Substance Abuse and Mental Health in New Mexico

If you abuse drugs and drink alcohol in New Mexico, there is a high risk that you might develop a co-occurring mental health disorder. On the other hand, if you have been living with a mental illness, you might start abusing these substances and soon find yourself struggling with a co-occurring addiction or substance use disorder. In all of these situations, you would be said to be living with a dual diagnosis.

This is not altogether new because addiction and mental health are often interrelated. It is also for this reason that many recovery centers now offer integrated dual diagnosis treatment to manage all of these disorders at the same time.

Some of the dual diagnosis conditions that you may find yourself struggling with in the state of New Mexico include but are not limited to addiction alongside schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

New Mexico has been attracting new residents and visitors for many years now. This is due to the fact that it is a paradise for desert lovers, ski enthusiasts, and people looking for adventures. In 2014, it was estimated that the state had more than 2 million residents. Unfortunately, many of these people were struggling with mental health disorders and substance abuse and addiction.

Among the residents of New Mexico, for instance, more than 10 percent admitted that they had abused illicit drugs in the month before a study conducted by SAMHSA - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This was at a time when 8.82 American residents admitted the same thing.

In 2011, the state was also ranked 2nd across the United States in terms of the highest number of deaths related to a drug or alcohol overdose. It was overwhelming that about 49 percent of these fatal outcomes were linked to prescription medications. By 2015, the state was in the 3rd place for these drug overdose deaths. During this period, the state suffered 23.8 deaths among every segment of 100,000 people. This figure was far higher than the total national average of 12.4 deaths for every segment of 100,000 people.

New Mexico is like many other southwestern states in the sense that there is a great deal of activity by drug cartels coming in from the border with Mexico. These drug dealers often transport drugs such as methamphetamine. As a result, the state has seen a rise in the number of meth seizures reported by law enforcement officials.

It is also not surprising that New Mexico is at the 1st position in terms of the number of death linked to alcohol abuse and addiction. From 2006 to 2010, for instance, it experienced 51.2 deaths for every segment of 100,000 people. This was in comparison to the national average of 27.9 deaths for every segment of 100,000 people.

In 2012 also, a total of 95 people between the ages of 12 and 20 were enrolled in a treatment facility for abusing alcohol and developing an alcohol use disorder - or alcoholism - as a result. This number comprised 5 percent of all the alcohol abuse admissions that were reported in New Mexico that year.

In terms of mental illness, 22,000 children and 72,000 adults struggle with a mental health disorder in New Mexico. This is in comparison to the more than 43 million Americans who live with these disorders across the nation.

The state also has higher rates of unmet needs for the treatment of mental health disorders in comparison to the rest of the United States. whereas 17.8 percent of the entire American population are dealing with a mental illness, about 23.6 percent of the residents of New Mexico have this problem.

But what are the most serious concerns with regards to mental illness? In New Mexico, these are often related to substance abuse and harmful behaviors. For instance, date from 2015 reported that about 20 percent of high school students in the state admitted that they had engaged in self-harm the previous year. Examples of these self-harming behaviors include purposeful burns, cutting, and suicidal attempts.

Suicide, to this end, is among the serious mental health disorders being reported in New Mexico. For instance, the state lost 431 lives to a suicide in 2015. This was in comprised to the national death rate arising from suicide of 41,149 people.

This risk of suicide, however, seems to be higher among people who abuse alcohol and drugs. it is also high among those who have not sought treatment for a dual diagnosis involving substance abuse and mental illness. This is a serious figure especially considering that about 50 percent of all the residents of New Mexico who live with a mental health disorder - such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia - also abuse alcohol and drugs.

Common Mental Health Problems Associated with Drug Abuse in New Mexico

But which mental illnesses most commonly occur with substance abuse and addiction in New Mexico? In 2016, it was estimated that the state had a population of more than 2 million residents.

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Among these people, there are many who struggle with a dual diagnosis involving addiction with another co-occurring mental health disorder. In many cases, these conditions come in different potential combinations. As a result, they often present with a broad range of signs and symptoms.

According to research studies, about half of all those people who live with a mental illness also experience the symptoms and effects of a co-occurring substance use disorder at one point in their lives. Examples of these mental illness include but are not limited to anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.

Unfortunately, the state of New Mexico has poor behavioral health and substance use outcomes especially when put in comparison with the rest of the United States. in terms of deaths linked to alcohol abuse and alcoholism, there was an increase of 34 percent from 2010 to 2016. This number has also been close to two times as high as the same rates reported at the national level for over 20 years.

Additionally, the rates of mental illness, drug overdose, and suicide in the state rank among the highest across the nation. The worst outcomes, however, seem to be concentrated in certain geographical areas.

According to the State of Mental Health in America report for 2019, the state improved from the 46th to the 31st position across the nation in terms of behavioral health rankings among adults. From 2017 to 2018, the state also improved to the 37th position in terms of behavioral health rankings among young people.

The death rate from drug overdoses in New Mexico has also improved from the 50th position to the 32nd position. This could be due to many reasons, including but not limited to the fact that there was a significant drop in the overdose death rates in this state while the rates reported in other states continued increasing rapidly.

Even so, New Mexico is still in the 1st position in terms of the number of residents living with substance use disorders, those who commit suicide, and those with unmet needs for addiction and mental health treatment and recovery services. this was at a rate of 21 percent.

For instance, only about 33 percent of all the young people in this state struggling with major depression were able to receive the mental health treatment and rehabilitation services that they needed in 2019. Additionally, about 56 percent of all the adults in the state living with a mental health disorder were able to access treatment services.

Types of Treatment

If you have been diagnosed with substance abuse and addiction as well as a co-occurring mental health disorder in New Mexico, it is recommended that you seek integrated dual diagnosis treatment to manage all of these conditions and guide you on the road to long term recovery. Luckily, there are many such recovery treatment programs that you can find in the state to get started on the path to wellness.

These programs will deal with your addiction and mental illness simultaneously so that none of these disorders exacerbate each other. As a result, they will ensure that the symptoms of your mental health disorder do not recur and that you do not suffer a relapse back to drug and alcohol use.

Some of the treatment modalities that will be provided in the course of integrated dual diagnosis rehabilitation include but are not limited to acupuncture, aftercare planning, animal assisted therapy, art therapy, Ayurvedic medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, couples counseling, crisis intervention, dialectical behavioral therapy, equine therapy, family therapy, group therapy, individual therapy, massage therapy, medical detox, medication management, meditation, motivational interviewing, music therapy, relapse prevention, solution-focused therapy, support group participation, systems thinking, and yoga.

Through these evidence-based and alternative recovery models, the integrated dual diagnosis treatment and rehabilitation facility will help you overcome your substance abuse and addiction as well as manage your mental health disorder - and any other arising effects and symptoms. In the long term, this form of treatment in New Mexico could help you achieve a state of full recovery, health, and wellness.

Learning what treatment is best for you or your loved one is easy. Speak to one of our trained counselors and let them guide you to the best treatment options available for your specific needs.

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