Understanding Substance Abuse and Mental Illness

Substance abuse

Overuse or inappropriate use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Person-first language

Using language that prioritizes the person over their illness.

Mental illness

Problems in the way people think, feel, or behave.

Person with substance dependence

A respectful term for someone experiencing substance abuse.

Person with schizophrenia

A respectful term for someone with schizophrenia.

Economic costs of substance abuse and mental illness

The financial impact of substance abuse and mental illness on society.

Person-first language

Using language that prioritizes the person over their illness.

Undiagnosed, untreated, or under-treated mental illnesses

Can lead to suicide, which causes more deaths than murder or war.

Treatment for mental illness

Effective, but quality and access to treatment must be improved.

Mind-altering substances

Substances that can have a significant impact on an individual's life.

Health care, lost productivity, and other costs of substance abuse

Cost the US $160.7 billion in 2000.

Addiction to mind-altering substances

A disease that can be treated effectively.

Stages of substance use

Use, misuse, abuse, and dependency/addiction.

Clinical theory of addiction

Suggests that people use substances to cope with personal problems.

Social theory of addiction

States that substance use is influenced by social groups and acceptance.

Medical/biological theory of addiction

Views addiction as a disease that requires treatment.

Biopsychosocial theory of addiction

Combines biological, psychological, and social influences on addiction.

Types of mind-altering drugs

Stimulants, depressants, narcotics, cannabis, hallucinogens, and inhalants.

Anxiety disorders

Most common group of mental disorders characterized by excessive worry.

Psychosis

Thought disorder where a person cannot distinguish reality from their thoughts.

Mood disorders

Disorders that affect a person's emotions, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Personality disorders

Disturbed patterns in thinking, feeling, and behaving that cause difficulties in relating to others.

Attachment disorders

Result from grossly negligent care, leading to difficulty forming healthy emotional attachments.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty paying attention.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Pattern of negative, defiant, and hostile behavior towards authority figures.

Conduct Disorder

Persistent pattern of violating the rights of others and societal rules.

Co-occurring disorders

Simultaneous presence of substance use disorder and mental disorder.

Dual Diagnosis (Mental Illness/Developmental Disability)

Co-occurrence of mental illness and developmental disability.

Risk factors

Biological and environmental factors that increase vulnerability to mental disorders.

Protective factors

Biological and environmental factors that decrease vulnerability to mental disorders.