In the book Dream Land, addiction and mortality were discussed in relation to the heroin epidemic. However, little research has been conducted on mental states and physical and mental addictions. Many medications such as Adderall and Ritalin are used for the treatment of mental disorders, just as painkillers were given for physical disorders in the book. However, these medications come with unpleasant side effects such as dependence and dependence on relief. Many arguments conclude that drugs cause mental illness, while others assert that mental illness causes the craving for drugs. Medications for mental illness can be just as addictive as the prescriptions in the novel Dreamland. Mental illness can both cause substance abuse, and addiction can cause mental illness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Drug use has increased dramatically in the United States and many other countries around the world. The novel showed exactly this in the heroin epidemic. However, heroin is not the only drug widely abused across the country. Many people choose drugs for many reasons, from escaping pain to partying. The National Institution on Drug Abuse showed that in 2013, nearly 26.4 million Americans used illicit drugs. However, this number is expected to be much higher, since these are only the reported cases. This figure represents an increase of almost 1.1 percent since 2002 (National Institute on Drug Use, 2015). Although this may seem insignificant, the current number is certainly higher than that. It seems that not only has the drug problem increased, but cases of mental illness have also increased in America. Since 1987, this figure has almost doubled. Many claim this was due to the introduction of a drug called Prozac. During that time, nearly 6 million Americans have been crippled by some sort of mental illness. After Prozac hit the markets, some 400 people were diagnosed with one problem or another every day. After a review of the scientific literature, this epidemic appears to be due to the medication-based care paradigm. Such increases in medications will amplify the likelihood that an individual will become chronically ill, leading to serious psychiatric symptoms according to Whitaker (Whitaker, 2005). When these types of medications are prescribed to people with mental illnesses, they are believed to help create balance. serotonin and dopamine. However, according to Whitaker (2005): “However, this hypothesis, that drugs would balance abnormal brain chemistry, has never been borne out. Although the public can still be told that medications normalize brain chemistry, the truth is that researchers did not find that people with schizophrenia had an overactive dopamine system (before receiving medication), nor that those diagnosed with depression suffered from abnormally low levels of serotonin. or norepinephrine. As US Surgeon General David Satcher acknowledged in his 1999 report on mental health, the causes of mental disorders “remain unknown” (Whitaker, 2005). This quote shows that not only can mental illnesses not be fully understood, but prescription pills are also administered, while showing little indication that theyare useful or even necessary. So why exactly do doctors prescribe medications that can both create psychiatric problems or even fail to help patients? The answer is simple, because they make billions from these drugs. In 2014, nearly US$374 billion was spent filling nearly 4.3 billion prescription bottles. This represents an increase of 13% since 2001 (Sifferlin, 2015). As explained, prescription medications, such as Adderall, Ritalin, and more recently, marijuana are prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety, bipolar, depression, and ADHD. These drugs are not only addictive, but can have adverse effects on patients. Research on marijuana use has indicated several psychiatric effects that have left patients with increased paranoia and delusion. Although some patients' results have been phenomenal with the use of this substance, other users simply cannot see positive results. Like Moore, et. al., states that there are several different mechanisms for using marijuana, smoking is among the riskiest. Herbal teas and lotions seem to be the safest. However, other considerations such as toxicity are rarely taken into account when discussing medical marijuana (Moore, et. al., 2007). Just as these medications can cause mental disorders, there is also ample evidence that noncompliance can be a problem as well. As we have already discovered, certain medications can be directly linked to depression, anxiety and paranoia. However, few findings were provided regarding prior drug abuse and mental illness. Fortunately, Swartz et. al. shows the problems that can arise when people who have already used do not cooperate in taking their dose of prescription pills in establishments. Many patients reacted very violently and aggressively towards staff members when they refused to take medication. These people were no longer addicted to drugs, but had previously had a drug problem. Most often, medical personnel are unaware of past drug abuse problems, when in fact these circumstances are noteworthy (Swartz et al., 1998). Patterson, in his article, states that there are several situational factors that determine an individual's situation. Given that approximately 26.6% of people with mental illness abuse illicit drugs, according to a 2012 study, these cases are unique. This is true, because some of the abuse comes from medications, while another part comes from attempting to self-medicate. Even though, as we learned previously, cases of mental illness are increasing in the United States, many people still do not seek medical attention for their mental illness. This is not only dangerous for themselves, but can also harm others. Since these people do not seek medical attention, they choose to ingest medications of all kinds in hopes of relieving their symptoms. Because the effects of drugs differ among individuals, some experience relief from their symptoms, while others feel intensely worse after drug use (Patterson, 2016). For those who use such substances for self-medication purposes, there are specific medications that users prefer. As we saw in Dream Land, heroin was used to relieve pain after prescriptions went unfilled. Surprisingly, heroin is also widely used to treat painmental. Like sadness and self-hatred, these drugs numb people both physically and mentally, which is part of the reason they are so addictive. Heroin and coke tend to be the main drugs that make people numb to their pain. According to Khantzian (1987): “It is clear that there are other determinants of addiction, but I believe that self-medication is one of the most compelling reasons. for drug abuse and dependence. Clinical findings based on psychoanalytic formulations have been consistent and complemented by diagnostic and treatment studies that support this perspective, which I believe will allow researchers and clinicians to better understand and treat addictive behaviors. Rather than simply seeking escape, euphoria, or self-destruction, addicts attempt to self-medicate a range of psychiatric problems and painful emotional states” (Khantzian, p. 1263, 1987). Such findings support my contention that drugs can both cause mental illness, and that mental illness can also lead to drug cravings. This experiment also reveals that childhood trauma can be directly linked to self-medication in the future. Among the participants Khantzian studied, many had issues with rage and violence even before addiction struck (Khantzian, 1987). This goes somewhat against assertions previously made by Swartz, et. al., since he claimed that previous addictions led to such violent consequences more often than those without them (Swartz et. al., 1998). Nonetheless, it is easy to conclude that people dealing with addiction can become extremely violent sporadically at any time. This is especially true when addicts are in withdrawal, as several cases in these articles show. These drug addicts should not be taken lightly in the establishments where they reside. Rage and violence can be deadly and, as we can see, can be apparent in many situations. Not only is dealing with such addictions and/or mental illness extremely difficult for individuals, but so is the stigma these individuals experience. Many people with mental illness are also dual diagnosed with addiction. This study conducted by found that negative stigmas can lead to positive outcomes in patients. For example, subjects received negative feedback about their addiction, which internalized the strength and proactivity needed to change these titles. About 84 men studied in this experiment all had dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse. Each candidate was interviewed at different times, once when they were suffering from both addiction and disorder, and once after treatment for their addiction. Many of these respondents were facing addictions due to their mental state, however, some developed such problems in an attempt to escape many of the severe side effects that result from these mental disorders. Although to some extent these candidates responded positively to the stigma, others found it somewhat harsh. The stigma associated with substance abuse was far worse than the stigma associated with mental illness (Link, 1997). Now that we can see the current issues surrounding drug addiction and the rise of mental illness, we need to ask ourselves why this matters. The simplest answer to this question would be to say that many die and suffer because of these two complex problems..