Mental Illness | Co-Occurring Disorders
Suicide, Mental Illness, Drugs and Alcohol
Suicide. More than 34,000 suicides occurred in the U.S. This is the equivalent of 94 suicides per day; one suicide every 15 minutes or 11.26 suicides per 100,000 population. [CDC, Suicide: At a Glance, PDF in The Spotlight box] Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds and the third leading…
Read MorePTSD From the Family Members’ Perspective – June is PTSD Awareness Month
PTSD affects the entire family. Last week I ran this post, “PTSD Awareness Month – June 2012,” in which I shared HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ press release quote, announcing PTSD Awareness Month, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder affects 1 in 29 Americans, from our country’s service men and women to abused children and survivors of rape, domestic violence…
Read MoreAddiction Treatment – What to Look For
Making sense of addiction treatment (whether its for drugs or alcohol or both or for a co-occurring disorder), which is having both an addiction and a mental illness, is daunting to say the least. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has created a terrific resource to help people determine what they should look for…
Read MorePTSD Awareness Month – June 2012
“Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 1 in 29 Americans, from our country’s service men and women to abused children and survivors of rape, domestic violence and natural disasters,” says HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in her press release announcing PTSD Awareness Month. To raise awareness about PTSD, how its developed, its symptoms, those who experience it, and…
Read MoreNational Recovery Month September 2012
National Recovery Month September 2012 – this year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: It’s Worth It.” Mental and/or substance use disorders (also known as behavioral health conditions) affect millions of individuals, as well as their families and friends who are concernedabout them. Many opportunities exist to help them reclaim their lives, restore their relationships, and build promising…
Read MoreMental Health – the Impacts of Childhood Trauma
May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States, and I want to zero in on one this year’s celebration objectives – to raise awareness of trauma and its impacts. Specifically, I want to zero in on childhood trauma. As Paolo del Vecchio wrote in his article, “AWARENESS: Understanding the Link Between Life Experiences and…
Read MoreDual Diagnosis | Co Occurring Disorders – Status of Treatment in U.S.
Dual Diagnosis | Co Occurring Disorders – what do these terms mean? How are they treated? A dual diagnosis | co-occurring disorders is the name of the diagnosis given when a person has both a mental illness and an addiction. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), 50-75% of Americans who seek treatment…
Read MorePTSD and the Sleep Connection
PTSD and sleep – why is this connection important to understand? Given mental illness (of which PTSD is one) is one of the five key risk factors for developing an addiction and that sleep (the peaceful, restful kind) is one of the key things a person can do to heal their brain from an addiction,…
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