Passionate Post

I chose this population because it’s something that so close to my family. I actually have a brother that’s currently suffering from it. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression and he uses heroin. You would never think that this could happen to someone that so close to you. Growing up you would never think that one of your siblings would have to go through it. Everyone would think well we seemed pretty normal growing up; we didn’t have a rough life so I couldn’t understand why. He started with prescription drugs recreational until he lost his best friend this is when he really spiraled out of control.

            My mom has gone through hell and back again beating her self down trying to figure out where she went wrong. Looking for treatment centers where you can find some but they’re extremely expensive or they treat 1 illness and not the other. Working with individuals in this population can be draining but you have to know where these treatment centers are that accepts both mental health and addiction. My mom’s number 1 got to was always the hospital first, although she never gets past that part because he just doesn’t want the help. Then there are times when he’ll take his meds for his mental health issues and decide that he wants to work on recovery but once those meds ware off it’s another story.

The crazy part about this is that my brother was diagnosed with ADHD where my mom was instructed to put him on medication when he was in Elementary school. Like most parents that just listen to the negative about the meds she refused to give them to him. He also had a learning disability which placed him in special education. Eventually he became a problem child always in trouble in school and at home in the neighborhood, and like the studies state he began to smoke marijuana at an early age of maybe 13 or 14.  For him weed was a gateway drug because he later used PCP, to prescription meds then heroin all the while drinking alcohol. 
My mom has tried a number of things from therapy to substance abuse programs. The flip side to the substance abuse programs is that he doesn't have to stay, they can not hold him against his will unless he's mandated by the curt system. Her number 1 go to would be her calling the ambulance telling them that he was in danger of harming himself this would give him at least a 3 day stay on the mental health ward in the hospital. they provided him with medication and therapy which helped for a period of time until he went back out on a binge.