Mental Wellness Tips

National Prevention Week

Posted on by Karen Malm
national prevention week

37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers have at least one serious mental illness according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. When substance abuse is combined with a mental disorder it is called a co-occurring disorder. Conjoined, they get worse with time, especially when neither of them is being treated accordingly. Substance abuse can make a mental disorder significantly worse and vice versa, even though one does not cause the other.

There are different types of scenarios in which these two come together:

  • Alcohol and drugs make mental health symptoms worse. These substances can trigger symptoms and interact with other medications used to treat mental disorders making them less effective and interfering with recovery.
  • Alcohol and drugs can also be exploited to self-medicate trying to escape from the mental disorder in the first place.
  • If you are at risk for a mental health issue, abusing alcohol or drugs may help develop that mental health issue.

During this National Prevention Week, we want to involve everyone in raising awareness of substance use and mental health issues, implementing prevention strategies, and encouraging evidence-based prevention programs for prevention.

The first step to prevention is:

  1. Information: This can include facts about drug laws and policies, alcohol and drugs, and their effects.
  2. Skills development: Training to develop skills helps build and improve behaviors (e.g., athletic activities, hobbies, communication within the family, social and emotional development, academic and social competence, and dealing with peer pressure).
  3. Counseling: If a person is curious or is already dealing with substance abuse or mental disorder, they don’t have to be afraid to ask for help or ask for information. There are many organizations that are able to help struggling people to be better for themselves.

What can you do today to take part in National Prevention Week?

If you are suffering from substance abuse and/or mental health disorder, it is a great time to ask for help from people close to you or seek professional help. If you know someone going through this, you can encourage them to seek help and help them with the prevention of substance abuse, although a professional will have a better idea of how to treat every specific case. Let’s work together!

About the Author

karenm
Karen Malm

Karen Malm is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience as a psychologist working in a variety of settings from inpatient facilities to schools to working with families in their homes and with a wide array of psychological issues and behavioral concerns.

She has worked with a variety of clients from very young to geriatric, with a host of issues, and with a variety of disabilities and needs. She shows flexibility in her approach to work with each client as an individual who deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. Karen provides thorough psychological and neuropsychological assessments to understand the person and their strengths and barriers. She is skilled in working with children with reactive attachment disorder, adults and children with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and with therapy issues related to day-to-day life issues. Karen is also certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).