Substance Abuse and Mental Illness

Did you know addiction and mental illness facilitate each other? There is research that indicates addiction to drugs or alcohol can lead to mental illness and likewise, mental illness can lead to substance abuse. We know drug and alcohol addiction are bad for our brain. We have all seen the infamous commercial of an egg- "This is your brain"- and the egg frying in a pan: "This is your brain on drugs." We have all seen movies where an individual high on either methamphetamine or heroin portray schizophrenic behavior. However, did you know that someone suffering from a mental illness is more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol? Within mass media, alcohol is portrayed as a companion to a disappointed, lovesick person. Have you ever heard the phrase, "drowning your woes with alcohol?" Well, this exact behavior is called self-medication. Self-medication is the use of drugs or alcohol to relieve oneself of distress or pain. The dependence of a substance to alleviate a mental condition, can then lead to addiction- thus causing a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis is one where a person is suffering from mental illness and addiction to a substance. Treatment for dual diagnosis is more complicated since the individual would need to go through a detoxification period, rehabilitation, and then undergo treatment for the mental illness. For more information click here to go to the MedlinePlus website on dual diagnosis: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dualdiagnosis.html