Can drugs cause mental illness?
Let us find out. According to the English dictionary drugs can be defined as a substance used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose”. Drugs can have side effects even when not misused and when misused the side effects can be vast, especially for those with mental illness.
Do drug problems cause mental illness or does mental illness cause drug problems?
It can be hard to tell which problem came first, the drugs or the mental illness. Having a mental illness can make a person more likely to abuse drugs which in turn makes their symptoms feel better in the short-term. Other people have drug problems that may trigger the first symptoms of mental illness. Some drugs can cause a condition called drug-induced Psychosis which is simply any psychotic episode that is related to the abuse of an intoxicant. However, if someone has a predisposition to a psychotic illness such as Schizophrenia, these drugs may trigger the first episode in what can be a lifelong mental illness. Using drugs can also make the symptoms of mental illnesses worse and make treatment less effective
Those who are mentally ill can be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. The two issues often go hand in hand because according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 8.4 million adults in the US have both a mental and substance use disorder. Studies exploring the link between substance use disorders and other mental illnesses have typically not included people with severe psychotic illnesses. When these individuals abuse drugs, they may feel less anxiety, depression or neuroses, albeit temporarily. When the individual is not high, the symptoms of their mental health issues return. Often times stronger than they were.
Abused drugs can lead to a condition that affects the persons thinking, feeling and mood. Such conditions may affect a person’s ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person may have different experiences even with the same diagnosis.
What are signs that you might have a drug problem?
There are signs of the health impact in using recreational drugs. Be it nicotine, alcohol or a street drug, drugs and alcohol can change the way you act, relate to others and your affect your appearance. You can become less motivated, irritable, anxious and aggressive. It can change the way you live your life. You may not get on with people like you used to. Maybe you won’t have enough money. Find it hard to keep living in the same house with loved ones. You may get in trouble with the law. It can even change the way you look. Loosing or gaining weight, skin conditions and teeth issues.
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