Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

This is a tricky question but the fact is that it can be classified as a mental health disorder. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association placed substance use disorders, which include alcoholism, in the category of a primary mental health disorder. This appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

• No significant change had occurred 10 years later, when 69% of respondents considered an alcohol-dependent person to be dangerous (Pescosolido et al., 2010; Schnittker, 2008).
• This includes alcoholic hepatitis, cardiovascular problems, heart disease, liver damage, respiratory disease, malnutrition, debilitation, tremors, and complications due to infections.
• It is in this stage that alcoholism and mental illness-related issues become more apparent as the user’s dependence on alcohol grows.
• Alcohol is a depressant, signaling the central nervous system to slow down motor, cognitive, and other vital functions.

In any case, Northbound has found that treating substance abuse and mental health simultaneously is more effective than addressing them separately. Approximately 50 percent of clients with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, who are in community mental health settings develop AOD-use disorders during their lifetime. The rate probably is even greater among high-risk groups, such as https://www.excel-medical.com/5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-living-house/ young men with histories of violence or homelessness, and among patients in acute-care settings. AOD-use disorders among severely mentally ill patients are correlated with poor concurrent adjustment in several domains and with adverse short-term outcomes, including high rates of homelessness, hospitalization, and incarceration. Our review also identifies major gaps in our knowledge on the stigma of alcoholism.

Scientific Progress in Fighting Addiction: Deep Brain Stimulation

Those with an alcohol use disorder often center activities around alcohol, need to consume increasingly greater amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effect and have withdrawal symptoms when drinking stops. During the severe alcohol abuse stage, alcoholics become even more physically and psychologically dependent on liquor. At this point, many have seemingly out-of-control cravings that can lead to anxiety, irritability, depression, and aggression toward others. With problematic drinking, a person’s family members and close friends will usually start to take notice. As physical and psychological dependence (sometimes called chemical dependence) sets in, they’ll begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms when alcohol isn’t in their system. Most programs integrating mental health and AOD treatment provide services on a long-term, outpatient basis in the community and attempt to minimize the time spent in inpatient, detoxification, or residential settings.

Because researchers have identified some of the pathways by which dually diagnosed individuals frequently become homeless, interventions to prevent homelessness also may be possible. Psychologists can also diagnose and treat these “co-occurring” psychological conditions. Further, a psychologist may play an important role in coordinating the services a drinker in treatment receives from various health professionals.

Does the medical community recognize alcoholism as a disease?

If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol dependence, having a thorough comprehension of the condition can help you get the proper support to face the substance use disorder head on. At Northbound Treatment, we offer fully integrated alcohol and drug recovery programs at our treatment centers based in the Orange County region of California. Keep reading for more information on how alcohol addiction affects the brain, the stages of alcoholism, and the mental health conditions that often occur in conjunction with the disease. Homeless people with co-occurring severe mental illnesses and alcohol-use disorder (AUD) represent a particularly vulnerable subgroup of the homeless with complex service needs (Drake et al. 1991).