Substance Abuse and Mental Health Facilities in Fernandina Beach, FL

If you live in Fernandina Beach and you start abusing drugs and alcohol, there is a high risk that you might develop a co-occurring mental health disorder. On the other hand, if you have an undiagnosed mental illness, there is a likelihood that you might start abusing these substances to self-medicate the symptoms of your mental illness.

Research studies show that substance abuse and mental health disorders tend to have some underlying causes in common. These might include changes in the composition of the brain, early exposure to traumatic and stressful events, and genetic vulnerabilities.

Suicidal Behavior

Although every type of addiction could cause suicidal behavior, it is now known that opioid use disorders have the highest risk of creating this behavior. Of those who abuse this class of drugs, men have twice as high a likelihood of engaging in this behavior while women have 8 times as high a likelihood of doing the same.

Additionally, opioid abuse and addiction is linked with 40 to 60 percent of an increase in the likelihood of developing suicidal ideation as well as 75 percent of an increase in the likelihood of attempted suicide.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

If you have been living with post-traumatic stress disorder, it could be because of the traumatic events that you witnessed and experienced in the past. This condition might arise due to military combat, serious injuries and accidents, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, physical or sexual assault, and the death of loved ones.

It can be difficult to manage this condition. For instance, you might turn to alcohol and drugs to deal with the symptoms of your post-traumatic stress disorder. However, this would lead to more problems - including but not limited to the development of another co-occurring substance use disorder.

It is recommended that you seek dual diagnosis treatment to manage all of the disorders that you have been struggling with simultaneously so that one does not cause the other to recur in the future.

This is especially true if you have been diagnosed with both substances abuse as well as another co-occurring mental health or medical disorders. Although these disorders tend to occur at the same time in many cases, it is possible to overcome them. To be able to do so, you will have to go through a highly integrated dual diagnosis treatment program.