven groups, according to various experts: depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics, narcotic analgesics, inhalants, and cannabis. Each of these classes of substances has the potential to impact a person’s central nervous system and impair their normal abilities.
Consequences of Substance Abuse
Substance abuse can have a variety of short- and long-term repercussions. These effects are influenced by the specific substance or drugs used, how they are administered, how much is taken, the person’s health, and other variables. Short-term repercussions include changes in appetite, drowsiness, heart rate, hypertension, and/or temperament, as well as cardiac arrest, stroke, psychosis, overdose, and even death. These side effects might happen after just one usage. Heart and respiratory illness, cancer, mental disorder, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other long-term consequences are possible (Jones & McCance-Katz, 2019). Addiction can develop as a result of long-term drug usage. Addiction to drugs is a mental illness. Substance addiction can have an indirect impact on others around them, in addition to the individual.
Mental Disorders
There are many various types of mental disorders, each with its own set of symptoms. They are characterized by a mix of anomalous ideas, perceptions, emotions, behavior, and interpersonal connections. Mental diseases can be caused by a number of variables, both biological and environmental. Despite the fact that mental problems are frequently connected to substance misuse, a person might suffer from a mental illness without being a drug addict (Coderre, 2021). Co-occurring drug misuse disorders and mental health concerns are a typical occurrence, according to findings published in the American Medical Association journal.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Substance misuse can cause both internalizing and externalizing disorders. A co-occurring issue, often known as a dual diagnosis, occurs when you have both a drug addiction problem and a mental health problem such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety. Both mental health illnesses and drug addiction have co-occurring disorders and symptoms that can interfere with one’s ability to succeed at work or school, have a stable home life, deal with life’s obstacles, and relate to others. The difficulty is exacerbated by the fact that co-occurring disorders interact with one another (Coderre, 2021). Although one does not always cause the other, substance addiction and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are frequently related. Marijuana and methamphetamine abuse, for example, can lead to long-term psychotic responses, while alcohol abuse can exacerbate depression and anxiety symptoms.
Treatment and Prevention
Through preventive activities, individuals and communities should be taught and supported in order to prevent substance use and the development of substance use disorders. Outreach operations should seek out people with active substance use problems who are not in treatment and persuade them that treatment is accessible, cheap, and necessary (Coderre, 2021). Another common method for minimizing the harmful impacts of drug misuse is educational programs. Historically, such programs have targeted substance-abusing individuals, offering them information and support on the risks of sharing drugs or needles, how to access low-or no-cost treatment, and how to prevent succumbing to a drug overdose (Jones & McCance-Katz, 2019). People with troublesome or mild drug use issues can get early intervention treatment in a variety of settings (e.g., school clinics, general care offices, mental health clinics).
References
Coderre, T. (2021). Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration. Source. Drug Caucus Hearing 1 – Coderre testimony.pdf (senate.gov)
Jones, C. M., & McCance-Katz, E. F. (2019). Co-occurring substance use and mental disorders among adults with opioid use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 197, 78-82.