During the course of my admission to the psych ward I have met a lot of people who on top of their mental difficulties are also struggling with substance abuse. I don’t feel comfortable naming a number but needless to say it is well more then half of the residents.
The problem when substance abuse and mental illness is combined is it makes it incredibly difficult for the mental health professionals to diagnose and then hopefully treat. They are faced with a wide variety of symptoms and the question remains is it the result of the mental illness or is it a result of the substance abuse or is it a combination of the two.
People with mental illness have a pretty high rate when it comes to substance abuse. I remember a statistic that puts the Borderline Personality Disorder segment some where near the seventy percent marker when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse. When you have come to the realization that something is not quite right with the way you think I guess an option is to abuse substances to basically dull the reality instead of trying to battle the disorder. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is another illness with a sky high chemical abuse problem which is pretty easy to understand as the escape to another world can be pretty overwhelming, the constant state of anxiety waiting for that invisible demon to attack can get to a person pretty quickly so it opens the door to an abuse situation.
In the hospital from my observation people who show up with a combination of mental illness and substance abuse tend not to last very long. I guess the theory is if the substance problem is not in check the chance of solving the mental illness is pretty low. I don’t know how many people I seen come and go during the three months I spent on the wards but I believe the second they needed a bed the first to go was those with a substance abuse problem. The system is far from perfect in this country and trying to get into a rehab facility or a detox can be a very long wait so the people end up on the psych ward where there substance abuse problems do not get addressed in the same way and unfortunately they end up back in the community with a program that is designed to fail. The logical answer would be to create more rehab beds for drug and alcohol addiction but in this economy the chances of that helping anytime soon is slim to none. Take care
Related posts:
- Substance Abuse And Borderline Personality Disorder
- Study Shows Massive Rise In ADHD Drug Abuse Among Teens – Article
- Revised psychiatry manual targets autism, substance disorders
- Prescription Medication Abuse
- Dual Diagnosis Conflicts
- Amy Winehouse Found Dead Photos
- Untreatable Review Part Three
- Borderline Personality Disorder Test
- Mental illness alone is no trigger for violence – Article
- Dating With Mental Disorders
I am an alcoholic and a drug addict who has been clean and sober for over four years. I didn’t realize what was happening at the time, I only knew things felt better when I was drunk. The pain and fears decreased. I had no idea I was bipolar at the time. Eventually both drugs brought me to my knees and I began going to AA. It was only after getting sober that I was successfully diagnosed with a mood disorder.
One facility that does an excellent job is Cedars Sinai hospital here in Los Angeles. That was where I was placed in a mental ward when I was suicidal. One of the first things they ask when you are being admitted is what drugs are you addicted to. They don’t ask if you are, they go straight to asking which ones. It’s assumed that you are and they have a great facility for dual diagnosis patients.
If only all hospitals had the same facilities that they do.
I’ve seen similar things in psych wards. But, I also have had the experience of being placed in detox because I had a .00001 breathalyzer in the ER, and even though I was there for suicidality, I was sent to detox because the psych ward was full and detox was cheaper! The system is not perfect by a long shot!
More significant studies NEED to be done regarding dual diagnosis.
For me, alcohol was always a better option because it worked consistently and immediately vs. my anti-depressants which may or may not have worked after a 3-4 WEEK delay!
Nice post.
I think I will expand on this idea over at http://www.thesecondroad.org if you don’t mind.
Ow that system! It’s terrible that we have went from one extreme to the next. We went from locking people in mental hospitals for years even lifetimes to leaving them completely out in the open. You have people who are begging to be admitted for longer durations and being rejected by the system.
Unfortunately some mental illnesses need much more then a week stay. I discussed this very topic on my blog way in the past and I think I will repost it today because it is something that is important. I hope one day they get it right. I don’t know what the answer is but there has to be a better way to run this mental health system.
It was only after getting sober that I was successfully diagnosed with a mood disorder.
=================================
FOSTER
Addiction Treatment