259 Substance Use

“Substance use disorders” or “substance-related disorders” are intended synonymously and are used interchangeably when referring to the broad category of addiction to psychoactive substances. Additionally, the word “drug” should be considered in the context in which it appears and can refer to alcohol specifically and/or other psychoactive substances such as cocaine or heroin etc. Again, this is because of the large overlap within the broader category of substance use and the high prevalence of polysubstance use. For the sake of clarity, “drug” as used in North America to generally refer to any illicit or controlled substance has been avoided. Instead, “medication” will be used to denote a prescribed substance used to treat physical symptoms. However, many legally prescribed medications (such as morphine) can and are abused and have addictive quality, making them just as devastating as “street drugs” or alcohol (Compton & Volkow, 2006).

The choices he used to cope with his life events created his disorder. It almost seemed as inevitable for him to avoid this path because the cues that presented themselves were all just factors that amplified his poor mental health outcome. The biological indicator, the alcohol dependence for stress relief, and then the substance abuse that was evoked by the physicians were all measures that built on top of each other. The DSM-V categorizes substance use disorder as a combination of substance abuse and substance dependence. It is said that only two symptoms need to be apparent in order to be diagnosed with the disorder. Mark’s pharmacological effects of tolerance and withdraw of the pain medication are alone enough criteria for the diagnosis. In conclusion, Mark substance use disorder is a cluster oh his behavioral, cognitive, and physiological symptoms which resulted in his continue use of the substances despite the evident

There is also research, which reveals that around 75% of those in programs for substance use disorder, also require treatment for co-occurring mental health disorder. Furthermore, individuals reporting mental health problems report a higher alcohol consumption rate at higher risk levels. Not only does this show a high rate of mental health and substance use co-inhabiting in massive numbers of patients, but also indicates that there is a need for not just treating substance use disorder but also treating mental health disorders as well. The co-occurrence of mental health and substance use is known commonly as Dual Diagnosis. It is estimated that dual diagnosis effects between 30% and 90% of those in substance use treatment (Crome, etc.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol has taken epidemic scale in the recent decades, the number of people affected by this disease has been increasing steadily and the age of drug and alcohol use initiation has sadly been decreasing, children as young as 12 years old are reported as addicts. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated that 22.5 million Americans aged 12 and older self-reported needing treatment for alcohol or illicit drug use in 2014. Drug abuse and mental health disorders are commonly seen as coexisting conditions. They are among the top conditions that cause disability and carry a high burden in society.

This in-person interview was made final April 7, 2011 with the interviewee, Mae Parnell, who is employed as a case manager at Haymarket Center, located as 120 So. Sangamon St., Chicago, IL. Mae Parnell’s primary job description at Haymarket Center is to coordinator the approach to the delivery of substances abuse and social and health services. She will also provide each client with connections to seek the appropriate organizations that will be able to assist and devote to the care of his or hers unique circumstances and to help him or her attain goals for him or

This treatment should help the person by stopping the use drugs, staying drug-free, and being productive in the family, at work, and in society. The addiction is treated with detoxification, behavioral counseling, medication, an evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and a long-term follow-up to prevent relapse. Some drugs can vary in treatment, but all go through a similar process. This article is important for our project because it shows the numerous ways someone can get treatment. According to SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22.5 million people (8.5 percent of the U.S. population) aged 12 or older needed treatment for drug or alcohol

Mental disorders have been a factor associated with substance abuse, either having been there before or after the substance abuse. For example, the rates of substance use, dependence on a certain substance and coexisting mental disorders are higher among the homeless than among the general portion of society (Linden et al., 2015). For many people, substance use is a way of self-medication in order to deal with mental illness because they cannot afford treatment, as a coping strategy or to make connections among the homeless community (Nyamathi et al., 2010). Suicidal intentions are common among people with a depressive disorder and engaged in substance abuse, contrasted to those with a depressive disorder and low or no substance abuse (Nyamathi et al.,

There are many variables when it comes to talking about substance abuse and addiction. According to (L. Lagoni, 2010), links are present between mental illness and self-medication referred to as the self-medication hypotheses. The research in this peer reviewed article was comprehensive and viewed psychiatric disorders from many different angles. They looked at illicit drug and alcohol users and found that many mental health disorders such as Thought, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD, and APD are connected to many societal issues which include homelessness, health issues, unemployment crime, and early deaths.

Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for the person with a mental disorder. When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs; these changes are what lead to compulsive drug use. Drug abuse plays a major role when concerning mental health. It is very difficult for these individuals to engage in treatment. Diagnosis for a treatment is difficult because it takes time to disengage the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness. It may also be difficult for substance abusers to be accommodated at home and it may not be tolerated in the community of residents of rehabilitation programs. The author states, that they end up losing their support systems

It is suggested that, clinicians evaluate clients for further mental health disorders prior to the selection of MET (Martin, & Rehm, 2012). The pervasiveness, of this treatment would necessitate the management of all or any additional mental health disorders prior to using this intervention. This approach may also trigger feelings of defensiveness in the client. Although this intervention is effective for some clients, it is recommended that individuals with very severe or long-standing histories of substance dependence or addiction seek more intensive treatment before undergoing a trial of

In this study, Meehan and MacLachlan took five men and five women; totaling eight participants altogether (Meehan & MacLachlan, 2008, p. 134). It should be noted that participants were not selected randomly, but instead, according to Meehan and MacLachlan (2008), “were recruited through liaison with the community mental health nurse” (p. 134). Additionally, Meehan and MacLachlan (2008) stated that all participants were currently unemployed, single, living independently by themselves, and reliant on government assistance and benefits for their livelihood (p. 134-135). Once recruited, all participants were given a lengthy interview. According to Meehan and MacLachlan (2008) this interview was “semi-structured” in that the participants were allowed total freedom to control the interview and take it in any direction they wanted with the interviewer only asking questions to generate talk when things quieted down (p. 135).

Addiction is not just about using drugs, however it is about the effect it obtains on one’s life. Many may debate that this is just a habit, while other say it is way more. Increasing immensely among our society, addiction impedes on a person from achieving their dreams and goals in life. Not only does it hinder an individual, it can also lead to harming not only one’s body, as well as their family structure, and it plays a great role in delinquency in society. Addiction should be considered mental illness because it causes significant damage to the victim, takes control of the mind, leads to rational decisions that affects others and takes away their free will.

The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.

Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by frequent drug abuse can impair a person's self-discipline and ability to make sound judgements, and at the same time create an intense impulse to take drugs. It is because of these alterations in the brain that it is so puzzling for a person to stop abusing drugs. Luckily, there are treatments that help people to neutralize addiction's powerful disruptive effects and regain control of their lives. Study shows that combining addiction treatment medications, when suitable, with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are custom-made to each patient's drug abuse patterns and any concurrent medical, psychiatric, and social problems can help achieve sustained recovery and a life without drugs.

Persons who suffer from untreated and/or undiagnosed mental illness are prone to turn to substance abuse in their attempts to self-medicate. Due to the mood-altering effects of substances, those who may experience anxiety, depression, and psychotic symptoms, tend to find temporary relief from such symptoms in their drug usage, however the adverse effects