Many addicts begin drug abuse to ease anxiety or alleviate depression. People with anxiety problems find it much easier to relax after a beer, and many narcotics induce a feeling of euphoria that helps relieve depression.

The effects of using drugs to self-medicate a mental health problem can cause serious complications and add an additional complications from someone suffering from a mental illness.Often, addicts have mental health problems that have gone undiagnosed or been ignored until they undergo treatment. When the underlying issue has been addressed, the addict will find new ways to cope with his depression or anxiety but he has now developed a chemical dependency with which he must cope.

The state of mental health screening in the United States is poor enough that many people will turn to drugs or alcohol before realizing that what they need are an antidepressant and a psychiatrist. This state of affairs is unlikely to change in the near future. With the economy and high oil prices likely to be a hot-button campaign issue in 2008, the poor state of mental health care in this country will continue to be ignored.

The estimates on how many people who would have never considered drug and alcohol abuse if they had their mental health issues addressed would be interesting to consider, but ultimately of little value until positive steps were changed to correct this issue.

An occasional beer to chase away the blues and relax after work is not alcohol abuse, but if it comes a persistent habit, it may be time to look in for an underlying cause and consider the that the person drowning his sorrows in alcohol is using the drug as a form of self-medication.

If you spot someone drinking a little to often in this manner, you may be able to get him the help he needs for his mental health problem and stop him from destroying his life in other ways.