Mental Health & Alcohol Abuse

Mental illnesses and alcoholism feed each other: People who suffer mental illness turn to alcohol to escape the realities of everyday life, and alcoholism increases levels of anxiety and depression---two common mental illnesses that in turn lead to alcoholism. Both mental illness and alcoholism lie within a person's genetic composition. Therefore, your chances of having these disorders increase if your parents or grandparents have a mental disorder or were alcoholics. Unfortunately, you can pass these genes to your children.

The viscious cycle

• I can't take it anymore.

  Unfortunately, people who suffer mental illnesses self medicate themselves by drinking high levels of alcohol. In turn, alcohol not only alters their mood, but it depresses the central nervous system, causing the neurotransmitters going to the brain to slow down. This phenomenon will cause an adverse effect when the alcohol wears off by creating a deeper depression, which in turn leads to heavier drinking. Constant drinking raises alcohol tolerance, which will make the person drink more to get the same effect. Too much alcohol can also lead to mental illness; more than 50 percent of suicides are alcohol related.

Homeless

• Alcoholism and/or mental illness can lead to homelessness.

  People who suffer from mentally illness often find it hard to keep up a home, and sometimes find themselves homeless. Half of the homeless people in the United States (325,000) suffer from mental illness. In the U.K. six out of 10 homeless people experience some form of psychological anguish. A high percentage of these mentally ill homeless people turn to alcohol or drugs for answers, making it virtually impossible for them to leave the streets. These people are in desperate need of a doctor, but unfortunately, most doctors are apprehensive to accept a homeless patient.

Intervention

• Get out of the rut.

  Intervention represents the first step in treatment. It becomes complicated because, in this case, the alcoholic exhibits more than one destructive behavior that requires correction. The course of action begins with family, friends and professionals who create a plan for recovery. This intervention would include making the person aware of the impact on loved ones, the treatment plan and consequences if the person refuses treatment.

Counseling

• The next step centers on helping the alcholic deal with the root of the problem. The person could be mentally ill because of a simple hormonal imbalance, or something more complicated such as bipolar disorder. Depending on the severity, the situation may require inpatient services. Inpatient facilities have a high success rate because they address both mental health issues and alcohol addiction, notto mention the fact that they allow the patient to detox in a setting with constant monitoring of withdrawal symptoms, along with readily available psycho and drug therapy. However, the treatment does not stop there. People who suffer from mental illness and alcoholism need to commit to ongoing treatment. After their release from an inpatient facility, they are referred to integrated outpatient treatment (IOT), which monitors their progress.

Recovery

• Life-long learning

  The biggest step to recovery involves finding a network of people who will help the patient overcome alcoholism and show patience and support with his mental illness. When family and friends are not supportive, it hinders the patient's recovery by sending her back into that vicious cycle. The network needs to help patients deal with, or avoid, mental triggers (things that cause distress) and avoid turning to alcohol for the solution. In order to succeed, the patient must get involved with a hobby or sport so he can have an escape when he is about to display a negative behavior. Although self-help programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), focus on addiction, they also effectively treat people who have mental illness and alcoholism.