Mental Health

If you are like many people suffering from drug and alcohol addictions, you may also be suffering from a mental health condition. Untreated mental illness often contributes to the cycle of addiction. Many people may try to achieve sobriety without entering treatment only to find that this often exacerbates their mental health conditions. Our treatment program is designed to incorporate mental health treatment into the addiction treatment program.

The death of Robin Williams sent a shockwave around the globe. Finding out that the funniest man alive has committed suicide is a hard pill to swallow. As we mourn the loss of a great actor, his death sparked a worldwide discussion about addiction and depression. These conditions are usually swept under the rug or treated like the elephant in the room. Everyone knows it exists but no one wants to talk about it.

Although millions of people in the United States alone are affected at some point in their lives by mental health disorders, there is still reluctance from many people to admit that they are having this type of issue or that they need help. Mental illness should not be thought of as something to be ashamed of or a person's fault. No one chooses this type of health issue or "brings it on themselves." It is certainly not a sign of weakness or lack of character. So what are mental health disorders?

While substance abuse is thought to be a disease on its own, it is often caused by many underlying issues. Studies have shown a strong correlation in mental health and drug or alcohol addiction. A stressful job or home life can leave you looking for a way to escape. Untreated depression can cause you to self-medicate. These choices may help for a while but, you will soon find yourself unable to function without drugs or alcohol. At Avalon Malibu, we focus on treating the underlying causes of your addiction as well as the addiction itself. Mental health treatment in rehab has been shown to help patients maintain their sobriety once they have completed the program.

Attachment theory is a developmental model that attends to the adaptation of the child within the family environment and subsequently, through that lens, to the cultural environment into which the family is embedded.  This theoretical model lends itself to various disciplines that attempt to shed light on and bring healing and growth to our internal experience, as this is the sensory lens through which we make meaning of experience in the present - our unique subjective reality. Theoretical models often explain similar phenomenon in very different ways.  For instance, ego states may well be neural networks or memory systems working in relative isolation, as in a panic attack. This can symbolize for us how the brain takes in information, stores it, and accesses it in present situations.  As our knowledge increases scientifically, the disciplines evolve.