Giles County Technology Center
As part of
the HOSA (Health Occupational Students of America) chapter at Giles
County Technology Center, Ashley Allen, Samantha Stanley, and Tiler
Smith are preparing to compete at the state competition. As a part of
their event for Community Awareness they have made it their goal to
educate the community about Dual Diagnoses. They presented their speech
to the Giles County Board of Supervisors and will have brochures for the
community in the local physicians’ offices.
Change the Outcome
How
often have you seen someone in your family that has had a substance
abuse problem or a mental health problem? Have you ever thought that the
two may be in relation to one another? If you have never thought of how
they may be in relation, here is how. In our mental health system today
when an individual is diagnosed with chronic depression, bipolar
disorder, or various other mental health issues the medications that
they may be prescribed are often very expensive. Not only are the
medications expensive, but so are the other forms of treatment that are
offered to go along with the medications. That makes it hard for anyone
who is in the middle class to be able to afford the medications they
need and the correct type of treatment. Also making it hard in our own
community is we have no type of treatment or healthcare provider for
those that have mental illnesses. So, with the medications and people
not having easy access to treatments of health care providers, how else
are those with these mental disorders going to cope? They end up coping
by self-medicating with substances such as alcohol, marijuana,
methamphetamine, and opioids.
There is a part of the brain that
produces the chemical knows as dopamine or often referred to as the
chemical that creates pleasure. When the chemical is released throughout
the body naturally it then goes back to the brain and is reused. If
someone is depressed that chemical (dopamine), is not produced by the
brain. If a substance is involved to help create the happy feeling then
it is not able to be reused because substances eventually then just die
off and can not be recycled to the brain. Due to substances not allowing
the brain to recycle the chemical dopamine; depression, bipolar
disease, and other mental health diagnoses are often left untreated and
the individual self-medicates to help rid the symptoms.
When an
individual is diagnosed with both a mental disorder and substance abuse
it is known as dual diagnosis. There is no cure for a dual diagnosis but
there are treatments available. The treatment for these individuals
with a dual diagnosis have a wide range in variety and depend on what
substance is being abused and the mental disorder. In the 1990’s people
were experiencing both mental disorders and substance abuse problems but
they were only being treated for one or the other, because of that
their problems were continuing instead of being resolved. Studies have
shown that when both illnesses are treated at the same time the
treatment is more successful and helps prevent the individual from
relapsing.
What could we do to support those in the community with
these illnesses? Things that you can do are going to your local
delegates about possible treatment centers and attending local board
meetings. Help us raise awareness about these illnesses that are so
common within our communities.
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