Problems with drugs and alcohol

Why do people use alcohol and other drugs?

People use alcohol or other drugs:

• For enjoyment
• To relax and reduce anxiety
• To help to socialise with others
• To avoid physical or psychological pain
• Due to a positive expectancy (or thought) they may have about a drug, and what may happen when they use it
• Due to exposure to substance using models in peers, family members and the media

With prolonged and regular use, a person may develop tolerance and dependence to alcohol or drugs:

• Tolerance means that more of the substance is needed to get the same effect, leading to dependence.
• Dependence to alcohol or drugs can be psychological, physical or both. People who are dependent on a substance sometimes find that using alcohol or drugs becomes more important in their lives than other activities. Dependence can result in social consequences – for example, family conflict, legal problems and offending behaviour, loss of employment and financial stress.

Using substances can also affect your mental health because they affect the brain’s chemistry. They can affect the way you think, feel, create and make decisions.

Dual diagnosis

People who have a mental illness often also have problems with drugs or alcohol. This is called having a 'dual diagnosis'.

People with dual diagnosis are not all the same. The signs and symptoms can vary depending on the:

• Combination of disorders
• Severity
• Individual treatment needs

Integrated treatment is the best treatment for dual diagnosis. This is where the mental health and the substance use issues are treated at the same time, ideally by the same treatment provider or team.