Some people classify addictions - for example to drugs or alcohol - as mental health disorders.

People use different substances in different ways: to experiment, to relax, or to get high. Generally, someone's use of a substance becomes an addiction when it gets out of their control - or it seems to control them.

There are two levels of addiction - physical and psychological. Most people experience both, but they vary according to how long and how much of a substance people have been using. People have physical withdrawal symptoms when they first reduce or stop taking a drug (or stop drinking: withdrawal from alcohol can be quite severe). But sometimes, the psychological addiction - or 'craving' - is harder to overcome, and people can experience anxiety, depression, disrupted, sleep and poor concentration, which can make it harder to cope with daily life.

If people are physically addicted to something (including alcohol), it can sometimes be dangerous to just stop without getting medical help. Doctors - or local drug dependence units - can help anyone going through the first phase of stopping, and provide support and counselling.

It's important to remember that misusing drugs and alcohol can in itself affect people's mental health (for example by causing paranoia), and also that, like anyone else, people with existing mental health problems can get addicted to drugs or alcohol.

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Information on www.mindout.net is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the advice a health care professional. The mind out for mental health campaign is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on those sites. Always consult your GP if you are concerned about your health.