Your mental health plays a big role in your quality of life. Everyone experiences mental health challenges at times. Not everyone who is feeling sad for a few days or anxious before a big event has a mental health disorder. But does opioid use disorder count as a mental health disorder? The straightforward answer is yes. But there’s much more to it than that.
Opioid use disorder, or OUD, is a type of substance use disorder. It can impact physical, mental, and behavioral health. Substance use disorders are a type of mental health disorder. However, because OUD changes the way the brain works, it is also considered a brain disease. Thinking of addiction as a disease reinforces the importance of treating it as you would any other disease or health condition.
Even though OUD is itself a mental health condition, using opioids can also lead to other mental health symptoms. Due to the effects of opioids on the brain’s functions and their connection to mental health, opioid use, and mental health conditions have a complex relationship. But both are important and require support.
We’re here to share the scientific insight on opioid use disorder and mental health disorders. Then we’ll dive into how treatment at Groups can help people experiencing mental health distress along with opioid use disorder.
3 things science says about opioid use disorder and mental health disorders
Mental health disorders are often referred to as a mental “illness,” but that phrasing can carry a stigma. It can make people feel like there is something “wrong” with them and that they need to be “cured.”
But there’s no cure for mental health challenges. There’s just management through proper treatment. That’s why the team here at Groups prefers the term mental health condition or disorder.
The complexity of addiction to illicit drugs has led to plenty of research about the connection between opioids and mental health. As the opioid overdose crisis and mental health become more common public health concerns, there’s plenty of data coming to light about them.
By learning about how the two are linked, you can see why comprehensive treatment for all aspects of a person’s health is essential.
Here are three things science tells us about OUD and mental health disorders:
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Many people with OUD have another co-occurring mental health disorder.
Opioid use disorder can take a toll on your mental health. Mental health issues can also affect you while you’re in recovery. People with OUD can develop mental health challenges and disorders that impact their overall quality of life.
Approximately 36% of people with OUD experience symptoms of depression. Opioids can increase dopamine levels, which is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate feelings of pleasure. But if your brain becomes dependent on opioids, you can become desensitized to the rewarding feeling. That can make it hard to feel positive emotions. They can also impact your serotonin levels over a long period of time, which is the “feel good” hormone.
Anxiety can also develop alongside opioid use disorder. The mental health disorder that causes overwhelming worry affects approximately 29% of people with OUD. Opioids can disrupt your norepinephrine levels. It controls your body’s fight or flight response. While the opioid can reduce this hormone, your body may try to overcompensate once you’re in withdrawal, which can contribute to anxiety symptoms.
While in recovery, the negative effects of opioid addiction on a person’s relationships, productivity and self-esteem can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.
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Opioids are not prescribed to help mental health conditions.
It’s possible that an opioid is part of a person’s self-medication plan when they’re trying to cope with symptoms of a mood disorder, like depression, or an anxiety disorder. They may hope that the effects will lessen their negative thoughts and emotions. However, opioids are not prescribed as treatment for mental health conditions.
Even though a person takes an opioid in an attempt to treat their mental health disorder, that does not mean that they’ll develop OUD. However, they are at increased risk of developing dependence on opioids. They may be trying to extend the temporary symptom relief that comes from them. They may keep reaching for the temporary euphoria and calming effects opioids can provide. Opioids can temporarily mask the negative feelings of a mental health condition.
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OUD can impact brain function in a similar way to mental health disorders.
The different parts of your brain are in charge of functions that help you through everyday tasks and interactions. But opioids can impact the neurotransmitters in those parts in a similar way that having a mental health disorder can.
Here are the different brain functions that can be impacted by OUD and mental health disorders:
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Memory
Long-term opioid use can make it hard to remember specific memories due to their impact on the receptors in the hippocampus in the brain. Research has also shown that people with depression tend to have a smaller hippocampus than those without the mood disorder.
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Decision-making
The brain’s risk-reward system can be altered by opioids. When this system is skewed, it’s possible that the reward can feel better than it truly is, leading to potential risk.
When it comes to mental health disorders like anxiety, worry about making the wrong choice can interfere with decisions. Depression can impact decision making due to focusing on the potential negative outcomes, making it hard to take risks.
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Paying attention
Opioids can slow down a person’s brain activity, which interferes with their ability to give undivided attention to something. They can also impact the brain pathways that are responsible for your attention span.
For people with depression, having a smaller hippocampus can affect their ability to pay attention. Anxiety symptoms can cause overwhelming worry and hypervigilance. These symptoms can make it hard to stay focused on what’s going on in a particular moment.
Groups can help people with opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorders.
On their own, opioid use disorder and mental health disorders can have an impact on a person’s everyday tasks, relationships and self-esteem. However, when you’re experiencing challenges from both at the same time, it can feel like too much to handle. But we’re here to show you that you’re capable of handling both.
Even though opioid use disorder doesn’t always cause symptoms of a mental health disorder, like depression or anxiety, OUD is classified as a mental health condition under the DSM-5. If you feel like your OUD is worsening your mental health, or like your opioid use stems from intense mental health distress, then it’s time to seek treatment.
At Groups, we provide group support sessions. You can express your emotions and thoughts in a safe space that’s free from judgment. You’ll be able to talk about your mental health challenges with people who are working through OUD. You’ll be able to develop strategies to help you navigate the mental and emotional obstacles you may be facing, such as:
- Coping skills
- Communication skills
- Stress management
- Emotional regulation
Along with group sessions, we also provide fast access to Suboxone. It’s a medication that can reduce withdrawal symptoms. Plus, life-goal assistance can help you along your opioid recovery journey. That may include addressing your mental health symptoms.
If you have a mental health condition that doesn’t stem from OUD, we will refer you to other treatment centers to get the support that you need.
Give our Recovery Support Specialists a call today for more information or to begin your recovery. We provide treatment across the country — and we’re always expanding. See if we offer care in your state, either online or at one of our 130+ local offices. If Groups doesn’t offer treatment in your area, you can locate other treatment options here.
