The Connection Between Mental Illness And Substance Abuse

Mental Illness and substance abuse are strongly linked to each other in many ways. Usually, a person who is using prescription medicine for long periods of time may develop dependence to its components which will lead him to abuse the drug to acquire effective results. In many cases, people with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety disorder utilize alcohol to alleviate their discomforts.

Many experts of drug and alcohol rehab center,believed that the connection of substance abuse and mental illness are often observed on patients treated for addiction. Most of the underlying factors that cause a person to abuse substances are merely related to mental health problems. People who have serious anxiety disorder often turn to common depressants like alcohol or prescription narcotics to relieve themselves from stress, while others with chronic depression rely on stimulants to ward-off sadness.

Any person who is suffering from two related disorders at the same time is known to have dual diagnosis. In treating substance abuse and mental illness, the knowledge of medical professionals from drug addiction rehab is necessary. They are trained experts who can design a treatment plan to treat both conditions simultaneously. The mental health problems that are often associated during withdrawal from drugs and alcohol like hallucinations, paranoria, depression, sleeping problems and anxiety are fist treated. The underlying serious mental issues may require a long term therapy.

The combination of these two conditions often makes it difficult for sufferers to function normally in their life's daily activities. Addiction and mental metal illness often create a problem at work that it may come to a point where the employer will decide to terminate the person. Becoming unemployed can worsen the mental illness of the addict. Substance abuse can ruin family relationships and other social responsibilities leading to isolation. This situation will also result in high level of stress and increasing consumption of drugs and alcohol. Without immediate proper treatment, this cycle will continue and the condition will get worse.

The connection of mental illness and addiction can be also observed in homeless population. There is a large percentage of people who are less fortunate in life that are mostly suffering from both condition. These people often have less access to mental health rehab centers and their illnesses usually go untreated for many years. There are only a few people who can cope up with the consequences of untreated addiction. In many cases, the problem leads to chronic health complications resulting to death.

If you know someone who is suffering from both conditions simultaneously, you can advise him to consult a doctor immediately before complications will occur. You can also help him find a proper treatment if he is willing to recover.

Joey Young is a writer on topics about http://drugandalcoholrehabprogram.com/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-program-in-texas and features of http://drugaddiction-rehab.net/drug-addiction-rehab-in-texas

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/the-connection-between-mental-illness-and-substance-abuse-284472

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