MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABSTINENCE: CLINICAL EXPERIENCES AND HUMANIZED TRAINING IN PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

This article addresses mental health as a central axis of reflection and practice in the Psychology course internship, carried out in the second semester of 2025. Mental health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is understood as a state of emotional, physical, and social balance that enables the individual to cope with daily challenges in a productive and resilient way. The practical experience of the internship allowed for the observation and analysis of institutional environments focused on the care of patients in psychological distress, with emphasis on individuals in the process of substance withdrawal. The observations revealed that the use of substances (legal and illegal) does not manifest in isolation, being linked to emotional, social, and economic factors, frequently related to significant losses. In the initial stages of withdrawal, recurring symptoms such as depression, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, hallucinations, insomnia, nightmares, memory lapses, and poor concentration were identified, highlighting the complexity of the phenomenon. The results indicate that addressing substance use disorders requires a multidimensional approach that considers both withdrawal symptoms and the impacts of social and emotional disruptions. The analysis reinforces the importance of ongoing care programs, integrated therapeutic strategies, and family, institutional, and community support networks as decisive factors for rehabilitation and social reintegration. It is concluded that clinical practice during internships contributes significantly to the ethical, critical, and humanized training of psychologists, strengthening their role as agents of social transformation in promoting mental health.