It’s relatively common for many patients to have more than one mental health condition. They may also have additional medical disorders. The connection between substance use disorders and other health problems can be very complex.
Anxiety Disorders
Many substances can cause patients to become significantly more anxious. The same stimulant drugs that make people feel more energetic will also increase their overall stress levels.
Individuals who already have anxiety disorders may experience more heightened symptoms as a result. The patients who did not have these disorders previously may have at least some associated symptoms. Patients who have anxiety disorders can feel exhausted after a while. The symptoms of common anxiety disorders can include fatigue and insomnia.
Some people with anxiety disorders might look for stimulant drugs that will give them some artificial energy when the disorder has made them feel listless and tired. Unfortunately, these patients often have problems with rapid breathing patterns and heart rates already. Many substances can cause healthy patients to develop those issues, making them even more potentially serious for the patients who are already trying to get these symptoms under control.
Patients can also certainly become anxious because of the substance use disorder itself. They might be concerned about the recovery process and how much progress they’re making. Their symptoms can make this step more complex, but professional support can help these patients get through it.
Clinical Depression
Patients who have clinical depression may attempt to alleviate the symptoms by using certain substances, potentially leading to substance use disorders. The substances themselves can make the clinical depression itself worse, or create some symptoms that are commonly associated with depression.
Some patients who have clinical depression might also try to use stimulant drugs in order to feel less fatigued. People who have depression often have a difficult time sleeping at all, making them feel tired when they are awake.
It’s also common for clinically depressed patients to spend a lot of the day sleeping, even when they’re trying to avoid doing so. Some people will try to get around this symptom just by consuming caffeine and similar drugs.
Other people may try to eliminate several of their clinical depression symptoms at once by taking much more dangerous substances. The patients who are able to get their substance use disorders treated successfully still might need to get their clinical depression treated.
By working with qualified psychology professionals at organizations like https://www.vsmdetoxaustin.com/, they may be able to find a treatment method that will successfully and genuinely address this underlying mental health problem.
Effective Treatments
Substance use disorders are mental illnesses themselves. Addressing a second psychological condition at the same time can be challenging. Clinically depressed patients and patients who have anxiety disorders may have had those mental health conditions for years. They may have developed substance use disorders more recently.
Some patients will need to have their substance use disorders at least partly addressed before they can start receiving formal treatment for their other mental health disorders. Substances can immediately threaten a person’s life, and patients may need to be relatively stable before they can try to manage other psychological concerns.
However, that also doesn’t necessarily mean that people will have to learn how to solve their mental health problems sequentially. The fact that these problems are related in the first place can sometimes make it somewhat easier for professionals to help people work on more than one problem as part of therapy. All the patients who initially tried to self-medicate using substances may be able to get both health problems managed, helping them make even more progress.
