How to Deal With Mental Illness and Drug Abuse Mental Illness Law

If you are dealing with a mental illness, mental disorder, or drug abuse, it needs to be promptly addressed because there are solutions for coping with these issues. Failure to address these issues can have serious, even fatal consequences. The following will discuss options for handling a mental disorder or substance abuse in order to provide relief to those coping with such problems and their loved ones.

Mental Disability Substance Abuse Screening Pdf

You can be diagnosed as mentally ill for a variety of conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, clinical depression, and others. Seeking help from a mental health professional for a recommended treatment is the best course of action. Recommendations for a mental disability are made after a psychological examination, and may include counseling, medication, creative therapies, lifestyle changes, and others. Mental commitment is court ordered in some cases, but involuntary commitment is based upon finding the person is a danger to him/herself or others and not common. When a person suffers from mental incompetence or mental illness, a guardianship may be established to have a guardian appointed to care for the personal and financial needs of the person with mental health issues. In cases of guardianship or mental commitment, the court will often rely on expert testimony of a mental health professional after a psychological examination is conducted. Procedural rules for guardianship and involuntary commitment vary by state, so local laws should be consulted.

Entitlement to social security disability payments is governed by separate federal guidelines. In order to receive social security disability benefits for a mental disability, you generally need to have medical evidence that being mentally ill prevents you from working.

Substance Abuse Drug Abuse Example

Drug abuse and alcoholism are widespread and severely impact the entire family. Substance abuse is a common reason for termination of parental rights by the court. If you or a loved one is struggling with drug addiction to controlled substances or alcohol, the first step is to overcome the denial that typically accompanies addiction. Intervention is often needed to confront such denial, and may be the result of a positive drug screen by an employer or parental drug testing in cases of teenage drug abuse. Confronting denial of addiction should be sought after consulting with someone experienced in how to handle an intervention. A mental health professional, minister, social worker, or well-qualified member of a recovery group like Alanon or Alcoholics Anonymous can be consulted.

If you are a parent struggling with teen drug abuse, early intervention is key. Drug test kits are readily available and are effective at monitoring suspected teenage drug abuse. Treatment centers offering drug and alcohol rehab programs are often covered under health insurance plans. Twelve step programs are often recommended as part of any treatment plan, and can be very effective in at least planting a seed of recovery even in those not yet ready to recover. Strong community and spiritual support, drug education, extracurricular activities, good parenting skills, and parental supervision can prevent teen drug abuse of controlled substances and alcohol in many instances.