Substance Use Disorder
September 26, 2022
Substance abuse disorder (SUD) is a mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior. It gives them the inability to control their use of substance use, whether it is illegal/legal drugs, alcohol, or medications. This disorder does not cause another mental disorder. What happens, is that it may co-occur with other disorders due to the following:
●Common risk factors can contribute to both SUDs and other mental disorders
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Genetics
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Environmental (stress or trauma)
● Mental disorders can contribute to substance use and SUDs
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Brain changes (may enhance rewarding effects of substance use)
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Substance use and SUDs can contribute to the development of other mental disorders
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Can trigger changes in the brain structure and function that makes people more likely to develop a mental disorder
Treatments for this disorder would include behavioral therapy and medication. Regarding behavioral therapy, there are several types that someone who struggles with this disorder can go through. A few are listed below.
● Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - also known as talk therapy, to cope.
● Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) - a concept where mindfulness is used to accept a current situation and emotional state.
● Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) - community-based mental health care that emphasizes outreach to the community and the individual in it.
● Contingency Management (CM) - principle encourages healthy behavior by offering vouchers and rewards for desired behaviors.
● Behavioral Therapy for Children/Adolescence
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Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) - targets family interactions thought to maintain or worsen adolescence
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Multisystemic Therapy (MST) - targets key factors associated with serious antisocial behavior in children and adolescent with SUD