- Recently, Hollywood A-lister Bradley Cooper opened up about his drug addiction.
- Research says substance abuse and addiction are leading causes of ill mental health and death worldwide.
On Apple’s Smartless podcast, Academy Award-nominee Bradley Cooper revealed how he suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction in his late 20s. Going down memory lane, he confessed how his harrowing stint with substance addiction left him “lost” and “totally depressed”.
What Is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is a neurological, mental, and behavioral disorder in which the sufferer experiences the compulsive urge to use a recreational or medicinal drug – disregarding substantial harm and other negative consequences.
The most commonly abused drugs include:
- Alcohol
- Cannabinoids
- Opioids
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
- Anabolic steroids
- Barbiturates
- Cocaine
- Date Rape Drugs
- Ecstasy (MDMA)
- Painkillers and sleeping pills
Signs Of Drug Addiction
The common symptoms of drug addiction include:
- Mood changes
- Changes in energy levels
- Disrupted sleeping patterns
- Changes in appetite
- Increased frequency of illness
- Blackout
- Social withdrawal
- Broken interpersonal relationships
- Mental disorders
Drug Addiction And Mental Health
Substance abuse and addiction, particularly alcoholism and drug addiction, are associated with high incidences of mental disorders.
Emerging studies have confirmed the association between drug abuse, structural and functional brain changes, and altered behavior. Experts further state that depression and addiction to drugs are intricately linked, both conditions being common in 15.4% of the global population.
Studies also associate drug addiction with several other psychiatric disorders like:
- Personality disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Stress disorders
- Eating disorders
- Sleep disorders
- Mood disorders
- Cognitive disorders
Seeking Treatment
According to research, drug addiction falls under the category of chronic, relapsing, and sometimes incurable mental disorders. Moreover, the stigmatization of mental health means that seeking drug addiction treatment can be challenging at times.
However, experts have suggested measures that can help deal with drug addiction:
- Recognize and accept your addiction problem
- Seek medical help as early as possible
- Consider detoxification
- Consider long-term medication-assisted behavioral therapies
- Communicate with your loved ones
- Spend quality time with friends and family
- Develop healthy coping mechanisms and self-help strategies
- Consider community support (like group therapies) for recovery
- In severe cases, consider rehabilitation programs or in-patient drug treatment
The news about Bradley Cooper’s cocaine addiction has put the spotlight back on one of the lethal addictions that plague adolescents, youth, and elders alike.
His struggle with addiction and sobriety journey has been inspiring—highlighting the definitive need to seek a timely and proper diagnosis for substance abuse disorders. This not only improves the patient’s treatment outcomes but also enables him/her to lead a healthy and more fulfilling life.
Elaborating on his recovery, Cooper remarked: “I was addicted to cocaine … [but thanks to therapy] quite honestly today I can sit in front of you and tell you I have self-esteem … and I didn’t have that for 46 years.”
