YOU, YOUR KIDS & SCHOOL: Mental health and substance abuse issues are linked

Often, students and adults talk about using drugs to self-medicate their feelings and/or mental illness. Alcohol, marijuana or other drugs can be abused to self-medicate the symptoms of depression or anxiety. Unfortunately, substance abuse causes side effects and in the long run worsens the very symptoms they initially numbed or relieved.

When you have both a mental health issue and a substance abuse problem such as bipolar disorder, anxiety or depression, it is called a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder. Dealing with drug addiction, alcoholism or substance abuse is never easy, and it's even more difficult when you're also struggling with mental health problems, but there are treatments that can help. With proper treatment, support, and self-help strategies, you can overcome a dual diagnosis and reclaim your life.

It is important to understanding the link between mental health and substance abuse. In the article "We're Related: Substance Abuse and Mental Health," the authors go into further detail about the link. In a dual diagnosis, both the mental health issue and the drug or alcohol addiction have their own unique symptoms that may get in the way of your ability to function, handle life's difficulties, and relate to others. To make the situation more complicated, the co-occurring disorders also interact and affect each other. When a mental health problem goes untreated, the substance abuse problem usually gets worse as well. When the alcohol or drug abuse increases, mental health problems usually increase, too.

A question that often is asked is: What comes first? The substance abuse or mental health problem? Addiction is common in people with mental health problems. Although substance abuse and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are closely linked, one does not directly cause the other.

Some interesting facts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness state that; alcohol and drug abuse can make symptoms of a mental health problem worse. Substance abuse may sharply increase symptoms of mental illness or trigger new symptoms. Alcohol and drug abuse also interact with medications such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, and mood stabilizers, making them less effective.

According to reports published in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

Roughly 50 percent of individuals with severe mental disorders are affected by substance abuse.Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and 53 percent of drug users also have at least one serious mental health illness.

It can be difficult to diagnose a substance abuse problem and a co-occurring mental health disorder. It takes time to tease out what might be a mental health disorder and what might be an alcohol or drug problem.

Denial complicates the issue and is common in substance abuse. It's hard to admit how dependent you are on alcohol or drugs or how much they negatively affect your life. Denial frequently occurs in mental disorders as well. The symptoms of depression or anxiety can be frightening, so you may ignore them and hope they go away. Or you may be ashamed or afraid of being viewed as weak if you admit the problem.

The best treatment for co-occurring disorders is an integrated approach, where both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously. Recovering from co-occurring disorders takes time, commitment, and courage. It may take months or even years but people with substance abuse and mental health problems can and do get better.