How Does Alcohol and Drugs Affect Mental Health?

The relationship between mental health and alcohol and other drugs has long been recognized. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that approximately 21.5 million adults in the United States live with co-occurring disorders—where a mental illness and a substance use disorder exist together. It’s estimated that about 50% of those struggling with addiction also face mental health challenges. In many cases, people may resort to substance use to manage feelings of stress, anger, anxiety, and sadness, a strategy that often proves counterproductive and can even exacerbate these emotions. So, how does alcohol and drug affect mental health?

These substances significantly affect the brain, particularly in areas linked to mood and emotion regulation. While they may provide short-term relief from negative feelings, their use leads to alterations in the brain that deplete essential chemicals for maintaining a balanced mood, often resulting in increased stress, anxiety, or depression. This disruption can be persistent, possibly activating deeper mental health issues that require ongoing management. The way mental health is influenced varies based on several factors, such as the type of substance, how often it’s used, the dosage, individual health conditions, and genetic factors.

Unfortunately, when people encounter heightened mental health struggles, they may resort to increased substance use in hopes of finding relief. This creates a dangerous cycle of addiction and mental health issues, which often requires comprehensive treatment programs to break. The most effective treatment for addiction and co-occurring disorders involves dual diagnosis treatment, which addresses both problems at once. If either disorder remains untreated, the risk of relapse and a return to negative patterns increases significantly.

How Do Alcohol and Drugs Affect Your Mental Health?

There are significant impacts on mental health from using drugs and alcohol, both in the short and long term. The short-term effects can vary depending on the specific substance. For example, depressants such as heroin and alcohol may create feelings of euphoria and relaxation, while stimulants like methamphetamines and cocaine can induce euphoria accompanied by heightened energy levels. Over time, with ongoing use, drugs and alcohol affect mental health in a variety of ways. Substances affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for mood and emotional regulation, which can lead to developing or worsening mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, and paranoia.

Furthermore, substance abuse can modify brain chemistry and physically damage regions responsible for memory, judgment, speech, and balance. As reported by NYC Health, drug use can cause such excessive releases of dopamine that normal activities cease to bring joy. This can leave individuals feeling flat, depressed, and devoid of life, leading them to rely on substances just to restore their dopamine levels to a baseline state. Prolonged abuse can ultimately result in the development of a substance use disorder, a mental health condition characterized by an individual’s inability to manage their substance use effectively.

How Does Alcohol and Drugs Affect the Brain’s Activity?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the consumption of drugs and alcohol disrupts how neurons communicate through neurotransmitters. Central nervous system depressants such as marijuana and opioids stimulate neurons due to their chemical similarity to natural neurotransmitters. When these substances bind to receptors in the brain, they replicate the effects of the brain’s own chemicals, but not in the same way, resulting in distorted signals. On the other hand, stimulant drugs like amphetamines and cocaine trigger neurons to release large amounts of natural neurotransmitters, which can either enhance or disrupt normal neuron communication.

These substances disturb the brain’s balance of neurotransmitters, particularly by flooding the system with dopamine, which produces temporary feelings of pleasure and euphoria. Over time, the brain becomes dependent on drugs or alcohol to function properly. As a result, individuals may experience anxiety and depression when they are not under the influence since the brain struggles to control the neurotransmitters that regulate mood. Prolonged abuse of these substances can lead to significant and lasting damage to brain structure, resulting in enduring mental health challenges. The impact of drug and alcohol abuse on brain activity is how addiction affects mental health, creating a challenging cycle that is tough to escape without support.

What Are the Psychological Symptoms of Substance Abuse?

Substance abuse, whether it be drugs or alcohol, significantly impacts the brain’s reward center. These substances manipulate the brain’s chemistry and pathways, leading individuals to prioritize using them, which results in notable shifts in mood, thought processes, behavior, and perceptions. Here are some common psychological effects associated with substance abuse:

• Mood disorders: Individuals may experience conditions like depression, anxiety, irritability, psychosis, and paranoia.
• Cognitive and perceptual challenges: This can manifest as difficulties with memory, concentration, confusion, disorientation, and even hallucinations.
• Behavioral transformations: People might exhibit compulsive drug-seeking behavior, social withdrawal, apathy, or heightened aggression.
• Emotional instability: This could show up as sudden outbursts of anger or overwhelming feelings of anxiety and sadness.
• Risk of suicidality: There may be an increased likelihood of suicidal thoughts, behaviors, or self-harm.
• Changes in personality: A noticeable decline in self-care and general interest in personal well-being can also occur.

The psychological symptoms of substance abuse can be both acute and long-term, affecting a person’s mood, cognition, behavior, and overall mental health. In many cases, the psychological effects are intertwined with physical dependence, making it difficult for individuals to break free from substance abuse without professional support. However, with abstinence from drugs and alcohol along with adopting a healthy lifestyle, individuals can reduce or even reverse the effects of substance abuse on the body and mind.

What Is One of the Major Signs That a Person Has a Substance Use Disorder?

One of the most telling signs of a substance use disorder is an overwhelming urge to use a substance, even when it leads to negative outcomes. The grip that drugs and alcohol can have on an individual can be deeply entrenched, making it incredibly tough to quit, even if there’s a genuine desire to do so. When a person’s substance use starts to impact their personal life, relationships, work, or health, that relentless urge to continue using becomes more apparent. These cravings and compulsions are critical indicators of addiction, showing that substance use has taken on a dominant role in the person’s life. At this point, individuals are likely to need professional support to overcome substance abuse.

How Resurgence Behavioral Health Helps You Recover From the Mental Health Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

At Resurgence Behavioral Health, we understand how alcohol and drug abuse affect mental health, as well as the difficulties involved in breaking free from addiction. Our treatment programs are designed to target the root causes of substance abuse through a combination of evidence-based therapies, medication management, supportive group sessions, and holistic approaches. By seeking professional help, you can put an end to substance abuse and start the journey toward healing your mental health from the effects of addiction. Through our dual diagnosis treatment program, we address co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder to provide our patients with the best possible chance for sustained recovery.

If you or someone you care about is facing mental health challenges as a result of substance abuse, please reach out to Resurgence Behavioral Health at 855-458-0050. Our admissions specialists are ready to discuss how you can begin treatment as soon as possible.

External Sources

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – Co-Occurring Disorders and Other Health Conditions
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction Drugs and the Brain
• NYC Health – Alcohol and Drugs: Health Effects

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial