Healthy Lifestyle - avoiding other drugs
People with mental illness may be more likely to abuse substances. It is estimated that up to 75% of people with alcohol and substance abuse problems may have a mental illness (see: www.SANE.org) Feelings of profound social isolation and loneliness are some of the reasons given for this.
Help can be found at the following:
National services
- Al-Anon/Alateen For meetings and other information
- Alcoholics Anonymous For meetings information
- Anglicare Alcohol & Drug services Vic, NSW, SA
- Australian Hepatitis Council Go to 'Hepatitis Councils'
- Drug-ARM Drug Awareness, Rehabilitation & Management, go to 'Programs and Support'
- Druginfo Clearinghouse Drug information and resources
- Family Drug Support Telephone support and other information [pdf]
- Marijuana Anonymous Australia For meetings and other support
- Mission Australia Select 'Drug and alcohol' and State
- Narcotics Anonymous For meetings and other support
- Relationships Australia For relationship counselling
- Salvation Army Select State
Australian drug information network:
www.adin.com.au
For people with mental illness and a substance abuse problem:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/ bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagnosis
http://www.swsahs.nsw.gov.au/areaser/midas/default.asp
SANE - help for people with a mental illness:
www.sane.org
Sources: www.sane.org; Brit J Psychiatry 2001;178:116-122
Dual diagnosis can be difficult for your Doctor
Even medical professionals can sometimes find it difficult to see both mental illness and substance abuse in a single person. That's why it's important to be honest with the doctor. The abused substance can be alcohol, prescribed drugs or illegal drugs. Perhaps the mental illness triggered the drug use, or perhaps the drug use started before the mental illness. However it happened, one can influence the other, complicating treatment. For example, one use of cannabis (pot) can bring on a schizophreniform episode - but this is usually a relapse not a first episode. However, there is evidence that cannabis use increases the risk of developing schizophrenia after 15 years of heavy use.
"It made me feel good - even for just a little while. But really my whole life was heading down the toilet. No one was going to get me out of this mess but me. Well they help now, now that I started helping myself."
- Tom
