The Impact of Drug and Alcohol Problems on Mental Illness
Can you think of a time when drinking or using drugs made mental health symptoms worse? WHAT HAPPENED?
Your story to share
Can you think of a time when drinking or using drugs interfered with your mental health treatment? What happened?
answer the question.
Can you think of a time when you used alcohol or drugs to try to cope with mental health symptoms? What happened?
ope, story time dontcha know
What are healthy ways to cope with stress? (at least 3)
Exercise, medication, listening to music, self-care, socialization with support team, journaling, spiritual practice, meditation
Do you think you are paying enough attention to your mental health problems? (entire team must answer)
hahahahahahahaha
What are some consequences of enhanced mental health symptoms due to substance use? (at least 2)
1. Hospitalization
2. Emergency Room Visits
3. Meeting with Prescriber
4. Special Appointments
What happens when you prioritize substance use?
Neglecting other priorities/things in life. (i.e. self-care, treatment, relationships)
What symptoms do people use substances to cope with? (at least 3)
depression, anxiety, hallucinations, intrusive memories, sleep problems
What do you consider a larger barrier, mental health or substance use? Why?
Answer thy questione
What is one thing you could do to improve on your mental health problems?
O:WIEJF;oiwejf;aoiewjfa;owieja;oifj
Common mental health symptoms that are impacted by drug and alcohol use: (at least 3)
1. Depression
2. Anxiety
3. Hearing voices
4. Seeing things
5. Paranoia
6. Suicidal Ideation
7. Intrusive memories
8. Confused Thinking
9. Manic Symptoms
What are activities you may stop engaging in when using drugs/alcohol? (at least 3)
Taking medications, attending therapy, attending appointments, engaging in rehabilitation services, using healthy coping strategies, talking to your social supports, going to work, pursuing goals, engaging within the community.
What are activities you may stop engaging in when mental health symptoms are not manageable due to substance use? (at least 2)
Attending appointments that address substance use, attending programs that include substance use issues, attending recovery based meetings or other peer groups, taking substance use medications regularly
Have your mental health symptoms ever gotten in the way of taking care of yourself, or following through with your substance use treatment? What happened?
Heyooooo
Do you think you are paying enough attention to your substance use problems? (entire team must answer)
Mwahaha hu hahaha
How does using alcohol or drugs affect the brain? (_/_)
Changes the functioning of the brain's neurotransmitters, and/or dependence on the substances to operate.
Ways that using drugs and/or alcohol may induce stress? (at least 4)
Increased risk of accidents/injuries, getting into fights, being mugged, being physically/sexually assaulted, problems in relationships, not getting enough sleep, losing housing, financial instability, losing a job, dropping out of school, health problems, legal problems, sexually risky behaviors
What other things make you stop engaging when experienced increased mental health symptoms? (at least 3)
May stop eating, missing work, relationship problems, concentration, fearful leaving house, impulsive decisions, intrusive memories, poor financial decisions.
Have your mental health symptoms caused stress for you? Did you try to cope with it by using substances? What happened?
Answer all of them
What is one thing you could do to improve on your substance use problems?
Answer my question
Using Drugs and Alcohol Negatively Impacts mental illnesses by... (3)
1) Making the Symptoms Worse
2) Making it harder to follow through with treatment
3) Creating Stress
What are some of the stressful consequences you have experienced related to your drinking or use of drugs? What happened?
Story time
How much more likely are you to have a substance use problem if you have a mental illness?
What is, 50%
(gee, i don't know Ryan. What is 50%? sorry, I had to.)
Have your mental health symptoms led to problems that caused stress? What happened? How did the stress affect your substance use?
Answer
When making a plan, what are the four "W" words to follow?
What... I will do
When...
Where
With...whom