It is important to know why the mentally ill are more likely to resort to drug abuse. Drug rehabilitation centers offer a variety of treatment programs, including dual diagnosis treatment, group therapy, and outpatient programs. There are many theories about why the mentally ill are more likely to resort to drug abuse, but no one knows for sure why they decide to abuse drugs. This is one of the major problems with drug rehabilitation and why patients return to drug abuse after successful treatment.
Drugs Used As Self Medication
The first theory is that people with a brain disorder have learned how to self medicate to relieve symptoms of their illness. People with cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia can all be diagnosed with some type of drug dependency. The drug rehabilitation center is trying to teach their patients’ coping mechanisms so they don’t fall back into their drug addiction.
Lack of Happy Thoughts
Another theory is that patients who suffer from drug addiction may be experiencing intense symptoms that make it difficult for them to form happy thoughts. A drug rehabilitation program may offer therapies such as group therapy, in which patients share feelings and experiences with others who are going through the same problems. It is hoped that sharing these feelings may help drug addicts find hope and new hopes for a drug-free existence.
Drugs Are Used As Coping Mechanisms
A third reason why the mentally ill are more likely to use drugs is that they have fewer coping mechanisms than regular people. Drug addicts often take drugs in a desperate attempt to alleviate their symptoms, which can include nausea, vomiting, increased blood pressure, headaches, and tremors. For this reason, it can be very difficult for drug addicts to form successful coping mechanisms in order to reduce the cravings of their drug of choice. A drug rehabilitation program will teach recovering addicts how to better deal with their cravings, thus allowing them to better control their drug use. The drug rehabilitation program may also teach recovering addicts how to lead an improved life in general so that they do not return to their drug of choice later on.
Substances & Mental Illnesses
The most common substance abuse drugs are marijuana, cocaine, crack-cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Individuals suffering from either substance abuse or a mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders or schizophrenia are very susceptible to becoming addicted to drugs or using drugs to self-medicate mood disorders such as depression. Studies indicate that approximately one in twenty individuals using prescription medications also suffer from a drug addiction. As treatment for mental illness and addiction advances, there is likely to be an improvement in treatment for drug addiction.
Conclusion
Why are the mentally ill more likely to use drugs? There is no one answer to this question. It is important for people to consider all possible scenarios and think carefully about the use of drugs. A good drug rehabilitation program can help patients choose the drug of choice in a safe way. Drug rehabilitation does not have to be a boring, time-consuming, difficult task; anyone can recover from their addiction if they are willing to invest the time and effort required. The more information that is gained about why the mentally ill are more likely to abuse drugs, the more productive the drug rehabilitation program should be.
