Substance Abuse and Mental Health Facilities in Irvington, NY
If you live in Irvington and you start abusing drugs and alcohol, there is a high risk that you might develop a co-occurring mental health disorder. On the other hand, if you have an undiagnosed mental illness, there is a likelihood that you might start abusing these substances to self-medicate the symptoms of your mental illness.
Research studies show that substance abuse and mental health disorders tend to have some underlying causes in common. These might include changes in the composition of the brain, early exposure to traumatic and stressful events, and genetic vulnerabilities.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is linked to imbalances in the chemicals that are found in the brain - including but not limited to dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. These imbalances will affect the response of your brain to external stimuli. As a result, you can experience hallucinations and hypersensitivity - some of the common symptoms of this mental health disorder.
There are also differences in the structure of the brain occurring with schizophrenia. These differences include enlarged ventricles (the cavities at the core of the brain that are filled with fluid), decreased gray matter, and decreased or increased activity in certain parts of the brain.
Suicidal Behavior
Addiction is interlinked with suicidal behavior. This is because it can increase the duration and severity of various mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior. In spite of the temporary relief that drugs and alcohol bring, they can also cause you to suffer from other long-term psychological effects.
This is particularly true when you consider the other problems that addiction causes - such as family conflicts, professional problems, financial issues, and much more. Having these problems could also be a reason why you engage in suicidal behavior.
It is recommended that you seek dual diagnosis treatment to manage all of the disorders that you have been struggling with simultaneously so that one does not cause the other to recur in the future.
This is especially true if you have been diagnosed with both substances abuse as well as another co-occurring mental health or medical disorders. Although these disorders tend to occur at the same time in many cases, it is possible to overcome them. To be able to do so, you will have to go through a highly integrated dual diagnosis treatment program.
