Introduction
Alcohol is one of the common substances abused by a large group of people. Alcohol abuse has adverse effects on the human body and can also affect people with mental disorders. However, it is essential to note that mental disorders and substance abuse are closely related, but they are not the direct causative of each other.
Discussion
People with mental health are bound to worsen their condition when they use abuse alcohol or other substances. If the mental disorder is not treated, it could cause an increase in alcohol and substance intake. Substance abuse may lead to a chemical change in the brain, leading to negative feelings (Connery et al., 2020). Some of the symptoms of substance abuse include loss of appetite, sudden mood swings, sudden loss in weight, bloodshot eyes, and deterioration of physical appearance.
Substance abuse has adverse effects on people with mental disorders. Many users who abuse alcohol try to ease the symptoms of the undiagnosed mental disorder and cope with temporary emotions. This works during the time of use, but it has later effects that worsen the situation more than it is. Self-medicating with substances causes side effects, and for a long time, they make the situation unbearable (Connery et al., 2020). In addition, despite alcohol abuse not being directly associated with causing mental disorders, its use may push one to experience the disorder earlier if they had a risk of a mental disorder. The use of cannabis may increase the risk of schizophrenia (Patel et al., 2020). Lastly, the abuse of alcohol can trigger new symptoms of mental disorders or even increase the current symptoms. The abuse can also interact with other medications making them less functional, thus reducing the recovery rate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, alcohol abuse has adverse effects on people with mental disorders. These patients with mental disorders should avoid alcohol to recover fully.
References
Connery, H. S., McHugh, R. K., Reilly, M., Shin, S., & Greenfield, S. F. (2020). Substance use disorders in global mental health delivery: Epidemiology, treatment gap, and implementation of evidence-based treatments. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 28(5), 316–327.
Patel, S., Khan, S., Saipavankumar, M., & Hamid, P. (2020). The association between cannabis use and schizophrenia: Causative or curative? A systematic review. Cureus, 12(7).