Changing How Mental Health Issues Are Viewed

Mental illness is often a significant factor in treating addictions.  When an addiction is accompanied by one, it is termed “dual diagnosis”, and dual diagnosis programs are a big part of many rehabs these days.  The reality of dealing with both in conjunction with each other is significant.  Mental health issues still haven’t been given the weight they deserve because they are not present to others like physical diseases, except in the suffering person’s mind.

It’s hard enough for the person dealing with them, but the discrimination and stigma thrown towards people with them can be worse.  It’s easy for those who are judgmental to label others.  In many cases, the addiction is secondary to the mental issues at hand, often resulting in lack of the things that create good lives for people.  Good jobs, a stable financial life and home, and quality interpersonal relationships.  The stigma is so great that many people will not seek out dual diagnosis treatment facilities as a result.

The most obvious barrier to changing how mental health issues are viewed is the general public’s understanding of these issues.  No one person can understand every issue.  However, understanding could be greatly improved with education.  In 2014, SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) report, released in 2012, which found that 45.9 million American adults, 20 percent of this demographic, experienced mental illness at least once annually.  That is massive amount of people.  The problem is that no one wants to talk about it.

The most effective way to help “normal” people realize how significant mental illness can be comes in the form of actually knowing someone close to them.  Opinions change when it is not just another person, but someone you care about.  When you care about someone, you will make a greater effort to understand what is going on, and even then it can be difficult.  As a person understands more, the illness becomes more real to them.  That’s when you begin to challenge your own thoughts about how you are treating others.  When that happens, you become more patient and compassionate when dealing with others, even regardless of their illness.

If you could tell the whole world at one time everything they should ever know about mental health issues, it would likely fall upon deaf ears.  Dual diagnosis treatment facilities can provide all the education you could ever want, but it starts with you and your actions.  Having compassion and opening yourself up to truly caring about others is the first step.