Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
This community is a place to share information and support with others who are trying to stop using drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other addictive substances. Discuss with others, the symptoms of addiction, addiction recovery, ways to quit like tapering and cold turkey, and withdrawal symptoms. If you are interested in general "chat", please visit our Addiction Social Community.
Mental Illness or Alcoholism
by Toad, Aug 25, 2001 12:00AM
My brother-in-law is a raging alcoholic. The entire family realizes this and so does he. However, he has been in detox and AA 4 different times with no success. His family has a history of mental illness and I am wondering if the alcoholism could be a symptom of a mental disease instead of the alcoholism being the main problem. We are trying to help him beat the drinking but are thinking that he may need mental help first and then work on the drinking second.
He has no money or insurance and can not afford treatment. Are there mental resources in Iowa that could help him? Thank you for your help as we are lost on what to do now.
He has no money or insurance and can not afford treatment. Are there mental resources in Iowa that could help him? Thank you for your help as we are lost on what to do now.
Sorry about that, this damn keyboard! I too am originally from Iowa, an alcoholic myself with lots of mentally ill folks in my life! First of all is your family member a veteran? If so the VA offers low cost or no cost mental health and substance abuse treatment. Although I'm sure if he is he has no doubt already checked out those resources. The VA's in Iowa are in Des Moines, Knoxville and Iowa City. Don't know what part of Iowa he is in but most counties and cities have community outreach services of some sort that provide referral and information. I got on the web to try to find some Iowa stuff for you and Iowa Dept of Human Services has kind of a crappy website but if you are patient enough to wade through all their stuff it looked like there was some referral type infor. Also, Iowa State University Extension Service had a mental health referral by town or county, www.exnet.iastate.edu., also kind of a awkward website but some referral services there too. Just try putting mental health + Iowa on your on search engine, you may find some interesting stuff. I grew up in Northwestern Iowa, and there was a lot of stuff over there, a council on alcoholism, a mental health referral center, and a county community action agency as well that all had referral information. I will keep my eyes open for more and if I find out will post to you. Take care.
Kerrie
Nothing really to share, only this mess isn't getting any better.
Husband seems to be in major denial, me, i'm still battling all the madness around me!
I'm just getting more and more exhausted trying to keep up with everyone's demands!
Things are definately NOT going well! No easy answers, see only pain!
It's late and i'm just beyond exhausted! Kids are healthy thank god. I miss the husband i saw in rehab, he seems to be gone again!
My parents are coming for a visit in a week, going to disney with the kids. Should be fun, but hope it doesn't cause problems with my husband being the way he is lately! Don't need to stress them out. Parents get stressed, it stresses me to the max!
Life has definately been better!
Prayers and (((HUGS))) for everyone!
Lv Jenny
-reg. numba
-talkinn sh.t,talkinn crazy..(grow up,immature,blah,blah,co.k s..k)
-they need to "INFORM" family?(stupid $#@!)
.....SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO.....now..!?
...livinn in a "slow zone"...apathy...im a child of a former EON?
...deeply undaground..readinn bookz,takinn dope,tryin` to resolve
global karma...alwayz under suspecction of a lower form of existence.....concrete environment...need nature..MAYDAY.MAYDAY!?
skipper my friend i`ve told u ev.thing `bout me that u should know.......what do u think i should do...please.....I cant go
to hospital at once....(if doctaz can help them selfs,how can
they help me?)
?P_A!
WW, Jenny and Cindi Just a big hug to you all today Here goes (((((((HUG)))))). Wish I had a good joke for you all but I never remember them. Oh well Hope you are all ok.
As a Psychiatric Social Worker, I can comment on this. It sounds that he falls into the "Dual Diagnosis" category..having both alcoholism and some other diagnosible mental illness? What are the mental illness symptoms in addition to the alcoholism? Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders and many other problems often go hand in hand with substance abuse. The current Psychiatric school of thought is to treat both problems at once, though most Psychiatrists will require that a person stops using the alcohol before prescribing a medication to help. Look into your County Mental Health center. In most states, if not all, County Mental Health centers are funded to treat people who do not have insurance, and most have dual diagnosis programs that consist of groups, individual counseling, medication management and sometimes inpatient treatment if needed.
The problem is that until someone is clean from the drugs or alcohol for a while, it is hard to tell if there is really also an addition mental illness, since the effects of alcoholism mimic the symptoms of other disorders as well.
Good luck in the search for help...my heart goes out to all of you in this situation. I grew up with a raging alcoholic mother, and I know how devastating it can be to see someone you love suffering so badly.
WW
don't know how to help you. What can i (or other members of this
forum) do to help you?
if you can not get help for your drug problem where you are now,
can you leave and go somewhere else in europe where they have more enlightened attitudes about drugs