There is a strong relationship between alcohol dependence and mental health issues. Sometimes, a persona can use alcohol to lessen the distressing symptoms of mental illness like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. In other cases, people develop the symptoms of a mental illness as a direct result of alcohol abuse. However, whatever the history behind a person’s alcohol abuse, they are very likely to have suffered its damaging effects on their mental health.

Alcohol Alters Your Brain Chemistry

The human brain relies on a delicate balance of chemicals and processes to function normally. Alcohol is a known depressant that disrupts the brain’s balance which affects our thoughts, the way we feel and our behavior. The resulting relaxed feeling a person gets from drinking alcohol is actually down to chemical changes in the brain, which is why many of us are more confident and less anxious under the influence.

However, the longer a person drinks, the more the brain becomes affected and when alcohol abuse occurs over a prolonged period of time, these effects can be very difficult to treat. This is mainly because the pleasurable effects of alcohol decrease over time and often negative emotional responses develop instead. When this negative pattern starts, alcohol can soon become associated with aggressive behavior in an individual and negative behaviors are triggered when they drink rather than the initial relaxed feeling they got when they started.

When a person drinks heavily over a prolonged period of time, their brains can develop deficits in function that can continue even if the person achieves sobriety. In other words, someone with severe alcoholism risks brain damage, which can lead to lifelong cognitive problems. Negative effects of chronic drinking on a person’s overall health can also lead to brain damage, such as liver disease resulting from alcohol abuse.

Get Help for Alcohol Addiction in Laguna Niguel, CA

The negative effects of alcoholism are significant on a person’s mental health but there are treatment paths leading to a fulfilling life in sobriety where distressing symptoms are managed. Capo Canyon Recovery offers a sober environment in beautiful settings where patients can receive first class alcohol addiction treatment in Laguna Niguel. To find out more about navigating through alcoholism and mental illness with specialist Southern California alcoholism treatment, contact us in confidence for a consultation today.

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