Harms of Substance Abuse - Effects on Mental and Behavioral Health

Running head: HARMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Harms of Substance Abuse
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HARMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
It is often assumed by the individual who is under severe emotional stress and agony that
by taking recourse to narcotics in form of drugs and alcohol all problems shall be solved. They
fall back upon such substances to incur the feeling of temporary obliviousness from such worldly
tensions. Studies have however proved that intake of such substances do more harm than any
good (Maercker et al., 2013). Such indulgences for momentary pleasures has the potential to
jeopardize ones entire life by causing severe mental and behavioural disorders. This is going to
be the subject matter of the discussion in the current paper. The following section shall be
comparing one chosen mental and behavioural health disorder. An illustration of preventive
methods and the role of providers to tackle such patients shall also be included in the itinerary of
analysis.
It is a misconception that consuming drugs and alcohol can help one escape from
the ordeals of life by virtually transporting an individual to a different world altogether. Rather,
drugs and alcohol aggravates the issue of depression. Rendering the sensory capacities with
numbness and insulation by consuming any form of narcotic is not at all healthy. Such
substances directly target the central nervous and interferes artificially with the natural
functioning of a vital involuntary physical process (Whiteford et al., 2013). It is a mythical
representation that narcotics enables an individual to deal with surmounting earthly worries. On
the contrary, it induces more problems by affecting the brain. It makes one more vulnerable by
robbing the capacities to reason with a sane mind. When the influence of the narcotic withers
away, the individual once again returns back to the same state of depression once again, albeit
with a reduced capacity to deal with the challenges. This propels the individual to repeatedly
seek the help of narcotics until it becomes a habit, and a dire necessity which is described as a
state of addiction. Addiction to narcotics initially begins with a sense of misbelief that for

2HARMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
seeking mental peace one requires that thing, and eventually it becomes both physical and mental
necessity. Such individuals have reportedly exhibited suicidal predispositions, lack of mental
stability and determination, as far as mental issues are concerned with regard to substance abuse.
From the aspect of physical issues, the individual’s rate of metabolism and the health of liver
also depreciates (Reed et al., 2016). From the behavioural aspect, patients into substance abuse
exhibits anxiety of exceptionally high degree. That is a result of the mental instability and
vulnerability. Human actions are a direct result of the thought process, naturally, if that
capability to think with a healthy mind is absent, then it is impractical to expect that outward
expression of actions and gestures shall be desirable. An individual with anxiety is considered to
be having a rude behaviour. Constant irritability and panic-stricken attitude is a major outcome
of individuals diagnosed with anxiety related disorders (Chesney, Goodwin & Fazel, 2014). Such
persons tend to alienate the people around them as a result of the negative aura they create about
themselves by their undesirable way of dealing with human beings. Depression drives people to
substance abuse as a remedial measure, and ironically it is the substance abuse itself which
returns back anxiety as a behavioural health disorder, along with other mental and physical
health disorders which have already been discussed (Ogloff et al., 2015). In the next section, a
table shall be provided to explain the mental and behavioural health disorders in a comparative
way.
Mental health Disorder Behavioural Health Disorder
- It is an internal issue which is
concerned with the machinations
of the mind.
- It is an external issue which is
concerned with the kind of actions
an individual exhibits.
- Finds expression in form of
depression.
- Finds expression in form of
anxiety.
- Instigates the desire to consume
drugs and alcohol, to deal with it.
- Is a result of consumption of drugs
and alcohol.
- Has a negative effect on health. - Has a negative effect on an