Understanding the Link Between Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

The relationship between alcohol abuse and mental health is complex. Alcohol abuse can be an unhealthy coping mechanism for dealing with mental health conditions. On the other hand, alcohol abuse can lead to disruption of neurotransmitter balance in one’s brain, resulting in altered feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, meaning mental health issues. Finally, alcohol abuse and mental health disorders can occur without clear indications about which one came first or which one caused the other, which is known as a dual diagnosis. 

We at Little Creek Pennsylvania rehab center would like to help you understand this complex connection between alcohol abuse and mental health. In the text, you will find information on how alcohol affects the brain and, with that, mental health. We will dive more deeply into topics of the relationship between alcohol abuse and specific mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. Finally, we will discuss the risks of untreated alcoholism and mental illness and how to get help.

What is the Relationship Between Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health Disorders?

Alcohol consumption affects the brain in multiple ways. Most importantly, it affects brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. The main neurotransmitters affected by alcohol are GABA and glutamate. GABA calms the brain and body; consuming even small doses of alcohol makes a person even calmer. Glutamate, on the other hand, stimulates the brain and body, so alcohol decreases its effect, making people less alert. Long-term, alcohol uses up and reduces the number of neurotransmitters in the brain. 

Additionally, alcohol can reduce the brain’s ability to absorb vitamins and other essential nutrients, like magnesium, which help the brain function normally. 

The impact alcohol has on the brain can somewhat explain the relationship between alcohol abuse and mental health disorders. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, several mechanisms can explain the common core currents of alcohol use disorders and psychiatric disorders:

• Pre-existing psychiatric disorders can increase the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder.
• Alcohol use may predispose people to developing psychiatric disorders.
• Alcohol use disorder and other psychiatric disorders may share genetic and other risks and vulnerabilities.

The Impact of Alcohol on Specific Mental Health Disorders

In general, alcohol abuse will impact mental health disorder diagnosis and treatment. It can negatively impact the clinical course of a mental health condition by exacerbating it. The ultimate effect it will have on mental health disorders depends on the type of disorder itself, so the impact can be different for anxiety, depression, or psychosis.

Alcohol and Anxiety: How Does Alcohol Affect Anxiety?

Many people who have problems with alcohol also experience strong anxiety and mood problems. A study shows that the prevalence of alcohol abuse problems within a group of people with an anxiety disorder is around 12%, which is two to three times more frequent than if the two conditions were to co-occur by chance alone. Research on the concurrence of these two conditions gave several interesting conclusions:

• Anxiety disorders are more strongly associated with alcohol dependence than with alcohol abuse. The fact that drinking alcohol frequently serves as an unhealthy coping mechanism for anxiety can help to explain this. Short-term alcohol may appear to relieve anxiety. However, over time, drinking can escalate both anxiety symptoms and maladaptive drinking, leading to dependence. 
• The severity of the relationship between anxiety disorders and alcohol abuse disorders varies depending on the type of anxiety disorder. For example, panic disorder is typically relatively strongly associated with alcohol abuse disorder, while obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has the weakest relationship with it.
• There are gender differences in terms of the co-occurrence of anxiety and alcohol abuse disorders. Studies show that this co-occurrence is more frequent in women. 

Psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience have been trying to identify why these two conditions co-occur and whether they cause each other. The latest research supports the neuroscientific perspective according to which these two conditions share underlying, mutually exacerbating neurobiological processes.

How does alcohol affect anxiety? While alcohol abuse does not cause anxiety, it can cause its onset and worsen pre-existing anxiety symptoms. Even among patients without an anxiety disorder, anxiety-like symptoms can occur after a single heavy drinking episode.

Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression

What is the link between alcohol use disorder and depression? Studies show that alcoholism and depression frequently co-occur, with prevalence ranging from 27% to 40%. As with anxiety disorder, in the case of concurrence of depression and alcohol use disorder, it is more likely that they share common genetic vulnerabilities and environmental stressors than causing each other. Moreover, as a study shows, anxiety might be an important factor in explaining the prevalence of alcohol abuse among depressed patients. 

However, certain studies also show that alcohol abuse disorder leads to an increased risk of major depression. Additionally, long-term alcohol use can result in a more severe clinical course of depression and worse outcomes. Those who meet the criteria for alcohol abuse also have longer depressive mood episodes, poor cognitive functioning, poor social functioning, and a higher risk of suicide.

Can Alcohol Cause Psychosis?

The link between alcohol abuse and psychosis might be the most complicated. The reason for that is the fact that heavy alcohol consumption can lead to symptoms similar to those of psychosis, making it difficult to conclude whether one is experiencing a psychotic episode or just severe symptoms of alcoholism. For instance, one can experience alcoholic hallucinosis or delirium tremens when trying to withdraw from alcohol abuse. 

For psychosis to be diagnosed independently of alcoholism, a person must have psychotic symptoms that persist for more than one month following the last alcohol consumption. Psychotherapy and drugs prescribed for psychosis are both used to treat psychotic episodes, regardless of whether they are the result of a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia or severe alcohol abuse.

Understanding the Risks of Untreated Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

Mental health disorders and alcohol abuse often go hand in hand. We can’t say which causes the other, but they can worsen each other’s symptoms, creating a vicious cycle. This is especially the case when alcohol abuse, for which a person already has a predisposition, becomes an unhealthy coping mechanism for dealing with mental health problems.

When one is not able to deal with the symptoms of their mental health state, they might lean into substance use, as alcohol typically provides relief from symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, this effect is short-lived. In an attempt to again relieve themselves from pain, people might lean into drinking more or drinking more frequently. This way, alcohol dependence is easily created. With prolonged and heavy alcohol consumption in addition to dependence, addiction might develop as well. When this happens, professional support is essential.

Seeking Professional Help for Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health

The concurring conditions, like alcohol abuse and mental health disorders, require professional assistance and help. To properly address mental health and alcohol abuse, one will probably need both medical treatment and psychotherapy, best provided by inpatient alcohol rehab Pennsylvania doctors recommend. The benefits of inpatient treatment are structure, comfort, and safety. Professional staff can monitor your progress and swiftly react if anything unexpected happens. Opting for inpatient detox is the safest way to withdraw from alcohol completely, and Blue Cross Blue Shield drug rehab coverage covers the costs of it fully or partially, depending on your plan. 

Professional support is essential in dual-diagnosis cases, as both conditions must be treated simultaneously. One condition cannot be treated as a cause for the other condition. Simultaneous treatment means that mental health and alcohol abuse are considered intertwined and mutually impacting. When treatment is determined, a professional in charge of the case must consider how different aspects of treating one condition will affect different aspects of treating the other. 

This is why a well-integrated holistic approach at the Newburgh rehab center is crucial. Tailoring and personalizing the rehab process, which addresses specific needs and conditions, maximizes the odds of recovery.

Personalized and Evidence-Based Therapies in Rehab

As mentioned, having a rehabilitation program tailored specifically for you can make all the difference. To treat alcohol abuse disorder and mental health conditions simultaneously, you might need medication-assisted treatment to address acute physical state and probable withdrawal symptoms, psychotherapy to identify and work on underlying causes of both conditions, and alternative treatments to help you feel grounded and connected with your environment. 

Medicine-assisted Treatment (MAT)

Your alcohol rehab in Pennsylvania would undoubtedly start with ceasing alcohol use, which should be medication-assisted. Symptoms of withdrawing from alcohol can be very uncomfortable, making it all that more important to have a treatment specifically designed for you. Furthermore, your mental health condition might require medicine as well, especially in those first stages of dual diagnosis treatment in Pennsylvania. A professional would know how and which medicines to combine for the best effect. 

Psychotherapy

To understand the common and underlying causes of both alcohol abuse and mental health problems, psychotherapy should be implemented. We at Little Creek Recovery rely on evidence-based approaches: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectic-behavioral therapy (DBT). 

• CBT  for alcohol use disorder aims to identify irrational beliefs and thinking patterns that lead to maladaptive behavior. By working with the client, a therapist guides the change of such beliefs, which ultimately results in a behavior change. CBT not only helps overcome acute mental health issues but also helps you develop skills that help you manage stress and other life challenges in the future.
• DBT for alcohol use disorder helps you find a fine balance between what can be changed and what should be accepted. It results in a mindset change, making you abandon black-and-white thinking and helping you realize that the change need not be the complete opposite of the current state but rather a move in the right direction. 

Alternative Approaches

In addition to medication and evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, a well-integrated approach to treating alcohol abuse and mental health conditions should include so-called alternative approaches. An example of such an alternative approach would be music therapy. 

Music therapy is a way to express yourself, release frustration, and find and lose yourself in music. It proved to be especially beneficial in substance abuse treatments as it provides an alternative to the feelings of enjoyment that substance use provided. Music can provide an escape from reality but, at the same time, help one find himself.

Hope and Recovery are Possible

Struggling with mental health is a challenge. The challenge is even greater when one must address more than one condition, even more so when the connection between two conditions, such as alcoholism and mental health disorders, is not well known. Fortunately, although the link between alcohol abuse and mental health is complex, it can still be successfully addressed with a combination of medication, evidence-based psychotherapy, and holistic treatments. 

Little Creek drug and alcohol treatment centers in Pennsylvania can help you overcome the challenges of both alcoholism and any co-occurring mental health condition. Our carefully tailored treatment programs can support you in resolving current issues and empower you to address any potential challenges in the future. Call us to learn more about the ways we can assist you.