October 10th, 2011 is World Mental Health Day. Mental Health Disorders affect 450 million people around the world. One in four persons in the United States suffers from Mental Health Issues. The most common being; Bipolar, Depression, Post dramatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The goal of World Mental Health Day is to bring light to these diseases and spread education by creating awareness.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse often times go hand in hand. Half of all persons suffering from addiction also suffer from mental health disorders. Suffering from both mental health and substance abuse is classified as having a dual diagnosis. Having a dual diagnosis can complicate each illness, which on their own are complicating enough. The correlations between both disorders pose the age old question, what came first the chicken or the egg; or in this case, “what came first the Mental Health Disorder or Substance Abuse Disorder”?
There is no definitive explanation to whether drug abuse causes mental health or if mental health causes drug abuse. However, research proves many individuals suffering from Mental Health issues often times self-medicate with drugs and/or alcohol to calm symptoms. In actuality this scenario of “self medicating” only ends up increasing Mental Health symptoms and most often triggering new ones. Furthermore, for those individuals diagnosed and taking medication for Mental Health, using illicit drugs and/or alcohol severely decreases the effectiveness of the ability for any psychotropic medications to work at alleviating MH symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of having a co-occurring mental health issue on top of a substance disorder include, but are not limited to:
• Feeling helpless/loss of hope
• Loss of interest in daily activities
• Inability to feel pleasure
• Increased Pleasure/ Feeling of Euphoria
• Appetite/Weight changes
• Sleep changes
• Loss of Energy/Increased Energy
• Anger/Rage
• Depression
• Restlessness
Co-occurring disorders are easily treatable. There is hope at Jade Wellness Center! We will treat your substance abuse disorder and set you up on the right track to alleviate any Mental Health symptoms as we coordinate care to an appropriate Mental Health provider. Mental Health will also be addressed in individualized treatment.
Co-occurring Disorders are more dangerous than substance abuse alone. On behalf of the Jade Wellness Center Staff and in Loving Memory of John Ryan Garrighan we urge you to pick up the phone and let us help you today.
(Information provided by Samhsa and Nami)
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October 10th, 2011 is World National Health Day
