Mental Health During Withdrawal From Addiction

How Does Mental Health and Withdrawal From Addiction Correlate?

Comorbidity between mental health disorders and addiction has long been known and accepted by the medical community. Often, mental illness can be a driving factor in substance abuse, leading to substance use disorders. Those with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD will use alcohol and drugs to self-medicate symptoms. Unfortunately, while they may feel temporary relief after the effects have worn off, mental health symptoms will often feel worse.

Addiction and substance abuse can also lead to the development of mental health disorders, especially in those with genetic predispositions. Continued and frequent substance abuse will cause the brain to become dependent on the substance. It will physically alter the brain’s biochemical regulation, including serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. Some brain areas that are disrupted by substance abuse are the same as in other mental disorders, such as anxiety, schizophrenia, or impulse control.

Detoxing from drugs and alcohol can also be complicated by or complicate mental illness. Developing physical dependence on addictive substances causes the brain to become dependent on them for the production of certain neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and mental health. When the substance is taken away, our brains struggle to compensate for it, leading to myriad withdrawal symptoms including mental health symptoms.