Mental Health and Addiction
By Tasha Jennings, DNP/ARNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC
Behavioral Health Nurse Practitioner at Osceola Regional Health Center
Mental Health is an important part of a person's well-being. Everyone can probably think of a family member, friend or coworker that has endured some type of mental health crisis or situation whether it be grief, anxiousness or low mood. And at times these diagnoses are coupled with secondary diagnosis of addiction.
Addiction is becoming more known when it comes to mental health treatment because it is often used as a coping mechanism. The addiction can be some more well-known things like drugs and alcohol and then some less talked about things like pornography and gambling. Regardless of what the addiction is, it is important to know addiction is a disease just as much as high blood pressure. It's hard for some people to understand addiction because the thought is to “just stop.” However, addiction ends up being a part of a person's life, much like breathing. When a person does something that makes them feel good such as completing a task, dopamine is released. This is the "feel good" neurotransmitter. It helps us repeat an activity because it feels good. Like eating when we are hungry. The hard part is dopamine is released at a higher rate and more intensely with addiction. This causes the person to repeat it to get that feeling again. But it takes more of that "thing" to get the wanted effect and a person goes down the addiction pathway.
Treating addiction is just as important as treating mental health. Understanding addiction and it's affects on the brain and body help us understand why it doesn’t "just get better” or “go away.” It is multifaceted and requires a lot of hard work for person who is addicted and for those around them.
Please join us on May 20th at our next Lunch and Learn to learn more about addiction and mental health. Reserve your lunch online at www.osceolarhc.org/lunchlearn or call 712-754-5338. This free lunch and learning event will be held in the Multi-purpose room at Osceola Regional Health Center.