What is Substance Use Disorder?

The following article is the transcript of a YouTube video I made on the same subject. It has been rewritten, in parts, edited, and reformated to work better as an article. If you'd like to watch the original video, you may do so here.

When you think about drug addiction your mind likely goes to how the media portrays those that suffer from addiction in movies, the news, and tv shows. They are usually portrayed as junkies, as terrible people, and as menaces to society but that is very far from the truth in most cases.

While many of their actions are certainly bad, most users are actually wonderful people but their addiction causes them to do things that are usually against their normal behavior and a lot of it is outside of their control.

There is a lot more to drug addiction than what meets the eye and I’m hoping this article will help you better understand substance use disorder. I believe having a basic understanding of substance use disorder is the first step in helping those that suffer from it, it’s the first step in breaking the stigma surrounding substance use disorder.

What is substance use disorder?

Substance use disorder which is more commonly known as drug addiction is a very powerful and complex mental disorder. It is often considered a progressive disease because the more someone uses the worse it can get. Over time, continuous use of a substance or substances will cause the tolerance level to raise resulting in the person using to use larger amounts to acquire the same effect(s) that they might have felt when they originally started using. This fact alone makes substance use disorder very life-threatening.

Substance use disorder can include the use of legal and illegal substances, alcohol, medication, tobacco, and any other substance that can affect your brain.

Substance use disorder has also been proven not to discriminate, it can affect anyone no matter their socio-economic group, race, religion, sex, etc.

Why is it considered a mental illness?

Substance use disorder is considered a mental illness because it affects a person's brain and behavior. It often makes it hard for the person using to control their use of a substance despite the harm it causes and many cannot simply quit even if they want to.

Brain imaging studies have shown where substances have changed the areas in the brain that can relate to judgment, decision making, learning, memory, and behavior control. These studies pretty much prove that substance use disorder is something that is medical in nature and not a problem of willpower, morality, or legality.

It’s also worth noting that many substances release dopamine, a pleasurable sensation, in the brain. The dopamine release from these substances is often a lot stronger than the release of dopamine from natural rewards. Our brains are wired to repeat actions and tasks that release dopamine resulting in, in relation to substance use, the user feeling the need to use again and again.

Symptoms & Side Effects?

Symptoms of substance use disorder can be moderate to severe with addiction being the most severe form of substance use disorder.

Some side effects can include

• Impairment
• Health problems
• Disabilities
• Failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home

How it starts

Substance use disorder can easily start with experimental use, use in social situations, or peer pressure. If someone starts using more than they're supposed to or too high of a dose it can easily lead them down the road of addiction.

This is just a very basic introduction to substance use disorder; in future articles, I will dive deeper into some of the topics I've already discussed in this article including why it is considered a mental illness and how it changes the brain over time. Stay tuned for more!

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