Substance Abuse and Addiction

How does drug use affect mental health?

A Answers (1)

  • AGeorge Joseph, Addiction Medicine, answered

    When people are active in addiction or in early recovery, they often experience a variety of negative reactions brought on, in many cases, by imbalanced brain chemistry stemming from their drug use. Symptoms include:

    • Anger
    • Anxiety
    • Bi-polar disorder
    • Constant state of hyper vigilance
    • Depression
    • Looping or repetitive thoughts
    • Psychosis
    • Thoughts and behaviors resembling schizophrenia

    When your body and brain are in optimal emotional, physical and mental health, your brain waves synchronize appropriately to the stimuli around you. Your brain produces adequate amounts of neurotransmitters to help you feel alert, relaxed, focused and peaceful. However, when you are under mental or emotional stress, eating an unbalanced diet, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, alcohol or other mind-altering substances, the natural production of these neurotransmitters becomes unbalanced.

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