Alcohol and substance addiction brings along many psychological problems. Depression, suicide risk, anxiety, panic attacks, sleep problems, mental trauma, attention deficit, hyperactivity, acting without thinking, anger control problems, self-harming behaviors; are the most common problems accompanying alcohol and substance use.
Dependent individuals usually start using alcohol or substances as a method of coping with their problems.
The person's addiction and psychological problems enter a vicious cycle. The person starts experiencing problems because they use alcohol and substances, but on the other hand, they continue to use because they experience these problems.
Most of the time, people start and continue using substances or alcohol thinking that it makes them feel better and reduces their troubles. But even if it makes them feel good for a short time, after a while, this effect wears off, and another problem is added to the person's problems.
In treatment, this vicious cycle needs to be broken from somewhere. The person is informed about the problems they are experiencing or may experience, and the cycle between them is explained. For example, depression increases alcohol and substance use in a person because they drink to feel better, or because they are depressed, it becomes more difficult to control themselves, and they cannot control their use.
On the other hand, alcohol and substance use increases depression because, although alcohol and substances make the person feel good in the initial stages, over time, they trigger depression and reduce the effect of antidepressant medications. This vicious cycle continues in this way.
It is important to convey this to the person and to ensure that they see that alcohol and substance use is not the right solution to cope with troubles in this process. Teaching the person the right coping methods is also part of the treatment. Therefore, the importance of psychological support in the treatment of the dependent person is very significant.
In addition, the importance of psychological support is necessary in the process of preventing relapse after quitting alcohol or substances. Addiction improves but does not completely heal.
The person is fine as long as they do not drink, but if they drink again, they will re-enter the same addiction process. Therefore, preventing relapse and ensuring that this happens for a long time are important stages of treatment. For example, think of diabetes. This is a chronic disease, and the person is fine when they do not consume sweet foods. However, if they break their diet one day and consume sweets, their sugar will rise, and their health will be at risk. Alcohol and substance addiction is similarly a chronic disease. The person must learn to keep themselves continuously away from these substances.
After quitting, people may need to make some changes in their lives to stay away. They need to avoid situations that remind them of alcohol and substances, such as distancing themselves from friend circles and changing their environment. Just as it would be harder for the diabetic person in the previous example to restrain themselves when entering a chocolate shop, it will be challenging for a person who has quit substances to be with people they used substances with and enter the same environments.
Most of the time, it is difficult for a person to get rid of habits and acquire new ones. Psychological support in treatment will also be important in the process of reorganizing the person's life.