Exploring a Common Underlying Cause of Substance Abuse
Many people who undergo treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction also suffer from an underlying mental illness. This occurrence is known as comorbidity; when comorbidity is present in a patient, it is vital that dual diagnoses be made so that both issues may be treated. While a person could reasonably assume that mental illness has led to addiction (or vice versa), that may not necessarily be the case. The disorders can co-exist without one being a secondary result of the other, but it’s also not at all uncommon for people with mental illness to turn to substance abuse as a coping method. Some are fully aware that they are doing this, while others simply abuse drugs or alcohol without making the connection.
Regardless of how the two issues manifest in an individual, getting proper treatment for the co-existing health conditions is vital to the recovery process. A person who is suffering from co-occurring disorders (the term used by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMSHA) cannot truly manage either disorder without addressing the other one, as well. In order to experience true recovery, a person must seek treatment with professionals who are equipped …show more content…
An individual with parents who abused alcohol or drugs is apt to develop his or her own set of emotional issues as a teenager and adult. As a child, that person may begin to have trouble focusing in school and at home, and he or she might not interact in a generally healthy way with others. Additionally, if a mother consumes alcohol or uses drugs during pregnancy, her child may well inherit mental dysfunction and various other disorders as a result. If a child is routinely neglected or otherwise treated inappropriately, he or she might develop antisocial personality disorder
Many people who undergo treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction also suffer from an underlying mental illness. This occurrence is known as comorbidity; when comorbidity is present in a patient, it is vital that dual diagnoses be made so that both issues may be treated. While a person could reasonably assume that mental illness has led to addiction (or vice versa), that may not necessarily be the case. The disorders can co-exist without one being a secondary result of the other, but it’s also not at all uncommon for people with mental illness to turn to substance abuse as a coping method. Some are fully aware that they are doing this, while others simply abuse drugs or alcohol without making the connection.
Regardless of how the two issues manifest in an individual, getting proper treatment for the co-existing health conditions is vital to the recovery process. A person who is suffering from co-occurring disorders (the term used by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMSHA) cannot truly manage either disorder without addressing the other one, as well. In order to experience true recovery, a person must seek treatment with professionals who are equipped …show more content…
An individual with parents who abused alcohol or drugs is apt to develop his or her own set of emotional issues as a teenager and adult. As a child, that person may begin to have trouble focusing in school and at home, and he or she might not interact in a generally healthy way with others. Additionally, if a mother consumes alcohol or uses drugs during pregnancy, her child may well inherit mental dysfunction and various other disorders as a result. If a child is routinely neglected or otherwise treated inappropriately, he or she might develop antisocial personality disorder