Untreated Mental Health – Untreated Addiction
If a disease is deemed fatal if not treated why would a person not treat it? When something starts to work and a person feels better why would they stop doing it? This is the nature of human beings dealing with mental illness and addiction.
Once someone hits a terrible bottom with anxiety and depression the crisis sends them to a therapist or psychiatrist with acute symptoms of panic, fear and seemingly no way out. In the moment that person will do anything to feel better, but not anything to get better.
The phenomenon of insanity happens when that person starts to feel better as a result of medication and talk therapy or coming out of a rehab facility for substance abuse.
We think that feeling better means something. It does not. For the person who is feeling so much better after the hell of anxiety and depression, they immediately ‘think’ they can stop taking the medicine. For the alcoholic once they feel better sober for a period of time, they deduce that they can surely drink better now.
It is called being untreated.
Once a person relapses whether it be with mental illness or substance abuse (alcohol being the most dangerous drug out there) it always gets worse, never better.
Every human being has an inner battle whether they can do most things on their own or not. When we hear about suicide, overdoses or school shootings, we can surmise that this person has decided to not rely on anyone else but themselves. Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved by the same mind that created it.”
Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain and so many highly motivated, let’s say extreme personalities, are creative more right brained and ego filled.
The majority, (I’m going to put Tiger Woods in this just for fun) decide to stop doing what has worked for them and it never ever turns out good.
Recovery from mental illness or addiction demands we transform everything about the way we have learned how to do life and ourselves for a whole new life. It is the unfamiliarity of that journey that makes these people turn back to old ways, people and behaviors.
It’s not easy to recovery from anything, it takes time, other people to support us and being humble enough to grow and grow up. “I don’t want to!” becomes the mantra of every man or woman who takes charge of their lives and heads toward the inevitable jails, institutions or death.
Once that person finds there is NO WAY OUT of the mess the mental illness and addiction overwhelm their bodies and minds. Death becomes the option.
Let’s talk about it.