Substance Abuse vs. Mental and Physical Health
Common Sense Failures
* Substance abuse is often treated as a separate problem, while mental health and physical health are addressed through different systems. This separation can be a major common sense failure.
* The same person may be struggling simultaneously with addiction, depression or anxiety, chronic pain and other physical illnesses, yet receive fragmented and uncoordinated care.
* A common sense approach recognizes that these problems are frequently interconnected. Mental health problems may contribute to substance misuse, can worsen mental and physical health , and physical illness or pain can increase emotional stress and vulnerability. Treating only one part of the problem while ignoring the others is like repairing one section of a damaged system while allowing the underlying causes to continue.
* The failure is not simply a lack of money or knowledge, it is often a failure to connect the dots, coordinate services, emphasize prevention, and treat the whole person. Common sense suggests that mental health, physical health, substance-use prevention, treatment, family support, education, and follow-up should work together rather than in separate silos.
The Bottom Line: A healthier society requires a common-sense, integrated approach that asks one basic question: Are we treating the entire person, or merely treating separate pieces of the problem?
NO COMMON SENSE
ANALYZE THE EXAMPLE
* Which supports and barriers were in play?
* What were the dynamics?
* Who, or What, won the Tug-of-War? Why?
* Discuss the outcome with your friends and family.
* Use Post #4 as a reference for the dynamics and relationships between supports and barriers.
