Understanding Drug Addiction And Mental Health Problems

By Jill M Cohen

Drug addiction, is not generally considered a mental health disorder, even though some consider it a shortcoming. The facts have shown that drug addiction has both physical and psychological dimensions. The body craves the effects that the drugs have on the brain. Some people with addictions develop later on severe depression or anxiety. On the other hand, some people that are bipolar or have a psychological issue utilize drugs to try to attain an equilibrium. The lines between the two are often blurry.

When a person exhibits symptoms of addiction, there's probably some type of stress to begin with. However, this can vary in intensity. Although emotional problems differ from person to person, teenage addicts tend to exhibit signs of social anxiety or depression. They also can show signs of performance anxiety and other behavioral problems. Other social problems that can be seen along with addiction are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. There are also issues of mental health problems with some people who are addicted to nicotine and alcohol. Some people have a very low tolerance for any discomfort and self-medicate using drugs.

Some medical studies are revealing that if certain areas of the brain are damaged, it can cause people to have a higher risk of developing addictions. That is not to say that these drugs and substances don't have natural addictive properties, but it does explain why certain people are more likely to develop addiction than others.

A number of patients addicted to drugs state that external issues caused them to abuse illicit substances. Several of those mentioned reasons were very similar to triggers that cause mental illness. With the understanding that psychological conditions lead to substance abuse, there is little reason to doubt that people with genetic predisposition towards a mental illness can easily develop addictions.

In many treatment facilities and rehab centers, dual diagnosis is part of the program so that both the substance abuse and mental health issue are addressed properly.

Learn more about Teenage Anxiety and Coping With Bipolar Disease

Pain And Suffering

There are two levels to your pain: the pain that you create now, and the pain from your past that still lives on in your mind and body.

As long as you are unable to access the power of the Now, every emotional pain that you experience leaves behind a residue of pain that lives on in you. It merges with the pain from the past, which was already there, and becomes lodged in your mind and body. This, of course, includes the pain you suffered as a child, caused by the unconsciousness of the world in to which you were born.

This accumulated pain is a negative energy field that occupies your body and mind. If you look on it as an invisible entity on its own right, you are getting quite close to the truth. It's the emotional pain-body." ~ Eckhart Tolle, Practicing The Power of Now - Essential Teachings, Meditation, and Exercises from The Power of Now, page 75

Do you experience feelings of anger, depression, rage, jealousy, and hatred often? Is this affecting your intimate relationships and your life in general?

Most people experience pain at one point or another in their lives. Pain and suffering is typically created when you are resistant to what is. Pain can also be caused by other people as in something traumatic that happened when you were a child.

Unless pain is resolved it stays with you as a 'negative energy field' and it accumulates. This means you could still be caring pain from ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. Overtime this can become a huge baggage and burden to carry. The pain will also be heavy and intensified.

Eckhart Tolle describes this as 'an invisible entity' and calls it the 'emotional pain body'. This is an interesting name, but quiet fitting. Have you ever started to feel irritated and then before you know it you have totally 'lost it'? Almost felt like you were taken over by something or someone else? Looking back you can say 'That was not me!' Well, you were temporarily taken over by your emotional pain body.

How do you know it is your emotional pain body? When you experience any type of intense negative emotional pain and you do things to perpetuate the pain then you know you're taken over by the pain body.

Now, when I say you're taken over by the pain body I don't mean that you are helpless and possessed by this entity. It does not mean that you have no control to do something to help the situation and to stop the pain. It just means you have become unconscious. In this state you will do things that will cause you and others suffering.

Eckhart Tolle offers many suggestions on how to dissolve the pain body. There is a lot you can do to eliminate pain and suffering from your life.

The first thing you want to do is to become aware of your emotional patterns. Become aware of your thoughts and emotions before or as they happen. Ideally you would want to catch yourself before it happens but initially you may become aware while you're in the midst of feeling anger or rage or depression or whatever you happen to be experiencing.

Here is the challenging part - observe, feel the feeling, and be present. It is one thing to be present when things are going well and you're feeling great. However when you're feeling intense emotional pain to stay with the feeling without becoming destructive will be difficult. This is where most people will get in to self medicating or perhaps cause damage to their relationships by saying something terrible or where violence happens.

"The truth is that the only power there is, is contained within this moment: It is the power of your presence. Once you know that, you also realize that you are responsible for your inner space now - nobody else is - and that the past cannot prevail against the power of the Now." ~ Eckhart Tolle, Practicing The Power of Now - Essential Teachings, Meditation, and Exercises from The Power of Now, page 84

It is a wonderful thing to know that you are not condemned to feeling emotional pain and suffering for the rest of your life. You can choose to stop the pain and suffering. You can also decide to not create pain and suffering for yourself. There is a way out if you're willing to do the work.

Becoming aware of your thoughts and emotions and being present while you're experiencing them may at first be difficult if you're not use to doing it. However the more you do it the easier it will become. Be patient.

PLEASE share your comments down below! I'd love to hear from you! And please also share this post on Twitter or FB if you liked it! Thanks so much for spending time with me here today!

Blessings and Peace,

Neseret

Neseret Bemient is a Personal Health and Wellness coach, speaker, author. She helps women and mothers on their journey to healing, health and wholeness. If you would like to learn more about Neseret and her work follow this link http://www.NeseretBemient.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6405131

Peace and Serenity

The heavy is the root of the light. The still is the master of unrest. Realizing this, the successful person is poised and centered in the midst of all activities; although surrounded by opulence, she is not swayed. ~ from verse 26 the Tao ~

"In this 26th verse, you're being advised to maintain a sense of serenity regardless of what you may see taking place around you. Moreover, you're being told that the true master knows that the ability to stay calm is always located within. From this perspective, there's no need to assign responsibility to others for how you feel.

Even though you may live in a world where blame and fault-finding are endemic, you will own your own feelings and actions. You will know that circumstances don't determine your state of mind, for that power rests with you. When you maintain a peaceful inner posture, even in the midst of chaos, you change your life." ~ Wayne Dyer ~

How easily we're buffeted to and fro by the ebb and flow of our lives. In a world where there is so much change occurring at an overwhelming speed life becomes a blur. We are all going through so much transition in our own person lives and humanity as a whole.

It is a time  of emotional, environmental, political and economical upheaval. It is easy to lose your calm. It is so easy to become distracted and even caught up in the drama of it all. How do you keep your sanity? How do you find peace and serenity in these crazy times?

I like to read, write, meditate and do Yoga:-) I like to spend time with my little girl and my partner. I like going for nature walks and seeing the ocean. Sometimes even simple things as watching the sunset and sipping on a cup of tea brings me so much joy. I've realized all I have for sure is this moment I am going to enjoy it! Savour it! Live it.

What about you? What brings you joy? What fulfills you? What do you love most? Dwell on those things...

It is easy to remain calm when things are going well in life. However nothing remains the same for too long. Life will bring challenges to us continuously in so many ways to help us grow spiritually. One of the biggest lessons we can learn is to know that we can maintain our peace within regardless of what's happening outside of us.

When things go wrong and we feel so anxious and afraid we need to stop and focus. Look within and realize no matter how bad things may appear there is always a way through and out. There is a solution for every problem. Our mind will always make a big deal out of everything.

Ultimately what matters is that you're still here to face the challenge. You're still alive and going through  this experience of being human. It is one hell of a ride. Feel the joy, feel the pain, feel the excitement and everything else in between that comes from being here.

I've stopped worrying about tomorrow. I've stopped worrying about even what is happening later today. I am living in the moment and it is so freeing. To let go of the past and the future is true freedom. It is liberating. It is also where you will find peace and serenity. The present moment is precious.

Whatever challenges you maybe facing right now trust that you will find the answers and the solutions. Of course you do all that you can to help yourself and the situation. Once you do what you can, then learn to let go. The universe/God/the Creator will take care of the rest.

Thank you for taking the time to visit with me here at this moment. Please leave me your comments below. I'd love to hear what brings peace and serenity to your life. What helps you stay calm in chaos? What renews and strengthens you?

Peace, Love & Gratitude,

Neseret,

Neseret Bemient is a Personal Health and Wellness coach, speaker, author. She helps women and mothers on their journey to healing, health and wholeness. If you would like to learn more about Neseret and her work follow this link http://www.NeseretBemient.com