Substance Abuse and Psychological Health….Which Leads to Which?

The link between substance abuse and the psychological well-being of the person is not recent news, mainly adolescents and young adults.

Psychological health refers to the mental and emotional state of the person, with the most commonly encountered ones are:

• Stress and anxiety
• Depression
• Mood disorders

According to mental health professionals, psychological problems and substance abuse (alcohol, cigarette smoking, marijuana and drugs) are often seen together because one increases the vulnerability to the other. In fact, people suffering from psychological instability will most likely show signs of irritability, racing thoughts, stress, anxiety, depression, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. Thus, their recurrence to substance use will help them feel “normal” for a certain period of time. A study has shown that at least 20% of people with substance abuse issues have at least one psychological problem, leading them to use the substance to the point of social, financial, legal, occupational or physical harm.

Furthermore, high school students who drop out before graduating are more likely to drink, smoke cigarettes and use marijuana. This case is considered a serious public health implication, especially that this population is at a greater risk of poverty, as they won’t be hired without having a college degree, hence their lack of medical insurance to cover any needed medical expenses arising from substance use problems.

Several reasons could be leading to this dependence, and in some cases it could be a combination of causes, from which we could mention the three most important ones:

• Biological: a genetic predisposition to a psychological state, combined with some environmental factors, account for almost half of the addition vulnerability.
• Developmental: the combination of biological and environmental factors interact with the developmental stages in a person’s life, hence the reason why adolescents are more prone to substance abuse. In addition to their continuous brain development in areas responsible for decision making, judgement, and self-control, thus, they can get in trouble more easily than older adults or grown-ups.
• Environmental: these include several influencers such as friends, family, socio-economic status and quality of life (bullying, stress, sexual abuse, parental abuse…), which could tremendously drive them towards substance use.

Despite this inevitable link between substance use and psychological health, there could be countless preventive measures including:

• Family, school, community and media awareness against substance use
• Help the young generation understand the risks of substance use and abuse
• Show them support when they try to talk about their personal problems
• Rehabilitation centers, counseling and support groups
• Meditation to reduce the level of stress and anxiety that are potential causes of substance abuse
• Treat the initial cause that is leading them towards substance abuse

Whenever you see a loved one or a person you know suffering from a substance abuse or from a psychological situation that might be pushing them towards the edge, do not be in the passenger’s seat, rather take action and transfer them to a professional in the field.