Informative Post

The topic that I chose to discuss is co-occurring disorders. Co-occurring disorders is also known as dual diagnosis and comorbidity, it’s when an individual with mental health issues also suffer with drug addiction and/or alcoholism. There are so many people that suffer from mental health issues and don’t know it or haven’t been medically diagnosed so in the place of the proper medication they choose to self-medicate. It may start out as a party drug but when they start to realize that it actually helps them to cope with feelings and emotions that they’ve been having (mental illness) they then began to use a lot more until they become dependent on this particular street drug, prescription meds and/or alcohol.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), Although drug use and addiction can happen at any time during a person’s life, drug use typically starts in adolescence, a period when the first signs of mental illness commonly appear. Comorbid disorders can also be seen among youth. During the transition to young adulthood (age 18 to 25 years), people with comorbid disorders need coordinated support to help them navigate potentially stressful changes in education, work, and relationships. The brain continues to develop through adolescence. Circuits that control executive functions such as decision making and impulse control are among the last to mature, which enhances vulnerability to drug use and the development of a substance use disorder.

I’ve read studies that states a child that is diagnosed with ADHD and is medicated is less likely to abuse drugs and a child that isn’t medicated is likely to smoke marijuana as a teen. We all know that marijuana is so called a gateway drug which I believe is true for some people. Then there are also studies that show certain meds that are prescribed for ADHD are addictive and cause children to later abuse medical and street drugs.  

I would have to say that with black people we are less likely to have our children evaluated due to embarrassment or just a lack of care. There are some parents that are in denial about the abnormalities that everyone else can clearly see but they feel that their child is completely normal. Meanwhile s/he acting out in school, being disruptive, or not meeting their developmental goals. These are all signs of your child is possibly struggling with some type of disorder. Not saying that you should just listen to a doctor that says that you should put you child on medication because they’re acting out, do your own research to find out what works best for your child.