[sideblinded]

I have always felt that mental illness gets such a bad wrap over addiction. People with mental illness have just a bad of a time dealing with life issues as people who have substance abuse issues. We are reminded on TV and TV programs like (Intervention) the many treatment facilities for those with addictions but there are none for mental illness. I find this so discouraging.

Yes, most mental illnesses are longer term but why aren't there more private sector treatment facilities for people who are undergoing stress related issues who need a type of short term intervention? We have inpatient resources for both substance abuse and mental illness but where are the treatment programs to help get people more stable with mental health issues?

[kaliope]

I believe it is the stigma attached to mental illness that keeps it under wraps. there aren't many people who want to speak out about mental health issues to get it the support it needs to get the money to provide the resources needed to provide such institutions. NAMI works hard to erase the stigma of mental illness and advocate for legislation that addresses issues to support those that are mentally ill.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by sideblinded

I have always felt that mental illness gets such a bad wrap over addiction. People with mental illness have just a bad of a time dealing with life issues as people who have substance abuse issues. We are reminded on TV and TV programs like (Intervention) the many treatment facilities for those with addictions but there are none for mental illness. I find this so discouraging.

Yes, most mental illnesses are longer term but why aren't there more private sector treatment facilities for people who are undergoing stress related issues who need a type of short term intervention? We have inpatient resources for both substance abuse and mental illness but where are the treatment programs to help get people more stable with mental health issues?

I agree with you 100%. I went to a drug and alcohol treatment center and I am very grateful for it but why don't they have the same thing for mental health. Treatment centers are all over and it gets talked about in the media all the time.

[TheOriginalMe]

It's the same in the UK. Rehab is cool, inpatient is not. Inpatient is only for when you can't keep yourself safe or are a risk to others. If you need time to stabilise or adjust to meds or even just a night or two of respite, then there's nowhere. I think a respite facility for mental illness would be an excellent idea, a couple of days where you get looked after and put back on your feet, meds tweaked and care plan adjusted.

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by TheOriginalMe

It's the same in the UK. Rehab is cool, inpatient is not. Inpatient is only for when you can't keep yourself safe or are a risk to others. If you need time to stabilise or adjust to meds or even just a night or two of respite, then there's nowhere. I think a respite facility for mental illness would be an excellent idea, a couple of days where you get looked after and put back on your feet, meds tweaked and care plan adjusted.

I couldn't agree with you more. I found myself just in that very place where I needed help withdrawing from some prescribed psych meds and there was no place for me to go for that. I called a therapist in the area and she said there was no facility that would help me with this. So I withdrew at home alone. It is the same in the US. It was dangerous and so difficult. This is a sad situation.

Thanks for sharing.

[Sinking Feeling]

I'm a bit confused to the topic so please forgive me if I'm not hitting it right on. I do know that mental illness and substance abuse often go hand in hand and like the chicken or the egg, is just as difficult figuring out which came first or what the underlying cause is. Often the symptoms are identical for both. As for outpatient care is where I am confused. Here in my area we do have outpatient programs for both mental illness and substance abuse. I've been to both and found substance abuse programs to be ineffective and boring for me. I have benefited greatly from outpatient MI. As for the stigma, I think it's worse for MI because it's more of a mystery and filled with false myths and also, MI tends to be for life. Sorry if I did not address this as intended.

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by Sinking Feeling

I'm a bit confused to the topic so please forgive me if I'm not hitting it right on. I do know that mental illness and substance abuse often go hand in hand and like the chicken or the egg, is just as difficult figuring out which came first or what the underlying cause is. Often the symptoms are identical for both. As for outpatient care is where I am confused. Here in my area we do have outpatient programs for both mental illness and substance abuse. I've been to both and found substance abuse programs to be ineffective and boring for me. I have benefited greatly from outpatient MI. As for the stigma, I think it's worse for MI because it's more of a mystery and filled with false myths and also, MI tends to be for life. Sorry if I did not address this as intended.

I agree that mental illness and substance abuse can go hand in hand. They can be very related. Maybe I am thinking more black and white. I think of an addiction in the sense that it is alcohol or street drugs. People seem to come out of the woodwork to help. If we are merely talking mental illness, yes there are inpatient and outpatient facilities (mainly hospitals for MI) but the problems that stem from mental illness (like med tweaking or withdrawal from a legal prescription) seem not to get the same attention or there are not any special places to go to and get treatment. I feel that there is much more stigma to have a MI than to have a substance abuse problem. Maybe it is just me but I only have my own experiences to go by.

[Sinking Feeling]

I think insurance also plays a role too. When you have health insurance that is in business to make a profit, patient care will always be effected. Hospitals try to work around a lot of the hurdles healthcare providers place on us all. Let me give you an example. One year I was heavily addicted to a strong street drug. My insurance company would not pay for more then 1 week in house for drugs, so the doc changed my diag to depression just so they could keep me longer to detox and treat. So if you think healthcare is lacking for MI which it is! It's lacking even more for drug related issues.

We really need to improve our healthcare system here in the USA! It contributes to the stigmas and more importantly to the level and quality of care we get and also the number of programs available.

[-jimi-]

I have noticed it is more accepted to have both addiction problems and mental issues than just mental issues. It is mind boggling to me. I'm trying to make sense to it but I can't.

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by Sinking Feeling

I think insurance also plays a role too. When you have health insurance that is in business to make a profit, patient care will always be effected. Hospitals try to work around a lot of the hurdles healthcare providers place on us all. Let me give you an example. One year I was heavily addicted to a strong street drug. My insurance company would not pay for more then 1 week in house for drugs, so the doc changed my diag to depression just so they could keep me longer to detox and treat. So if you think healthcare is lacking for MI which it is! It's lacking even more for drug related issues.

We really need to improve our healthcare system here in the USA! It contributes to the stigmas and more importantly to the level and quality of care we get and also the number of programs available.

Wow, that is so incredible. I see your point here. It is definitely related to money. I had another experience where I was put in the same group therapy room with 8 substance abuse patients in an inpatient facility. I think they did not have enough therapists to put 2 of us psych patients with a separate therapist in another room! We had to listen to the different means in which they shot up their drugs and I was very confused as to how this was going to help me. So I guess our experiences do have to do with how the money flows. Good point indeed!

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by -jimi-

I have noticed it is more accepted to have both addiction problems and mental issues than just mental issues. It is mind boggling to me. I'm trying to make sense to it but I can't.

Yeah. Maybe the substance abuse issues are accepted and the mental illness is seen as a by product instead of just "you're crazy" ! I am just making a stab at it. I may be a bit skewed on this topic so please forgive me.

[AncientMelody]

Originally Posted by TheOriginalMe

It's the same in the UK. Rehab is cool, inpatient is not. Inpatient is only for when you can't keep yourself safe or are a risk to others. If you need time to stabilise or adjust to meds or even just a night or two of respite, then there's nowhere. I think a respite facility for mental illness would be an excellent idea, a couple of days where you get looked after and put back on your feet, meds tweaked and care plan adjusted.

I know......there've been a couple times where I felt I just couldn't handle day to day things, I wasn't going to hurt myself. I just really needed a break. But yeah, no such option was available. I think a respite facility would be great.

[dfwsteph]

my understanding has been MI always comes first and substance abuse is usually self-medication attempts....so if they can get the drugs out of those people, we all have similar issues which need similar treatments

just sayn,
stephanie

[MattBemis]

I'm currently in a daul diagnoses program for both mental health and substance abuse. I think taking care and treating both mental health and substance inevitably helps the other because they're so closely tied to each other.

[Mygrandjourney]

Originally Posted by -jimi-

I have noticed it is more accepted to have both addiction problems and mental issues than just mental issues. It is mind boggling to me. I'm trying to make sense to it but I can't.

I'm not sure that it's an acceptance issue, but that may be a factor. The bottom line is probably related to economics. Many of the Addiction treatment facilities are private and do not take insurance, meaning the consumer has to pay up front and there is typically no refund and no guaranty that the treatment is going to be effective, whatever the standard by which treatment is considered "effective". The ones that do take insurance are typically limited to 2-4 weeks (28 days) and the expectation is that the consumer will have a discharge plan that includes outpatient or IOP or AA meetings or some combination thereof. Research typically shows no difference in effectiveness between residential and IOP programs after one years.
Mental health is seen differently and at one time there was a vast infrastructure of state run mental hospitals were consumers/patients could stay indefinitely at public expense. This was seen as "warehousing" people and not allowing them to participate in the community was seen as inhumane and arguably a violation of human rights. So called, "deinstitutionalization" started in the late 50's-early 60's when states started to close or reduce the size of their hospitals and hospitalization was seen as a last resort and only suitable for emergencies for 72 hours, more or less. Non profit agencies often do run residential MH programs, but they are hard to get into and there are usually lengthy wait times for space. There are several closed state hospitals in New England, where I grew up and the scale is impressive. One that I'm familiar with, outside of Boston, was obviously built for long term residency as it had a church, vocational training centers, gardens and orchards on site, all for the clients.
Ultimately if there is sufficient demand for such services and the will and ability to pay to make the services available, I'm pretty confident that someone will figure out how to make it available.

[-jimi-]

Originally Posted by Mygrandjourney

I'm not sure that it's an acceptance issue, but that may be a factor. The bottom line is probably related to economics..

Still that is the attitude here and here both mental and addiction care are socialized.