Mental health challenges are nothing new. Your mental health is a key aspect of who you are. But sometimes you may experience challenges, such as overwhelming sadness or worry. Those challenges can impact your overall quality of life.

The importance of mental health care has become a hot topic. But it can also go along with another issue: the opioid epidemic. The opioid overdose epidemic has been a major public health concern since the ‘90s.

People use opioids for many reasons, increasing the risk of overdose. But mental health challenges often come into play.

We’ll discuss how mental health concerns play a role in the opioid overdose epidemic. Then we’ll talk about how Groups’s treatment can help people with opioid use disorder (OUD).

5 ways mental health concerns contribute to the opioid crisis

Everyone experiences tough emotions at times. It’s natural to feel sad for a while after a breakup or overthink possible drama of an upcoming family event. But having a mental health disorder refers to having thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that affect your everyday tasks or relationships.

When a person is feeling like their mental health concerns are taking over their life, they’ll search for a way to try and reduce the negative thoughts and emotions. That’s where opioids may come in.

Learning how to improve the opioid crisis starts with understanding its driving factors. And many of those factors are mental health challenges, such as:

• People with mental health disorders have a heightened risk of opioid use disorder.

Mental health disorders and addiction, like opioid use disorders, are closely connected. More than 35% of people with OUD have symptoms of depression. Almost 30% report anxiety disorder symptoms. More than 2 million people in the U.S. experience addiction to opioids. That means that more than 1 million of them are experiencing mental health challenges.

OUD increases the risk of overdose death. That means that there is a large segment of the population who could be facing this risk.

• Opioids can be used as self-medication for mental health disorders.

There are many reasons people may try opioids as “self-medication.” It’s not always easy to ask for help when you’re struggling with mental health. There may be a fear of judgment or being looked down on. Some people also may struggle to access helpful resources. Or perhaps they think, “I can take care of this on my own.”

Opioids may be used as a type of self-medication to reduce mental health symptoms, even if it’s just for a little bit. But taking opioids without a prescription can increase the risk of overdose. You might be taking them at a high dose, or more often, to prolong the temporary euphoric and calming effects.

Opioids can help temporarily reduce anxious thoughts by slowing down the brain. They can also stimulate the release of the pleasure and reward neurotransmitter called dopamine. It may temporarily help ease depression symptoms. However, using them long-term can lead to a dependency on them. There may also be reduced positive effects of the opioids over time.

• There may be pressure to use opioids, including misusing prescriptions, connected to low self-esteem.

Your mental health is heavily impacted by how you see yourself. If you don’t have a strong sense of self, it can lead to negative thoughts about yourself and what you’re capable of achieving. People with depression, social anxiety, or personality disorders may struggle to figure out their own identity or be proud of who they are. That’s when peer pressure may come in.

Peer pressure is often only discussed when a person is in school. But it’s natural to want to fit in or be seen in a positive light by others at any age. That’s why there may be pressure to take opioids, or misuse them, in certain environments, relationship dynamics, or social situations. People with low self-esteem can be more open to peer pressure. Peer influences have been linked to opioid use, especially among young people.

When mental health disorders have a negative effect on how you see yourself, it can make you do things that you hope will make you feel better about yourself. That may include being liked by people who take risks.

• Opioids may become an unhelpful coping mechanism.

Coping mechanisms are essential for navigating mental health challenges and disorder symptoms. They refer to any behavior, activity or thought process that helps you to manage difficult feelings or situations.

Some people may find unhelpful coping mechanisms that may do more harm than good. That may include using (or misusing) opioids.

When people are feeling like they are overwhelmed or struggling to manage negative emotions, they may believe that the high of opioids will make that all go away. Or at least distract them from it for a little bit. But if you start to depend on opioids as an “escape,” it can increase the risk of opioid overdose.

Coping mechanisms often recommended by professionals for people with mental health challenges include:

• Reframing negative thoughts to be positive
• Calling a loved one
• Doing yoga
• Taking a walk
• People may misuse prescribed opioids for mental health disorders.

When people think of a drug addiction, their mind often jumps to illicit substances that aren’t purchased through a health care provider. However, opioids are prescribed to more than 7 million people in the U.S. who have a mental health disorder that may have pain as part of their symptoms. That makes it possible to misuse opioids that have been given through safe channels.

Misusing prescribed opioids for a mental health disorder can still increase a person’s risk of overdose. Even though this course of action isn’t “self-medication,” there’s still the possibility of becoming dependent on it, or using it in a way that differs from the instructions.

Groups aims to reduce opioid-related harms by addressing co-occurring mental health challenges.

If you're experiencing mental health challenges alongside opioid use, treatment can help you work toward recovery and the life that you want to live — as well as decrease the likelihood of overdose death.

At Groups, we recognize the strong connection between using opioids and mental health distress. That’s why we want to help you with both. A pillar of our treatment is group support meetings. Not only will you have the opportunity to share your past and current challenges related to opioid use, but you’ll also be able to discuss the mental health distress that you may be experiencing through recovery.

By talking to people who can relate to what you are experiencing, they’ll be able to help you work through any negative thoughts. They'll also teach you about coping mechanisms that have worked for them.

Along with group sessions, we also provide Suboxone medication to help reduce your withdrawal symptoms, including cravings. Plus, all members are given custom life-goal assistance.

With a treatment plan that covers all of the bases, we can help you through opioid recovery. We want to make a positive difference to help more people find recovery and reduce overdose risks.

Give our Recovery Support Specialists a call today for more information or to begin your recovery. We provide treatment across the country — and we’re always expanding. See if we offer care in your state, either online or at one of our 130+ local offices. If Groups doesn't offer treatment in your area, you can locate other treatment options here.