Mental illness and substance abuse are both rampant in the US. It’s said that 17.5 million people suffer from a mental illness. 4 million of those individuals have a comorbid dependency on drugs or alcohol. Both mental illness and substance abuse have a significant negative impact at personal and societal levels in their own right. Together, that...
Helaina Hovitz was one of several child survivors who got caught in the horrors of September 11th, 2001, as a 12-year-old girl living and going to school blocks from the World Trade Center. As she writes in her book After 9/11, One Girl’s Journey Through Darkness to a New Beginning, it was a long road...
It’s easy to look at someone else’s life and think that they have it all, especially when said people are the celebrities that our culture looks up to. Whether it’s good looks, wealth, tons of friends, or even just fame itself, celebrities are the last people you’d think would struggle with mental illness or substance abuse. The...
In the past, treatment for substance addiction was kept separate from the treatment of mental health disorders. Care was provided at different treatment facilities, and very distinct approaches were used for each condition. As a result, many individuals who suffered from both an addiction and a psychiatric condition never received the appropriate treatment for both...
