week 7

Running head: critical analysis 1

critical analysis 8

Critical Analysis: Comorbidity and Its Connection to Substance Abuse, Treatment, and Relapse

Paula King

Walden University

Capstone

Dr. Jane Lyons

July 7, 2019

Critical Analysis

Comorbidity can be described as two or more illnesses or disorders occurring at the same time or recurrent in the same person. Substance abuse and mental illness do not imply that one caused the other, no matter which one appeared first. Drug addiction causes changes to the brain in a cognizance way, disrupting an individual’s regular order of needs and desire and creating different priorities linked with obtaining and using drugs (NIH, 2018). Numerous people that are addicted to drugs are often diagnosed with mental disorders and vice versa. For instance, when comparing the over-all population, those addicted to drugs are more likely to suffer two times more with anxiety and mood disorders and vice versa (NIH, 2018).

Comorbidity and substance abuse did not just originate in recent years. There must be an origin to the problem. Common factors that can contribute to drug abuse and mental illnesses is caused by intersecting factors for example genetic and epigenetic weaknesses, problems that related to the brain, and environmental influences like early experience to stress and trauma (NIH, 2018). It is projected that 40 to 60 percent that a person is susceptible to substance use disorders due to genetics (Wang, Kapoor, & Goate, 2012). Comorbidity research also involves what individuals are predisposed to develop both substance abuse and mental illnesses or be at risk to develop a second disorder to occur after the first appears. The most at risk are those that have interactions with multiple genes and genetic connections with the influences from the environment (Tsuang, Francis, Thomas, & Stone, 2012).

When examining epigenetic it is the changes that take place in the order of the genes activity and expression that do not depend on the sequence of the gene and how the body cells reacts to genetic information being read. Chronic stress, trauma, and drug exposure are environmental factors that can cause changes in the gene expression, which alters functioning in the brain and impact behavior (Peña, Bagot, Labonté, & Nestler, 2014).

The environment can cause long-term genetic adaptions through epigenetic mechanisms by inducing the genes pattern. Epigenetic effects from the environment is dependent in the developmental stage, because the environment relates to genetic weaknesses during specific developmental stages to add to the risk for mental illness (Nestler, 2014).

Various aspects of the environment that can contribute to substance abuse and mental illness. An individual experiencing an unfavorable childhood trauma or stress, poverty, inadequate education, and the high rate of unemployment. These factors can cause a person to develop anxiety, depression, substance abuse and other mental disorders because of the dangers they are exposed themselves to.

Due to the rate of comorbidity and substance use disorders and mental illnesses demands a complete method that can identify and evaluate both. There are several approaches to treat comorbid conditions, and these methods should be designed according to age, specific drug misused, and other factors. They can used alone or in combination with medications. Treatment for behavioral therapies consist of, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, assertive community treatment, and therapeutic communities. Over 60 percent of individual’s will relapse their first time going through treatment, but it does mean they failed it is part of the process (NIH, 2018). To stay drug free, one must stay away from triggers that bring up memories, seek aftercare services, and have a strong support system.

References

Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders. (2019). Retrieved from:

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use

disorders/reference

Nestler EJ. Epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction. Neuropharmacology. 2014;76 Pt B:259-268. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.004.

Peña CJ, Bagot RC, Labonté B, Nestler EJ. Epigenetic signaling in psychiatric disorders. J Mol Biol. 2014;426(20):3389-3412. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.03.016.

Tsuang MT, Francis T, Minor K, Thomas A, Stone WS. Genetics of smoking and depression. Hum Genet. 2012;131(6):905-915. doi:10.1007/s00439-012-1170-6.

Wang J-C, Kapoor M, Goate AM. The genetics of substance dependence. Annul Rev Genomics Hum Genet. 2012; 13:241-261. doi:10.1146/annurev-genom-090711-163844