Substance Use Disorders

What is a Substance Use Disorder?

Figure 20.1 Spectrum of Substance Use

A substance use disorder (SUD) is defined as a mental disorder that leads to a person not being able to control their use of substances such as legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications.[1] While risk factors for SUD and addiction include genetics, environment and life experiences, chronic stress is a very real risk factor.[2] There is a reciprocal relationship between stress and addiction. Some people resort to using drugs or alcohol to manage their stress, and reciprocally, the impact that substance misuse has on a person’s life, health and relationships may cause stress.[3]

Prolonged use of alcohol or drugs has been shown to be correlated with changes in areas of the brain that are responsible for impulse control, motivation, pleasure and behavior – making it very difficult for people to stop using substances despite negative consequences.[4]  Likewise, chronic stress impacts the neurotransmitters dopamine (chemical that allows you to feel good/happy) and serotonin (helps keep your mood balanced), and the hormone melatonin (helps regulate your sleep), leading to negative consequences in mood and sleep.[5][6] Using a substance to help your mood by giving you a quick high is only temporary relief that doesn’t consider the damage being caused by stress or substance use.

In Canada, it is estimated that approximately 21% of the population will meet the criteria for addiction in their lifetime.[7] The following table illustrates that Canadian alcohol use is by far the top used substance.

Table 20.1 Substance Use 2017

The next chapters will review alcohol and drug use disorders individually.

Media Attributions

  1. National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Substance use and co-occurring disorders. Retrieved from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health ↵
  2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction. Retrieved from: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addiction ↵
  3. National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Substance use and co-occurring disorders. Retrieved from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health ↵
  4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (3rd ed.) Retrieved from: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/preface ↵
  5. Natarajan, R., Forrester, L., Chiaia, N., and Yamamoto, B. (2017). Chronic-Stress-Induced Behavioral Changes Associated with Subregion-Selective Serotonin Cell Death in the Dorsal Raphe. Journal of Neuroscience 28 June 2017, 37 (26) 6214-6223. Retrieved from: https://www.jneurosci.org/content/37/26/6214 ↵
  6. Bloomfield, M., McCutcheon, R., Kempton, M., Freeman, T., Howes, O. (2019). The effects of psychosocial stress on dopaminergic function and the acute stress response. eLife 8:e46797. Retrieved from: https://elifesciences.org/articles/46797 ↵
  7. Statistics Canada. (2015). Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2013001/article/11855-eng.htm ↵

License

Stress Survival Guide - Reboot Your Resiliency with Self-Care Copyright © 2023 by Jody Vaughan. All Rights Reserved.

Share This Book