Television Creates a False Association Between Mental Health and Substance Use

The danger of these substances being used and shown through films can standardize the audience into the belief that they can be used for mental health problems, even though that isn’t the case. Lots of times, drugs are seen being associated with the character when introduced to scenarios with mental health.  ScienceDirect, a platform based on scientific and health publications, goes into depth about the idea of drug and alcohol dependence in the popular TV show, Euphoria. “There is a clear need to address these issues within this population given the striking burden of substance use and mental health challenges among young people in the U.S.,” (ScienceDirect). This article’s use of words, such as “clear,” and the “striking burden,” emphasize the urgency of the change needed when viewers are influenced by the substances they see on their screens. This passage mainly refers to the article’s study and their objective to examine Reddit posts about Euphoria to understand different themes and patterns that resonate with adolescents and younger viewers. Their purpose is to inform social media interventions, and this website clearly provides enough detail to do so. The results of their research confirmed that Redditors revealed both personal recreational and prescription drug use to cope with their mental illnesses symptoms. Whether drugs are prescribed or used recreationally, they will always be a concern because anyone can be addicted to anything at any point in their life. In the show Euphoria, Rue is an individual struggling with her sexuality, trauma, violence, mental health, and you guessed it–substance use. Alcohol, marijuana, fentanyl, heroin, and opiates are used plenty throughout the show. Euphoria is a great example of this because Rue was prescribed drugs for her OCD, ADHD, general anxiety disorder, as well as a possible bipolar disorder. The audience found the events that the main character, Rue, experienced were relatable and possibly triggering to young adults (ScienceDirect). Although many viewers tend to find entertainment within this show and others, viewers are often blinded by the fact that there is an impact of substance misuse in not only Euphoria but many other TV productions.

American Addiction Centers, one of the largest network of rehab facilities nationwide, also expand more about Euphoria and the challenges this show has brought to its adolescents. “According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), researchers discovered that roughly 50% of individuals who experience substance use disorder experience co-occurring mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and personality disorders to name a few. Even though mental disorders and SUDs usually co-occur, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one caused the other.,” (ScienceDirect). Nitara Osbourne, the writer of this article, acknowledges that even though substance use is intended to be used for mental health a lot of the time, there is no particular association that substances cause mental illness (which is a big fallacy society misconceives). NIDA also comes into agreement with this statement (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Although this is true, substance use co-exists with mental health, specifically meaning they supplement each other. Depending on the amount of use of substances such as the one seen in Euphoria, people can have more or less severe physical problems, too. Chronic drug abuse can lead to slow breathing, insomnia, paranoia, and cardiovascular, kidney, and liver diseases. Frequently in films with the inclusion of substances, the characters often experience organ failure of some sort due to an addiction. Most of the time, misusing any substance can be caused by peer pressure or just simple curiosity and almost always is meant to relieve pain, improve sociability, and change the appearance of an individual. It’s crucial to comprehend that drugs create a false vision that the user may or may not be aware of. The user is at risk of all kinds of short and long-term effects, and the impact on their physical and mental health when using substances strengthens the point that drugs, alcohol, and smoking are dangerous, especially when abused. Critics have determined that because Euphoria glorifies its drug use, the concern is that it appeals to young minds who are influenced by the characters, just like looking up to a role model (American Addiction Centers).