What is a Substance-Induced Mood Disorder? CBT Kenya

A substance-induced mood disorder is not a condition that develops on its own. Instead, an individual must be abusing drugs or alcohol to develop this particular condition. This makes substance-induced mood disorders different from that of other co-occurring conditions, as it is not a disorder that can exist without the abuse of mind-altering substances.

With substance-induced mood disorders, however, the after-effects are much worse. They don’t go away after a few hours or days. The feelings of sadness and hopelessness, the lack of interest in activities, the loss of enjoyment, and fatigue increase and start interfering with the ability to function. It can be confusing. When you first started drinking or taking medicines, you felt better. You were happier, felt less pain, and enjoyed participating in different activities. Over time, the same substance that once made you feel good is now creating a mood disorder.

Symptoms of substance induced depression include:

• Fatigue: Not wanting to do much of anything, constantly feeling tired and weak.
• Increased Sleeping: Only wanting to sleep, physical activities that a person once enjoyed seem meaningless now.
• Thoughts of Suicide: A person with substance induced depression may feel as though ending their life would be beneficial, they may start to think of ways they can commit suicide.
• Feelings of Hopelessness: A person may feel like their life has no meaning or purpose; this is usually the precursor to suicidal thoughts.
• Disengagement: A person suffering from substance induced depression may pull away from friends and family by ignoring them or avoiding them all together.
• Sadness and Irritation: A person with substance induced depression will constantly feel sad and possible irritation every day, making it difficult for them to engage in social activities.
• Missing Work: A person suffering from substance induced depression may begin to miss work frequently or miss school frequently. This is mostly due to the feelings of sadness and hopelessness that they constantly feel; areas of importance become trivial to people suffering from substance induced depression.

Types of drugs and medications that cause Mood Changes

Many different drugs or medications can alter mood in some way, and these are the most common categories:

• Prescription Medications Opioid painkillers, blood pressure meds, anti-anxiety and antidepressant prescriptions, as well as steroids, antibiotics, and others, can have a huge impact on mood and many are created to do just that.
• Over the Counter Medications Over the counter medications like decongestants can bring on symptoms for some people. These are all legally purchased and will usually only have a mild impact, if at all, depending on each person.
• Alcohol Alcohol is legal, but it is a mood-altering substance used socially and recreationally that can cause depression for many people.
• Illegal or Recreational Substances Illegal substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, hallucinogens like MDMA and LSD, and most illegal narcotics frequently cause mood disorders, especially when used to excess.

Help is available

Substance-induced mood disorders must be treated by trained, licensed mental health and addiction professionals because both the addiction and the mental illness must be treated simultaneously.