Can Drugs and Alcohol Cause a Mental Breakdown?
Can Drugs and Alcohol Cause a Mental Breakdown?
Table of Contents
Symptoms of a Mental Breakdown
There are many different symptoms you might experience when going through a mental breakdown that includes physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms. Although all nervous breakdown symptoms vary, some similarities can help diagnose your feelings as such. Typically, the reason for a breakdown can also influence the symptoms that are experienced.
Depressive symptoms: Might include feeling a loss of hope and thoughts of suicide or self-harm
Anxiety: Might include high blood pressure, tense muscles, sweaty or clammy hands, upset stomach, and trembling
Panic attacks: Might include chest pain, detachment from reality, extreme fear, and difficulty breathing
Being paranoid: Believing that someone is stalking you with no reason to believe so
Flashbacks: Can include PTSD symptoms after a traumatic event
Insomnia
Hallucinations
Mood swings
Outbursts
If someone you love is experiencing signs of a mental breakdown, you might see them withdraw from family and friends. These symptoms include:
Avoiding social functions or situations
Not eating or sleeping properly
Maintaining poor hygiene
Calling in sick to work often or for long periods
Not showing up to work or school without notice
Isolating in the home
Substance-Induced Disorders Can Cause a Mental Breakdown
Delirium
Delirium is an abrupt change in your brain that causes you to be confused. It can also cause intense emotional disruption. Delirium makes it difficult to think, remember, sleep, and pay attention. Delirium often occurs during alcohol or drug withdrawal. It is often found in withdrawal from sedative-hypnotics (benzodiazepines), analgesics (narcotics), and medications with an anticholinergic effect.
Dementia
Dementia is a term for when someone loses their memory, problem-solving abilities, and other thinking abilities that interfere with daily life. Although dementia commonly occurs as a disease in old age, anticholinergic drugs are associated with a higher risk of dementia. Anticholinergic antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs were found to create the highest risk.
Amnesia
Referring to the temporary loss of memory, amnesia can be caused by a few different drugs as well as alcohol. Drugs that can cause amnesia, include:
Drugs that lower cholesterol
Epileptic medication
Painkillers (narcotics)
Dopamine agonists
Antihypertensive drugs
Medications for incontinence
Antihistamines
Psychosis
Psychosis is the state of being unable to differentiate between thoughts, perceptions, and reality. Although psychosis is also a symptom of schizophrenia, it can be brought on by alcohol, amphetamines, hallucinogens, marijuana, cocaine, sedative-hypnotics, and opioids.
Anxiety
Even though alcohol and drugs such as LSD are supposed to make you feel good, they can also bring on feelings of anxiety. Other illegal drugs such as cocaine can create anxiety as well, while legal stimulants such as caffeine, decongestants, thyroid medications, and steroids can cause anxiety as well.
Substance Use Disorder vs Substance-Related Disorders
Substance-related disorders are also known as substance use disorders. Substance-related disorders involve patterns of behavior that relate to drug use. Substance use disorders are the continuation to use a substance despite experiencing significant problems. These problems are related specifically to the use of alcohol or other substances.
Substances That Can Cause a Mental Breakdown
Alcohol
Alcohol abuse can cause different symptoms of mental breakdown including depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior. Alternatively, these symptoms of mental breakdown can also occur during withdrawal.
Caffeine
Because it is a stimulant, caffeine can cause anxiety and depression. Typically, these symptoms occur together and get worse with use and can result in a mental breakdown. Because caffeine is found in common drinks, such as coffee and energy drinks, this can be an easy trigger for a mental breakdown.
Nicotine
When first using nicotine, you may see that it improves mood and concentration. It can also be seen to decrease anger and stress, as well as reduce appetite. Despite this, regular doses of nicotine lead to changes in the brain. This eventually leads to dependence, and then withdrawal when the body lacks nicotine.
Amphetamines
Being very dangerous substances, amphetamines can not only cause irritability, depression, and mood swings, but can also induce psychosis.
Opioids
In 2016, 10 percent of people prescribed opioids developed depression after a month of taking the drugs. Combined with mental confusion, euphoria, nausea, and constipation, this can result in a mental breakdown.
Barbiturates
Because they are sedatives, barbiturates also have a huge effect on the mental stability of the person using them. In withdrawal from barbiturates, psychosis as well as delirium and hallucinations are common.
Reducing the Risk of a Mental Breakdown
Risk Factors for a Mental Breakdown
Many existing risk factors can contribute to mental breakdowns. These risk factors include personal history and family history of anxiety or psychosis disorders. Additionally, if you have a recent injury or illness making your life more difficult, it can contribute to the possibility of a mental breakdown. General stress can also be a risk factor for a mental breakdown. If this stress is because of external influences, it can make it even more difficult and contribute to this as well. Stress from work, traumatic events, financial issues, divorce, or poor sleep can all be reasons for contributing stress to a mental breakdown.Methods of Reducing Distress
These methods of addressing psychological or behavioral distress can help reduce your risk of a mental breakdown:
Have a complete physical examination to ensure your overall health is not creating symptoms of a mental breakdown
Participate in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or talk-therapy
Speak to a doctor about taking prescription medications, including antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication
Practice yoga, breathwork, or other alternative treatments
When You Are Experiencing Symptoms of a Mental Breakdown
Breathe deeply
Count back from 10
Develop a good and steady sleep schedule
Develop a routine that will help you sleep well. This might include giving yourself a warm bath, turning off electronic devices at a certain time, or reading a book before bed rather than watch TV
Self-Care Tips to Avoid Mental Breakdown
There are many ways that you can take care of yourself to avoid a mental breakdown. This can include natural anxiety reduction by getting regular exercise at least three times per week for 30 minutes each session.
It is always a great idea to go to a therapist regularly or go to counseling sessions. This can help to manage stress healthily. You can also choose to avoid drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and other substances that create stress on the body.
One of the best ways to avoid mental breakdowns is to allow yourself breaks. Make sure to allow yourself to feel organized and even create a to-do list.
Treating a Substance-Induced Breakdown
When you are recovering from a substance-induced mental breakdown, it can often include psychosis, anxiety, depression, and other feelings along with stress. Oftentimes these substance-induced mental breakdowns also occur because of withdrawal. If you happen to have a substance-induced psychosis breakdown, there are steps you can take to handle these feelings.
Oftentimes substance-induced breakdowns or psychosis may be treated with short-term hospitalization or medical care. Despite these short-term options, they should always be followed up with ongoing treatment. Not only will this help to prevent breakdowns in the future, but it will also help to prevent relapse.
Although substance-induced breakdowns are derived from a substance, it is still possible to follow a few steps to calm yourself down and try to ground yourself. Breathing slowly, holding your breath for a few seconds, and then exhaling can be a great way to bring yourself back. Repeat this until necessary, get good sleep, and drink more than enough water.
Just remember, having a good counselor or therapist is extremely helpful. With a bit of help and a lot of mental determination, you can address mental breakdowns and prevent them from happening.
