REALLY, A MENTAL ILLNESS? –

Dec. 1, 2023 – Substance use stimulates profound changes within the brain—it alters the operation of neurotransmitters by interfering with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals.

Substance use stimulates surges of dopamine and serotonin, mimicking reward and causing the brain to associate consumption with positive emotional and physiological sensations. The brain comes to crave this activation of its reward system, initiating a vicious cycle of seeking and consuming more substances.

In the case of addiction, this cycle isn’t vulnerable to fears of its relational consequences, nor the negative impact substance use has on the mental and physical health of the individual. Addiction is often characterized by feeling unable to detach oneself from this cycle of substance abuse to the point it causes substantial harm.

Just looking at an individual suffering from addiction can’t provide an understanding of this internal physiological struggle. The most visible aspect of addiction is the destructive behaviour it often prompts in its victims. Consequently—and unfortunately—many people’s perceptions of and feelings about addiction are coloured by their negative thoughts about these behaviours.

The cognitive dissonance involved in addiction—such as when an affected individual persists in their use of a substance despite wanting to quell the harm their consumption causes their loved ones—echoes thought patterns characteristic of many recognized mental disorders.

The overlap between addiction and mental health disorders is gravely underacknowledged, and the relationship may go both ways.

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