According
to the medical dictionary, mental illness is defined as:
Any of various psychiatric conditions, usually characterized by impairment of an individual’s normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by physiological or psychosocial factors. Also called mental disease, mental disorder.
This
could mean that anyone struggling with abnormal thoughts, emotions, or behavior
could be seen to have a mental disorder.
At the end of the day I say “Why put a label or title on the disorder”. Why can’t we as individuals be looked at as a
person and accept each other as being different. In my opinion, this is what makes the world
evolve because we are all different and bring something different to the world.
But if I had to choose one proposed changed in the DSM-V that I would be
against; it would be substance abuse. I feel as though the use of substances is
a choice. An individual has a choice on
whether or not to take drugs or drink.
Although many abusers have become addicted because of other mental
disorders; but in my opinion the use of substances is a side-effect from
something much deeper. To be classified
as an impairment of functioning shouldn’t it be based on factors that an
individual can’t control such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia? To me an
individual shouldn’t be able to make decisions about what they want to do and
be characterized as having a mental disorder.
Although I don’t take from the fact that it is an everyday struggle for
an individual struggling with substance abuse to stay away from it; at the end
of the day it all depends on choice. Many
of Americans deal with tragedies and pain, but they don’t turn to substance
abuse. It’s the stability of an individual
thinking and emotions that give them leverage to resist substances. If you can’t
control that and make a choice then let’s look deeper. IS IT A CHOICE? Maybe or maybe not, in the end
these individuals still need treatment, just don’t know if they should be seen
as having a mental disorder.
Substance abuse is not a choice, it is a DISEASE. Perhaps one can look at the disease model for further explanation. The changes in the DSM-V are not debating this idea essentially. They are trying to lump addictions together with related disorders, but substance abuse is still seen as a disorder because that's what it is. The addict can no more choose to be well than the diabetic can choose to have their body provide the right amount of insulin for them to function normally. Just as that diabetic needs their medicine on a regular basis, so too does the addict or alcoholic need their 'treatment' on a regular basis in order to stay in recovery. There are many different forms of treatment and the addict needs to find what is right for them, whether it be a 12-step support system, IOP, inpt therapy, detox, or the like. Regardless, these initial treatments need to be followed up with more 'medicine' because substance abuse in a disease. The addict may have chosen to take their first drug, but with the genetic, physical, and psychological components in place that are necessary to create a dependence from which they cannot return on their own, the addict crosses over into a place from which only treatment of some kind can help them. Many people try drugs and do not continue to abuse them. Many people drink and do not encounter a dependence on the alcohol. And many people choose to never take part in these things. Once the addict takes in a substance, they will develop the phenomenon of craving if they are an addict. From there they will have no choice. Once they receive treatment, their choice is to be responsible for their own recovery, not whether or not they will stay sober that day.
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