Psychological Disorders

Undiagnosed psychological disorders frequently lead to addiction. This is a growing concern in the United States because a problematic stigma surrounds mental illness. Many Americans learn unhealthy, burdensome coping mechanisms which lead to troubling emotional problems. While there’s some emotional maturity associated with growing up, there may often be an underlying mental illness at play. If you find your undiagnosed psychological disorder has led to an addiction, it’s important to seek proper addiction rehab programs.

Educating People About Psychological Disorders

Many people in the US take health classes in middle or high school. Unfortunately, these classes don’t familiarize students with mental illnesses. The primary age for mental illness development is between the ages of 14 and 24. However, many people don’t know how to identify them. Overall, developing symptoms of a mental disorder without knowing what’s happening to you can be extremely isolating for a variety of reasons:

• Suppose the mental disorder manifests in adolescence as behavioral changes or mood swings. In that case, parents, teachers, and other adults may assume the young person is being a typical teenager and rebelling when, in fact, it is a much more serious condition. Adults may constantly question the young person about their behavior, punish them for perceived misbehavior, or attempt to impose changes to correct what they perceive as willful disobedience. This can lead to alienation as society marginalizes the individual.
• Alternatively, the individual may realize that they do not think and feel like their friends and family. They assume that something is fundamentally wrong with them and it is their fault they cannot relate to family and friends, maintain a job, or manage their life. This can lead to isolation as the individual withdraws from society.

Greater education at an earlier age for both children and their parents would help alleviate some confusion and prevent tragic outcomes.

Even as adults, it’s challenging to open up about what’s going on internally. Part of this apprehension is from fear of judgment. Without the proper education, people keep their mental illness symptoms to themselves and never get help. Often, this leads to self-medicating.

Developing an Addiction with Psychological Disorders

There comes the point when a person realizes something is mentally wrong with them. An individual may notice how, comparatively, others can manage their lives better. From a desire to feel normal, a person may turn to drugs or alcohol. Overall, the more someone abuses a substance to deal with the symptoms of mental illness, the closer they are to developing an addiction. Unfortunately, mental illness and addiction often occur together because the two separate conditions reinforce and influence each other. A person with undiagnosed bipolar disorder might attempt to combat episodes of depression with drugs that make them feel good or at least disconnected from their feelings of depression. That same person could later experience a manic episode and turn to different drugs or alcohol, to sedate themselves to sleep. Addiction to multiple substances could form over time, and the mental health disorder would remain unaddressed.

Common mental illnesses include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Bipolar disorder

Remember, trying to manage depression or anxiety alone is difficult. Anxiety causes intense fear when there’s no immediate threat. Therefore, drugs like opiates, benzodiazepines, and marijuana may temporarily calm someone down. Additionally, those with depression struggle to feel happy, so they use drugs to feel euphoric.

Getting Help for Psychological Disorders and Addiction

At San Antonio Recovery Center in San Antonio, Texas, we treat people struggling with co-occurring disorders. Our staff understands that to live a happier, healthier life, mental illness must be under control. While in our care, we’ll treat your addiction and mental illness simultaneously. Above all, this ensures that your ability to maintain sobriety while overcoming your mental illness.

Additionally, you’ll go through various addiction therapy sessions at San Antonio Recovery Center to help your mental illness. We provide multiple levels of care to ensure you get the best, comprehensive treatment possible, and these include:

• Residential Treatment
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Aftercare
• 90-day extended program

Call us today at 866.957.7885 to reach lifelong sobriety and conquer your mental illness.