What Are Five Mental Health Things Addressed During Drug Treatment Programs?

Drug treatment focuses on getting people sober from substance addiction. However, addiction is a very complicated disorder. It often times works in conjunction with mental disorders. All people are different when it comes to whether the mental disorder came first or the addiction, but it is known that they often come in pairs. Here are five mental health things addressed during drug treatment.

1. Narcissism

Narcissism is a mental health condition in which people focus only on themselves and not others. People with narcissism may not care that their actions are hurting the people around them. Rehabilitation should encourage people to look past their selfish ways and start to care about the feelings of others. This can happen with some honest dialogue and some willingness on the part of the patient. A patient who wants to can learn how to be more empathetic toward other people’s feelings. Some patients have a giant wall up that makes them appear more selfish than they are. Once they bring the wall down, they expose a more understanding human being. Other people have a sincere disorder they need to work on with the help of a professional.

2. Depression

Many people suffer from a looming sense of doom that follows them everywhere they go. They don’t want to do anything or talk to anyone. They also have negative thoughts in their head about death or self-loathing feelings that just will not go away. Many of these people will turn to drugs to get rid of these negative feelings. The only problem is that the addiction will only make the depression worse and make someone feel worse about themselves. Rehab will help patients learn to love themselves and be more positive about the beautiful world we live in.

3. Anxiety

There are a number of different types of anxieties. A person can have general anxiety that is with them most of their lives. Others experience anxiety in social situations. This anxiety can get so severe that it turns into debilitating paranoia. Other people only have mild anxiety that appears when they speak in public. Similarly to depression, some people use substances to help relieve the anxiety. Many drugs only exacerbate anxiety and paranoia, though. The condition may get worse. In treatment, people will learn better ways to deal with the anxiety than doing drugs, such as breathing techniques and finding people to turn to when they are feeling overwhelmed.

4. Childhood Trauma

Some people suffer through a difficult childhood. This could involve abuse and severe neglect. Some people may have even watched their own parents fighting addiction right in front of them regularly. These scars stay with someone well into adulthood. When these scars develop at such a young age, it’s arguably more difficult to soften them. In treatment, people who suffered can come together to share their experiences and hopefully finally feel heard. They will also learn better ways to deal with the past trauma they experienced when it starts to fill their head.

5. Addiction

Naturally, the most important mental health issue that will be addressed in treatment is addiction. Ultimately, you are responsible for your actions. It doesn’t matter what you have been through or what you feel in your head, it is irresponsible to neglect people and responsibilities in your life with your addiction. The bottom line is that you need to end it. Treatment will put you in a sober environment to allow you to detox. You will be able to focus on your physical and mental health surrounded by other sober people. When you are ready to leave, you should feel confident that you can make positive decisions. Of course, treatment continues for years or life. Your mental health directly correlates with your addiction problem.

It’s important to be honest and open-minded when it comes to healing yourself. And it’s okay if you are not “cured” right away. Some people need to work on their mental health for their entire life like some people have chronic physical conditions. Your fight doesn’t have to only be about addiction when you go to get better. It’s about your health and well-being all together. Call us at 833-846-5669.