It’s a familiar situation: you’re waiting for traffic to creep forward, allow you to finally escape the confines of a red light. The city surrounds you, offering towers of sleek glass. You ignore them. They offer no entertainment. You seek the sidewalk instead, watching the people trudge by. Their stories aren’t known and you amuse yourself with guesses… until an individual passes and steals all of your humor.
He suffers from a disorder. That’s evident even from the distance of your car. His gestures are erratic, the effects of too little control and too great impulses. In his hand is a bottle. He raises it as he walks, trying to find the last few drops inside. He’s dependent on them. And, when they’re finally gone, he tosses the bottle away and is furious.
It’s sadly common that individuals who are impaired by a mental illness often rely on drugs or alcohol. One problem fuels the other; and an addiction occurs quickly. Too often is this allowed to happen due to the confusion of the masses, a misunderstanding of disorders. It’s vital therefore that the public recognize the dangers of dependence and know which diseases are most likely to cause it.
Certain disabilities trigger addiction. It’s estimated that 15 percent of those with Manic Depressive Disorder will abuse substances. 10 percent of Schizophrenics will seek some form of self-medication. And 16 percent of those with Antisocial Disorder will succumb to drugs. These numbers reach into the millions and each year only continue to grow.
Treatment is therefore the necessary solution. Centers like lapalomatreatment.com can offer the needed help, providing support and counseling. Trained doctors and psychologist can understand both the disorder and the addiction – eventually treating each and offering a cure.
The mentally ill cannot control their own desires. Drugs therefore will be too tempting to resist. Treatment must be found to end this cycle.
