Posted by alexandra_k on November 10, 2013, at 14:13:13
In reply to Re: Severe mental illness » Christ_empowered, posted by larryhoover on November 10, 2013, at 12:37:53
I think there is a bunch of things...
Part of why substance use is so important is because intoxication / withdrawal can be mistaken for serious mental illnesses (e.g., psychosis, depression). Really important for the differential (treatment, prognosis).
Part of why we are widening the scope of mental illness is to reduce stigma about it, I think. Being given a dx of mental illness isn't the life sentence it once was (for employment etc) with - what is it now? One in 4 individuals affected at some point in their lifetime.
Part of why psychologists and counselors etc focus on what you are regarding to be 'less severe' cases is because cases that you are probably thinking of as 'more severe' traditionally anyway, weren't thought to be particularly responsive to intervention at all - even less non-medication (e.g., talk therapy) intervention.
I actually think... There are huge social problems around adequate housing, adequate nutriton, adequate physical activity levels. Really basic, basic, stuff like that. Sometimes it is due to lack of resources. Oftentimes it is due to lack of management. I really do think that poor management of resources that are there is the biggest problem. Or perhaps that is the biggest problem that (in theory anyway) should be the easiest to do something about.
God dammit. I am not going to end up working in public health.
:-/
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1054091
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20131025/msgs/1054107.html