The devastating physical effects of addiction are well known, perhaps because they are so disturbingly observable: severe weight loss or gain, tremors, slurred speech, skin problems, tooth and gum decay, change in personal hygiene.
But how does addiction affect mental health? Do different substances or behaviors have different effects? For example, how does social media addiction affect mental health? Is it different from alcohol or sex addiction? And what hope is there for health and wholeness after the ravages of addiction?
Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health
According to the American Psychiatric Association, substance use disorders are conditions “in which there is uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequences.” A key symptom of SUD, as opposed to recreational use, is that a person continues to use a substance–usually drugs or alcohol–despite negative impacts on health, relationships, work, or school.
Sometimes it can be hard to gain perspective on your own or a loved one’s substance use. That’s when taking a drug or alcohol use screening test can help you determine if your use has crossed a line into abuse.
Such abuse has destructive effects on physical health–from heart and blood pressure problems to sleep disruptions and tooth or hair loss–but how can addiction affect your mental health?
The effects begin with the brain. Again from the American Psychiatric Association: “Repeated substance use can cause changes in how the brain functions…Brain imaging studies show changes in the areas of the brain that relate to judgment, decision-making, learning, memory, and behavioral control.”
Such changes can not only cause mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression, but can also exacerbate existing mental illnesses. For example, bipolar disorder and drinking alcohol unfortunately can go hand-in-hand for up to 45 percent of people diagnosed with bipolar. Alcohol worsens the symptoms of bipolar and can have devastating consequences, feeding a destructive cycle of substance use and bipolar symptoms.
This cycle is often repeated with different mental illnesses, from depression to psychosis. Alcohol and drug abuse can not only bring on psychotic episodes but also exacerbate and lengthen them.
Behavioral Addictions and Mental Health
The answer to “how does addiction affect mental health?” must include a look at behavioral addictions. Though they affect the brain in similar ways to substance use disorder, addictive behaviors are not ingested but engaged in. They trigger the brain’s reward system, but the user is not able to control or regulate their engagement in the addictive behaviors, and–similar to substance abuse–continues indulging or over-indulging in the behavior to the harm of relationships, work, school, or health.
Examples include:
- Exercise addiction
- Gambling addiction
- Internet or social media addiction
- Pornography addiction
- Sex addiction
- Shopping addiction
- Food addiction
Though many of these behaviors do not carry the stigma of drug or alcohol abuse, the effects of being addicted to them are no less damaging. For example, take addiction and relationships: when participating in one of these activities becomes more important that spending time with loved ones–or if it actively destroys a loved one’s trust, such as is the case with sex addiction–relationships suffer.
What Causes Addiction and Mental Illness?
The answer to this question is complex, and there is no definitive answer. However, how addiction affects mental health is often inextricably linked to co-occurring trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). (Unsure if you or a loved one are suffering from an ACE? Consider taking an ACEs assessment to gain some perspective.)
Trauma–whether experienced in childhood or after–can have life-altering effects. Whether the traumatic experience be death of a loved one, abuse or neglect, or witnessing violence, trauma has actual physical effects on the brain, making the sufferer more susceptible to mental illness ranging from OCD to depression, and to substance or behavior addictions.
Though trauma is not in the past of everyone suffering from mental illness and/or addiction, it is common, and good evidence-based treatment programs will address it as the root of the addiction. Trauma-informed detox management acknowledges the lingering effects of trauma even during detox, and creates a safe environment where the person has power over their circumstances.
Recognizing the Emotional Red Flags of Addiction
While many people focus on the visible effects of addiction, the emotional warning signs often go unnoticed — yet they can be just as debilitating. Recognizing these internal cues is a critical step toward seeking help and healing.
Emotional and psychological signs of addiction may include:
- Increased irritability or mood swings: Sudden changes in mood or emotional outbursts without clear reason may indicate substance use or behavioral dependence.
- Chronic feelings of guilt or shame: Individuals may feel persistent guilt over their behavior, especially if it impacts loved ones or personal goals.
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities: Hobbies, relationships, or work that once brought joy might no longer seem appealing.
- Anxiety or paranoia: Many substances and addictive behaviors heighten anxiety or create a sense of paranoia that worsens over time.
- Isolation from loved ones: People struggling with addiction often withdraw socially, avoiding those who may express concern or question their behavior.
- Obsessive thinking about the next “fix”: Whether it’s a drug, a screen, or another behavior, intrusive thoughts around engaging in that activity can dominate daily life.
Being aware of these emotional patterns can help individuals, families, and clinicians intervene earlier, setting the stage for trauma-informed care and holistic recovery.
Find Answers and Healing at Sana at Stowe
Perhaps you are noticing the devastating effects of addiction in your own or a loved one’s life and are wondering, how does addiction affect mental health? Maybe you are looking up how to detox from alcohol abuse or other substance abuse. Maybe you have begun engaging tools like the AUDIT drinking tool to determine if you need help.
If you are ready to take the next step towards healing and wholeness, consider Sana at Stowe, a luxury rehab facility in beautiful rural Vermont. Our holistic treatment plans and luxurious facility offer many options to treat addiction and mental illness, ranging from a more short-term mental health wellness retreat to immersive residential treatment programs. Our treatments include holistic services like trauma-informed yoga as well as evidence-based talk therapies like motivational enhancement therapy.
Sana at Stowe offers medically-supervised detox and accepts insurance through in-network providers such as TRICARE.
Hundreds of former patients agree: “I had no hope when I came here [to Sana] and thought I was beyond help. Now I feel a sense of meaning and I want to live for myself.”
So if you are wondering how does addiction affect mental health, if you feel yourself descending into a downward spiral of addiction and mental illness, do not hesitate to reach out to us today. Download our addiction treatment guide to get started. Give us a call at (802) 532-5277 to speak to one of our professionals, today.
