Addiction and Mental Illness: Dual Diagnosis
How addiction and mental Illness come together
Addiction: a behavioral pattern with 2 main characteristics:
1. Compulsive, overwhelming, and chemically-dependent drug-seeking, which in many cases, begins as a desperate attempt to cope with trauma, find social acceptance, relieve pain of any kind, and/or to compensate for a deficiency in brain chemistry.
2. A tendency to experience cravings and temptation, often resulting in extreme discomfort and relapse following withdrawal (due to an imbalance in neurochemistry and diminished reward).
1. Compulsive, overwhelming, and chemically-dependent drug-seeking, which in many cases, begins as a desperate attempt to cope with trauma, find social acceptance, relieve pain of any kind, and/or to compensate for a deficiency in brain chemistry.
2. A tendency to experience cravings and temptation, often resulting in extreme discomfort and relapse following withdrawal (due to an imbalance in neurochemistry and diminished reward).
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What's it is like to go through withdrawal: A living nightmare.
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The toxic cycle of addiction.
Multiple interactions between genes and the environment influence addiction vulnerability.
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Interplay between a subset of genes and environmental factors in the susceptibility of addiction.
Why some people experience addiction while others do not:
Some drugs are intrinsically more addictive than others. Coincidentally, the legal substances are among the top 4 most addictive substances. This should make you question the legitimacy of our legal system with regard to drug-related punishment.
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Likelihood of substance abuse among different drugs of choice.
Some people are more impulsive or have genetically impaired reward systems prior to experimenting with their drug of choice.
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The neurobiology of substance-dependency.
The dangers of experimentation among teenagers and young adults
Expected adolescence is full of seeking behaviors due to the maturing brain (risk taking, novelty, and peer pressure). These behaviors can be extremely dangerous since powerful substances interfere with the myelination (insulation of nerve cells) of the frontal lobe, which is critical for young individuals to develop the ability to make sound decisions, resist temptation, and have motivation to change.
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Disruptions in important the development of executive control in adulthood.
The interplay of addiction and mental health problems
Co-existing mental health issues is termed "dual-diagnosis". Examples include high anxiety, low mood, and obsessive, compulsive binges, which can overwhelm neural pathways and induce psychosis.
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Bi-directional relationship between addiction and mental illness.
A Real Challenge but not Devoid of Hope
Our system (unsurprisingly) is broken.
People degrade, villainize, punish, and fail to understand why people with addiction engage in such a destructive behavior.
People who are hurt by those who have addiction do not deserve to be treated that way, and they should have firm boundaries, but they can always advocate for them to get help (making a condition that for monetary support or housing, they must make effort and attend a treatment program).
People degrade, villainize, punish, and fail to understand why people with addiction engage in such a destructive behavior.
People who are hurt by those who have addiction do not deserve to be treated that way, and they should have firm boundaries, but they can always advocate for them to get help (making a condition that for monetary support or housing, they must make effort and attend a treatment program).
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How to interact with your loved ones who have substance abuse problems.
Unfortunately, many people do not get the treatment they need, and law enforcement even places people in unsafe and enclosed prisons for drug-related crimes.
People who are suffering with addiction must be held accountable for their actions, but their pain must also be understood and treated with empathy.
With enough education, rehabs may be the consequence for drug-related behavior in our world.
People who are suffering with addiction must be held accountable for their actions, but their pain must also be understood and treated with empathy.
With enough education, rehabs may be the consequence for drug-related behavior in our world.
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We need to help our loved ones receive the rehabilitation and support that they deserve to regain power and functionality in their lives.
Rehabs, support groups, and medications such as Suboxone aid in the recovery and rewiring of the brain of those are determined to get clean and change their lives for the better.
This battle must be taken seriously and approached as a complex and difficult infliction among human beings, as it is very real and very painful for all who are involved, but new developments and supports are evolving today.
This battle must be taken seriously and approached as a complex and difficult infliction among human beings, as it is very real and very painful for all who are involved, but new developments and supports are evolving today.
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Six methods for coping with withdrawal symptoms.
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Growth Mindset for Addiction Recovery.
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New Hope Dual Diagnosis Centers offer help to those struggling with both addiction and mental illness.