Author: Gary Jackson

Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders National Institute of Mental Health NIMH

Substituted cathinones can be eaten, snorted, inhaled or injected and are highly addictive. These drugs can cause severe intoxication, which results in dangerous health effects or even death. Two groups of synthetic drugs — synthetic cannabinoids and substituted or synthetic cathinones — are illegal in most states. The effects of these drugs can be dangerous and unpredictable, as there is no quality control and some ingredients may not be known. Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe; they can also sometimes be potentially dangerous.

What happens to the brain when a person takes drugs?

It also is essential that the provider tailor treatment, which may include behavioral therapies and medications, to an individual’s specific combination of disorders and symptoms. It should also take into account the person’s age, the misused substance, and the specific mental disorder(s). Talk to your health care provider to determine what treatment may be best for you and give the treatment time to work. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications.

What Does It Mean to Be Substance Dependent?

People use cannabis by smoking, eating or inhaling a vaporized form of the drug. Cannabis often precedes or is used along with other substances, such as alcohol or illegal drugs, and is often the first drug tried. Some drugs, such as opioid painkillers, have a higher risk and cause addiction more quickly than others. Research also suggests that having adequate social support is important during addiction recovery. Reach out to trusted friends and family who can help you through this process.

While some with substance issues recover and lead fulfilling lives, others require ongoing additional support. The ultimate goal of addiction treatment is to enable an individual to manage their substance misuse; for some this may mean abstinence. Immediate goals are often to reduce substance abuse, improve the patient’s ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of substance abuse and their addiction; this is called “harm reduction”. A variety of treatment (or recovery) programs for substance use disorder are available on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Detoxification (if needed, based on the substance) and long-term follow-up management or recovery-oriented systems of care are important features of successful treatment.

What substances are associated with substance use disorder?

Substance dependence and addiction are complex conditions; however, they are treatable. If you or a loved one have become substance dependent, it’s important to seek help and treatment as soon as possible. The person prioritizes their use of the substance over everything else, including their relationships, school, work, family, and other interests. They lose all motivation to do anything else and display significant behavior changes. They may worry about losing their source of the substance, engage in risky or secretive behaviors to obtain more of it or even start selling it themselves, to support their habit. Amphetamines are also used in certain stimulant medications, like Ritalin, that help treat conditions like ADHD.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that 30% of people who use marijuana will develop marijuana use disorder. Depressants include alcohol as well as certain types of medications such as benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, and Ativan), barbiturates, chloral hydrate, and paraldehyde. Depending on the jurisdiction, addictive drugs may be legal, legal only as part of a government sponsored study, illegal to use for any purpose, illegal to sell, or even illegal to merely possess. Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug changes the way your brain feels pleasure. The addicting drug causes physical changes to some nerve cells (neurons) in your brain.

When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Research has found several behavioral therapies that have promise for treating individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. Health care providers may recommend behavioral therapies alone or in combination with medications.

Signs and symptoms of drug use or intoxication may vary, depending on the type of drug.

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For others, particularly with opioids, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines or receive them from others who have prescriptions. Excess of both barbiturates and alcohol may result in a form of intoxication with the similar symptoms of impaired mental and psychomotor skills. Taken together, barbiturates and alcohol, potentiate each other; that is, the effects of the two drugs taken together is greater than the sum of their effects when taken separately. Substance use disorders should be evaluated by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed counselor specializing in drug and alcohol addictions.

1. Download, read, and order free NIMH brochures and fact sheets about mental disorders and related topics.
2. They deny that they have a problem despite mounting health issues, family conflicts, financial difficulties, and legal problems as a result of their substance use.
3. Depending on how many symptoms you have, your condition may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
4. Cannabis often precedes or is used along with other substances, such as alcohol or illegal drugs, and is often the first drug tried.
5. As your drug use increases, you may find that it’s increasingly difficult to go without the drug.
6. Find out how NIMH engages a range of stakeholder organizations as part of its efforts to ensure the greatest public health impact of the research we support.

Many people don’t understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to.

Symptoms a Person Is Substance Dependent

The individual dependent on opiate drugs such as heroin or morphine may be permanently dependent. In the text revision of the DSM-5, the information on substance-induced mild neurocognitive disorders was updated to include symptoms caused by stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine. Such additions were made in response to research demonstrating that prolonged stimulant use can produce lingering neurocognitive effects on learning, memory, and executive function. Keep reading to learn more about the DSM-5-TR criteria for substance use disorders and how these conditions are diagnosed. However, the APA explains that as the brain and body adapt to the effects of the substance, the person needs to consume more and more of it to achieve the same effect.

The question of what type of substance use can be considered normal or acceptable remains controversial. Substance use disorder is caused by multiple factors, including genetic vulnerability, environmental stressors, social pressures, individual personality characteristics, and psychiatric problems. But which of these factors has the biggest influence in any one person cannot be determined in all cases. Help from your health care provider, family, friends, support groups or an organized treatment program can help you overcome your drug addiction and stay drug-free. The two most common forms of chemical dependency are alcoholism and addiction to nonnarcotic central-nervous-system drugs. Individuals who develop a dependency for one drug may also consume other types of mind-altering drugs to affect feelings and perceptions.