Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder cause intense feelings and symptoms that interfere with daily life. Sometimes, people use drugs or alcohol as a way to self-medicate in order to cope with these symptoms. When that happens, a person may feel better at that moment, getting a bit of relief from thoughts and fears. Yet, over time, addiction makes mental health challenges far worse. Our team at Sunstone Recovery can help at any stage.
What Are the Mental Health Effects of Drug Abuse
Those who engage in drug or alcohol use are at a higher risk for developing addiction and dependence if they have underlying mental health disorders. What makes drugs so bad as a treatment option for mental health?
- Some drugs make the symptoms of mental health disorders more prominent.
- Drugs and alcohol only help for a very short time allowing the symptoms to come back faster.
- Often, drugs and alcohol carry their own risks, most often risks that are much worse than the mental health condition, including the risk of overdose.
- Without treatment of the underlying problem, it just comes back and often at a much higher rate.
- Over time, a person needs to use more of the same drugs to get the same relief. That increases the risk of dependence, addiction, and overdose occurring.
Some of the most common drugs to cause mental health effects include cocaine, LSD, marijuana, and inhalants. Some people will also struggle with prescription drugs for this.
Battling Mental Health Issues and Addiction at the Same Time
For those who have mental health issues and addiction, seeking out treatment for both conditions is critical. Treating just the addiction leaves a person vulnerable to the symptoms they feel again from their anxiety or depression. Treating just the mental health disorder doesn’t deal with the dependence a person has on their drugs.
Dual diagnosis is the type of treatment used to manage addiction and mental health at the same time. This type of treatment program helps a person to gain support for both of their conditions. That includes medications to help balance their mental health disorder needs as well as treatment for addiction itself.
At Sunstone Recovery, we provide a range of therapies and tools to help people to reach a healthy outlook. The key here is to explore the types of therapy that can reach your needs. For example, evidence-based treatment can help to provide insight into the negative thought processes that sometimes lead to addiction, such as self-blame, guilt, and inaccurate thoughts. Treatment can also work to help you learn about your mental health disorder, including learning how to control the symptoms you have.
What to Do When You Need Mental Health Therapy in Oregon
Our team is here to help you. Whether you are using drugs to help with mental health or not, our comprehensive programs can provide insight and support to help you see the improvement you need. You just have to take the first step – reach out to us. Learn about our programs and the services we provide. You may find this is the best decision you can make for your future. Using drugs as a way to manage your mental health isn’t going to work long. Our strategies do. Here are some of the therapies we offer:
- Telehealth addiction treatment
- Intensive outpatient program
- Young adult rehab program
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Addiction therapy programs
Explore the Treatment You Need at Sunstone Recovery
Battling mental health and addiction at the same time is a challenge, but treatment programs are available that can significantly improve your outcome. If you are ready to learn more about mental health and addiction treatment, turn to our team at Sunstone Recovery. Call our compassionate team of professionals at 855.833.9199 or reach out to us online now.
