The Growing Rift Between Communities
Even though addiction and mental illness are strongly linked, and many people consider addiction to be a form of mental illness, those struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are often viewed in a totally different light from the way addicts are perceived. Those with mental illness are often not looked down upon in the same ways that addicts are. Mental health issues are often not treated with as much apathy and cultural rejection. Those dealing with mental illness are often treated with much more compassion, sympathy and understanding than those living with addiction, who are often criminalized, demonized and made to seem immoral. This can create a rift within mental health communities, where people living with mental illness look down on addicts, believing themselves to be better off than or superior to addicts. These separations, distinctions and hierarchies we create amongst ourselves, as communities of people living with mental illness, prevent us from unifying to help each other recover and to destigmatize our conditions and educate the greater public.
Rejection and Feelings of Inferiority
Some of us living with addiction can relate to the feeling of being looked down upon by others, not only by our mainstream culture and the non-addicts we know, but also by the people in our lives who struggle with mental health issues like depression but not also addiction. Depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses are so commonplace that they’ve become more culturally accepted. When talking about mental health issues, depression and anxiety are welcome parts of the conversation, but addiction less so. Many circles shy away from including addiction as part of the discussion around mental health, because of all the stereotypes and stigmatization that addiction still carries with it. As addicts, we can feel totally rejected, shunned and ostracized. We can be made to feel as though we’re unworthy, inadequate and inferior to those living with depression and other problems that are easier for people to accept and understand.
Holistic Treatment
Many people living and working with mental health issues are creating recovery communities where addiction and mental illness are treated together, holistically, rather than as separate and unrelated issues. People living with both addiction and mental illness are receiving help for everything they’re experiencing rather than being treated for one illness or symptom at a time. We’re starting to see how interconnected and interrelated addiction and mental illness really are, and treatment centers are offering dual diagnosis treatment to confront both issues simultaneously. The more we can break down these barriers separating us within the mental health community, the more we can help each other heal and empower one another.
At The Guest House Ocala, you will be treated with dignity, respect and compassion.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information on our treatment programs.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488