Drug and Alcohol Rehab Twickenham

How Do Drug and Alcohol Addictions Affect Mental Health?

Drug and alcohol addictions are hugely linked to mental health. Addictions often start from mental health issues and poor mental health can develop from addictions. Often in rehab, a person will receive a dual diagnosis. This is where a person is diagnosed with a mental health disorder as well as their addiction. Dual diagnoses are fairly common as a large percentage of people suffering from a mental health condition will develop an addiction at some point in their lifetime.

Addiction can affect mental health drastically. Just going through the addiction alone can be traumatizing and cause anxiety. Often people suffering from addiction will have excessive feelings of guilt and shame.

Excessive use of drugs and alcohol over a prolonged period of time can cause some serious long-term mental health issues. The likelihood of you experiencing long-term mental health issues from drug and alcohol abuse depends on many factors including the following:

• Timespan (how long you have used the substance)
• Amount of drugs or alcohol in each dose
• The type of drug being used
• Family history
• Mental health status prior to the addiction

Drug and alcohol abuse makes you more susceptible to developing a mental health disorder such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Mood Disorder
• Paranoia
• Psychosis

What Causes Addictions to Develop?

There are many reasons a person may develop an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Sometimes, addiction starts innocently. Trying a drug with friends can soon turn to want more and more. A person is more likely to develop an addiction to drugs and alcohol if they are surrounded by people who use drugs or drink excessively. If a parent has an addiction, this too can be a contributing factor in addiction development.

A very common reason why a person may develop an addiction is due to their mental health. If someone experiences grief, trauma, depression or anxiety, they may turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.

People suffering from mental health issues often chase the feeling of being relaxed or escaping their problems through the use of drugs or alcohol. This can quickly lead to a serious battle with addiction. Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol does not work and actually tends to aggravate the existing problem.

When Is the Right Time to Get Addiction Treatment?

When it comes to getting treatment for your addiction, there is no time like the present. The earlier you can treat addiction, the better. The earlier you seek treatment, the easier it will be for you to recover. You may also need to spend less time in rehab if you can seek treatment early.

It’s easy to think ‘it could be worse’ because it most likely could be. However, it is much better to catch it before a mild addiction turns to severe addiction. Addiction is a progressive disease that only worsens with time. With this in mind, you must get your addiction treated as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the more difficult the detoxification process will be.

When attending rehab, you need to be motivated. If you go into treatment and don’t take it seriously, it simply won’t work for you. You are highly likely to relapse if you don’t fully commit yourself to your treatment. A life without addiction is possible for those who really want to change. If you are struggling with an addiction, the right time to seek treatment is right now.

Our team of professional staff at Rehab Clinics Group are dedicated to providing you with the best drug and alcohol rehab in Twickenham. We are committed to making your recovery process as comfortable as possible. We will provide you with a range of treatment options and therapy options that will help with your long-term recovery and we will also help with relapse prevention.

How Do I Help My Loved One With Their Addiction?

It can be difficult when someone you care about is battling addiction. Sometimes, they know they need help but avoid it, and other times, they deny they have a problem altogether. Denial is a powerful yet dangerous thing and if an addict is in denial, you must try to get them to understand what they are dealing with and help them face the truth before you can even begin to get them into rehab.

Firstly, it is important to try and understand the person dealing with addiction. Understanding exactly what they are going through can be very difficult. However, you must try to be there for them, listen to them, validate them and try your best to understand. Addiction is a disease and must be treated as such.

Next, you must do your research. Make sure you understand recovery and how it works. You can explain it to the person battling addiction and try to get them to understand how they can get better. If you struggle to talk them into going to rehab yourself, you can schedule an intervention with a professional. The professional will mediate the conversation and help convince the person that recovery is the best option for them.