Substance Abuse and Mental Health Facilities in Lyons, NJ

In case you abusing substances like alcohol and drugs in Lyons, they can prove effective at managing - albeit in the short term - the symptoms of your mental health disorder. This form of self-medication, however, can be dangerous because it can lead to addiction.

The temporary relief that you derive from these substances could soon be overtaken by other negative physical and psychological effects. Eventually, you may even find that you have started struggling with more of the common mental health problems that are linked with drug and alcohol addiction.

Psychosis

The likelihood of developing the symptoms of psychosis while taking non-prescription intoxicating substances will largely vary from one drug to the next. For instance, if you abuse cocaine in excess - by using too much at the same time - there is a high likelihood that you will experience psychosis in a matter of minutes. When this condition develops from amphetamine or cocaine abuse, it will typically lead to persecutory delusions.

You might also experience tactile, auditory, and visual hallucinations as a result of abusing hallucinogens. However, these experiences are not the same as a diagnosis of psychosis. Even so, taking too much of these drugs or suffering an adverse reaction from using them could also cause you to develop paranoia and delusions.

Schizophrenia

According to research studies, schizophrenia tends to co-occur or happen at the same time as substance abuse and addiction. In fact, more than 50 percent of the people who live with schizophrenia also abuse drugs and drink alcohol excessively.

You might start using these substances to self-medicate the signs and symptoms of your mental health disorder. These substances might also prove effective at alleviating the feelings of depression and anxiety linked to schizophrenia

However, this will only aggravate your problems in the long term. This is particularly due to the heightened risk of developing a substance use disorder as a result of your pre-existing mental illness.

A dual diagnosis treatment program can help you understand the reasons behind your substance abuse and addiction as well as how this disorder is affected and continues to affect the other co-occurring behavioral and mental health disorders that you have also been diagnosed with.

This type of treatment would most likely be highly specialized and integrated. This is because it has to manage all the disorders that you have been struggling with at the same time - or simultaneously. It is recommended that you go through dual diagnosis treatment if you have been living with both addiction as well as any other co-occurring medical or mental health disorders.