Can Drug Addiction Cause Mental Disorders?

Many people use drugs as an escape from reality. Drug addiction can heighten underlying mental health disorders. Certain drugs can cause paranoia, depression, and anxiety. A person with depression, anxiety, PTSD, paranoia, or other mental health problems will experience elevated levels of these symptoms.

When a person uses drugs regularly, he or she will build a tolerance to the effects of the drug. The brain develops a dependence on the drug to function and using drugs can cause brain damage, liver failure, seizures, heart attack or stroke. Drug addiction leads to many physical and mental health issues. Drugs can cause a person to overdose or lead to an early death.

People who have a mental health disorder often use drugs to alleviate the symptoms of their mental illness. When people self-medicate, any mental health problems they have are temporarily masked. Some drugs can be associated with the development of certain disorders. Instead of bringing relief, drugs can lead to new problems.

Drug abuse can cause many types of mental health illnesses. Psychosis, delirium, amnesia disorder, and perceptual disorders can develop from regular drug use. Disruptive sleep patterns, shakiness, disorientation, irritability, anxiety disorders, and depression can stem from heavy drug use.

Some drugs affect memory and can cause persisting dementia or amnesia. Long-term drug use can cause an inability to retain new memories or access old ones. Drugs damage parts of the brain that control memory retention.

Not everyone reacts the same way to each drug. One drug may cause a person to experience psychosis, but another person taking the same drug might have symptoms of anxiety. Drugs such as cocaine have been associated with the psychotic disorders. Certain drugs or alcohol can accelerate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

People living with drug addiction and mental disorders have a dual diagnosis and need to stay in therapy for a long time. It can be hard to treat a mental illness that is covered by a drug addiction. Healing will take time, but recovery is worth the effort. Sometimes people will need medication prescribed by a medical professional who can manage and monitor the progress in recovery.

Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs.