Behavioral health refers to the relationship between human behavior and physical health. Behavioral health programs generally focus on mental illness and substance abuse, which often accompany one another.

Mental Illness

Doctors define mental illness as any mental condition that affects thinking, behavior, or mood. The condition must be severe enough to inhibit the patient’s ability to function normally in work, relationships, school, or social situations. Currently over 200 disorders are classified as mental illnesses, ranging from anxiety disorders to schizophrenia.

Mental illnesses are classified as disorders rather than diseases because they are diagnosed based on signs and symptoms that may be subjective. Doctors evaluate not only the duration of symptoms, but also their context and the extent to which they impact daily life.

Symptoms of mental illness can vary widely, since the category includes so many different medical conditions. Common behavioral, cognitive, and emotional symptoms include the following:

• Inability to handle daily problems and challenges
• Feeling sad or down
• Confused or muddled thinking
• Excessive worry or fear
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Excessive violence or anger
• Alcohol or substance abuse
• Hallucinations or delusions
• Substance abuse

Substance Abuse

Although drug or alcohol abuse may accompany a mental illness, it can also develop as its own condition. Substance abuse occurs due to addiction, which can prevent patients from being able to control their use of the substance. The patient may want to quit, but be unable to do so independently.

Alcohol or drug abuse can have long-term consequences for patients; it hurts physical, emotional, and mental health. It also damages relationships and interferes with the ability to hold a job or succeed in school. Not everyone who uses drugs or alcohol will become addicted or abuse the substance, but patients who exhibit the following behaviors may have an addiction:

• Feeling compelled to use the substance regularly
• Failed attempts to stop using the substance
• Taking measures to ensure a constant supply of the substance
• Spending money to buy the substance even when the patient cannot afford it
• Doing things that are out of character, such as stealing, to get the substance
• Craving the substance as a means to face daily life
• Expending increasingly more energy on getting the substance

The physical signs of substance abuse can vary, based on the substance. It is important to note that many patients with certain mental illnesses use drugs or alcohol to “self-medicate” or dull the symptoms of the mental illness.

If you are facing mental illness or struggling to overcome substance abuse, contact the Pavilion at University Hospital. You can visit us online or call us at 954-724-6502.

SOURCES

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-addiction/DS00183/DSECTION=symptoms

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mental-illness/DS01104