The connection between addiction and mental health

"Data shows high rates of comorbid substance use disorders and anxiety disorders"

I am a firm believer this is true based on my own experiences and familial traits. Addiction runs pretty strong in my DNA pool, with multiple instances of alcoholism, drug addiction and mental and behavioral health challenges. The overlapping Venn diagram is damn near a circle.

Why is this the case? Well, turns out there is both some data and some supposition ...

• Common risk factors can contribute to both mental illness and substance use and addiction. Things like Genetics ("It is estimated that 40–60 percent of an individual’s vulnerability to substance use disorders is attributable to genetics"), environmental factors and childhood experiences can all play a part in both.
• Mental illness may contribute to substance use and addiction. Substance use and addiction can contribute to the development of mental illness. It's a self-fulfilling cycle ...

I know from personal experience, through both direct family members and myself, that these two things are intertwined. The abuse of substances ... alcohol especially ... has led to behavioral challenges, and inversely mental health challenges have led to substance abuse. It is so easy to lean into these substances to "take the edge off", I've done that myself ... a bad day, high levels of anxiety or stress, have a couple of bevvies to block it out. Before you know it, that's a pattern, and away we go down the slippery slope. I came to the conclusion a while back that I simply will end up in this state at some point when I consume alcohol. I don't take other drugs, weed for some reason makes me feel ill, and I've always been scared shitless of hard drugs having seen what they have done to people I know. But alcohol, oh boy, I have no self control once that ship sails. And so, I stopped. And I know, if I had some, within weeks, maybe months, I'd be having to break the cycle ... again.

Side note: I'm a data tracking geek. If I track it, once the data is there, it's in my brain and I just hate to break a streak! I use https://iamsober.com/ which is a great app to motivate, track and assist in ongoing shifts in behavior.

I have found a growing awareness and availability of "zero" alcohol options. Some of these are legitimately zero alcohol (I.e. beer flavored water like Athletic Brewing or fancy grape juices (Fre), waters flavored like different boozes, I go for Lyres) and some are just super low percentage (many beers touted as zero are actually 0.05% or less, not quite zero, but also I have felt no impact).

But back to the topic ... these things are, in my experience, connected. Keep an eye out for people you know on both sides, especially in my opinion those you know who have mental health and behavioral challenges like anxiety, where substances have a soothing effect. The feeling of "not feeling" those things is a strong motivator to use them as a crutch.