Is addiction a problem? Yes, it is. But the bigger problem being ignored is why are people turning to drugs and alcohol?
Rebecca Farley David Vice President for policy and advocacy at the National Council for Behavioral Health says more than half of people with Substance Abuse disorders also suffer from depression, anxiety, or another mental illness. Treatment should address both issues.
Rarely does this happen. I know firsthand that this rarely happens. Because of this I went undiagnosed for 27 years. No one should have to wait that long for help or be treated like they don’t matter.
The top leading causes of Death in the U.S. as of May 5, 2017 were the following:
- Heart Disease- 616,067
- Cancer- 562,875
- Stroke- 135,952
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease- 127,924
- Accident- 123,706
- Alzheimer’s- 74,632
- Influenza or Pneumonia- 52,717
- Kidney Disease- 46,448
- Suicide- 44,193
What’s missing from this list?
Drug overdoses.
We have a bigger Mental Health problem that leads to self-medicating and addiction. This is what needs to be addressed.
I’ve attempted suicide several times, I’m an alcoholic in remission for over 9 years, I have Bipolar Disorder, Conversion Disorder and Social Phobia. I also have Kidney Disease. All of this is scary but it makes me realize I have to try harder to live life.
This is last years list I couldn’t find an image to download of the May 2017 list.
October 28th, 2017 at 10:36 PM
never feel sorry. I feel I’m in a similar position. I wish I had better advice
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October 27th, 2017 at 3:41 PM
I couldn’t agree with you more. I struggle with alcohol abuse and I used to use recreational drugs. It is a huge problem and it’s so intertwined with mental illness. Thanks for spreading awareness!
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October 28th, 2017 at 10:58 AM
It’s extremely important to me. Every Doctor and Therapist I was sent to starting at age 18 only saw a young girl who drank too much. Not one of them looked beyond that or asked questions that would’ve lead to a diagnosis before the age of 36. Sorry! Ranting.
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