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Chemical dependency is a compulsion to take a mood-altering chemical such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, methamphetamines, and prescription drugs such as opioids and other medications. Chemical addiction is also known by other terms, such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction, or habit. A chemically dependent person is unable to stop drinking or taking a mood-altering substance despite physical, emotional, economic, professional, legal, moral, and social consequences. Denial is common in both substance abuse and mental health issues. It’s often hard to admit how dependent you are on alcohol or drugs or how much they affect your life. Similarly, the symptoms of conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or PTSD can be frightening, so you may try to ignore them and hope they go away.

People often abuse alcohol or drugs to ease the symptoms of an undiagnosed mental disorder, to cope with difficult emotions, or to temporarily change their mood. Unfortunately, self-medicating with drugs or alcohol causes side effects and in the long run often worsens the symptoms they initially helped to relieve. People sometimes fear seeking help for drug addiction due to concerns of legal consequences or, when the person who is addicted is a parent, the involvement of Child Protective Services.

Alcohol & Drug Addiction

Treatment for an alcohol use disorder depends on how severe it is. Your doctor or nurse can help find the ways alcohol negatively affects your life and can help you make a plan to stop. Substance use disorder happens when a person’s use of certain drugs or other substances, including alcohol and tobacco, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ causes health problems or problems at work, school, or home. Women who drink while pregnant also put their babies at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder , which can cause serious problems for the baby during and after pregnancy. FASD can cause physical, mental, and behavioral disabilities.

It’s difficult to face for most addicts, the fact that certain parts of their lives will no longer work if they want to continue pursuing addiction recovery. As they go through therapy they may find that can alcoholism be cured certain relationships are triggers for their addiction. Maybe they have to stop doing an activity that they believed defined a part of who they are, because the environment lends itself to addiction.

Addiction changes the brain

Support groups can be especially helpful when you’re going through treatment for AUD. A support group can help you connect with other people who’re facing similar challenges. They can help answer questions, provide encouragement, and direct you to support resources. The road to recovering from AUD can be a long process that requires various treatments or therapies. The sooner you recognize there may be a problem and talk to your healthcare provider, the better your recovery chances. Be prepared to discuss any problems that alcohol may be causing.

Some people have a substance or alcohol use disorder or addiction in addition to another mental health condition . This is common and is often called a co-occurring disorder. Your doctor, nurse, or therapist may recommend treating both disorders at the same time. Tell your doctor, nurse, or a mental health professional about all the symptoms you are experiencing so they can create the best treatment plan for you. Alcohol and drug abuse can increase the underlying risk for mental disorders. Since mental health problems are caused by a complex interplay of genetics, the environment, and other factors, it’s difficult to say if abusing substances ever directly causes them.