Resources & Services
Residents in Orange County face many behavioral health disorders. Having access to local resources and services is key to helping individuals deal with these issues and get on the path to recovery.
Unfortunately, Orange County’s mental health faces a lot of challenges due to its location in proximity to the border, and the illegal drug trade. There are also issues with providing enough mental health services for the totality of the population. To improve the situation and get the people the help they need, it is necessary to examine the current extent of Orange County behavioral health disorders and ways to address them.
Understanding the Mental Health in Southern California
Orange County’s mental health suffers from several gaps in available care coupled with a large population of people experiencing co-occurring disorders related to substance use disorder. This is due to several factors.
Breakdown of Mental Health in Orange County
According to the most recent statistics, Orange County is currently seeing a rise in the number of cases of mental illness developing as a result of drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, adult and childhood trauma, and other environmental factors.
- Mental health services needs among children stands at an estimated 5.9% of children aged 4-11
- Of those children with mental health needs, an estimated 56.6% have gone untreated due to the gap in mental health services in orange county.
- An estimated 6.7% of adults have serious mental health issues.
- Of the 6.7% of adults with serious mental health issues, 46.6% have not received adequate care.
Among these statistics, the percentages of adults and children with serious mental health disorders can vary drastically based on factors such as income and education level, gender identity, homelessness, and patterns of abuse.
While the percentage of behavioral health disorders in areas like Santa Ana and surrounding communities is lower than the overall state average, the disparity in treatment as a result of inadequate access to mental health services has led to rising rates of behavioral health issues and lower treatment numbers.
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Know the Signs
Many different mental illnesses can manifest as a result of various factors, and understanding the symptoms of these illnesses can help to facilitate proper treatment, particularly in cases where individuals or family members may neglect treatment or be unable to determine the proper course of treatment.
Addiction to drugs or alcohol also called substance use disorder, is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain.
Initial exposure and severity of addiction can vary by substance. Addiction symptoms further manifest as a need for larger and larger quantities of the substance in order to satisfy the body’s need for the substance. This is also known as cravings, which can lead to further symptoms as a person becomes more dependent on the substance. This is commonly referred to as withdrawal.
The symptoms associated with the lack of an addicted substance can vary wildly from mild fatigue and discomfort to heart complications, seizures, and even death.
Depression, otherwise known as major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that is most often characterized by broad sweeping changes in behavior as a result of the onset of the disorder.
Symptoms of depression usually begin with mood alteration including lack of energy, feelings of loss, emptiness, or hopelessness as well as sleep disturbances and inability to find pleasure in formerly pleasurable activities.
The range of symptoms can vary, and can even be quite severe and characterized by a general feeling of unhappiness. These symptoms can carry over to children, teens, and young adults and most often result in changes in day-to-day lifestyle activities as well.
Anxiety is a range of disorders whereby a person experiences persistent, chronic, and excessive fear, worry, or stress due to everyday events and situations. These feelings can onset quickly and can often overpower an individual’s ability to function in their day-to-day life.
Symptoms of anxiety disorders are characterized by an intense feeling of fear or danger from a typically ordinary situation. This can cause individuals to avoid doing things due to the sudden and often overabundant fear that is invoked due to an anxiety disorder. Symptoms can begin as early as childhood and continue into adulthood.
The onset of anxiety symptoms can be sudden and uncontrollable and can last for several hours. Some symptoms may be triggered by a particular situation such as social anxiety disorder. In this case, a person may experience extreme anxiety when around new people for the first time or when surrounded by large crowds.
Other anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, wherein normal day-to-day tasks can cause uncontrollable fear and panic. Certain anxiety disorders include specific phobias of places and things, and separation anxiety.
Some common symptoms include fear, sweating, tiredness, fatigue, and avoidance of people and situations that cause these issues.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder brought about by extreme trauma. This disorder can cause individuals to relive traumatic experiences due to triggers that cause symptoms and reminders of the event. PTSD can occur at any age and can come about at any time after the initial incident.
Symptoms can include severe fatigue, sweating, nightmares, hallucinations, flashbacks, anxiety or the onset of anxiety-related disorders, and uncontrollable memories of the event.
Among the multitude of symptoms for PTSD, there are 4 primary categories that symptoms fall into:
- Intrusive memories
- Avoidance
- Negative changes to thinking and mood
- Physical and emotional changes, particularly in reaction to stress
Each of these categories can include a range of symptoms associated with the behavior. The severity of symptoms can also range from mild to severe, with severe symptoms causing disruption of day-to-day life, suicidal tendencies, and other life-threatening behavior.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often diagnosed in early childhood, though it can be diagnosed in adults as well. These disorders can be difficult to identify and diagnose as symptoms are shared among many other disorders.
In order to diagnose ADD/ADHD, multiple symptoms must be present at one time which indicates the potential for the disorder. These symptoms can include general inattentiveness, inability to focus or concentrate, inability to follow through tasks to completion, as well as a number of other similar symptoms.
The second set of symptoms involve any signs of hyperactivity such as excessive movement or fidgeting, excessive talking, constant interruption to activities and behaviors, and more. Treatment options will change based on the presentation of the disorder.
Once a person has been diagnosed, they can have one of three presentations according to symptom severity:
- Combination Presentation - Individual presents as both inattentive and hyperactive
- Inattention Focused - Individual’s primary symptoms focus on inattentiveness
- Hyperactivity Focused - Individual’s primary symptoms focus on hyperactivity
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Real Help for Behavioral Health
If you or someone you know is experiencing one of these disorders then it is important to look for the proper Orange County behavioral health services to treat the disorder properly and get on the path to recovery.
Finding the right behavioral health services in Orange County is determined by the type of help that is needed for the particular issues that are being experienced. These services can include crisis intervention, abuse services such as substance abuse treatment in Orange County, and help with treatment for underlying addiction issues, or disorders that are caused by lifestyle factors and previous trauma
These services can include healthy living checklists, partnering with a healthcare agency to get medication or other treatment, support group services in the community or through an aftercare program, as well as child and family support.
Many behavioral health issues are often accompanied by mental health issues that also need to be addressed. Addiction in particular has a high rate of dual occurring disorders whereby a person experiences mental illness as a result of addiction or develops an addiction as a result of mental illness.
Mental health services in Orange County can include treatment from a psychiatrist or other counselor, medication to address the symptoms, emotional support, behavioral therapy, and other methods to address the underlying causes of the mental illness. In most cases, it is necessary to treat both behavioral and mental health issues concurrently in order to see effective results.
The #HMR Difference
Hillside Mission Recovery has a primary focus on wellness in an environment that is stress-free, relaxing, and supportive. Our Orange County inpatient treatment methods help clients to deal with addiction-related behavioral issues while developing the tools to stay sober over the long term.
Part of our mission is teaching clients and family members what to look out for when it comes to substance abuse signs and treatment options in Orange County. The first step to dealing with behavioral health issues is getting the help you need from trusted medical experts that are dedicated to your recovery.
If you or someone you know is dealing with addiction and related behavioral health issues, contact Hillside Mission Recovery today.
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No one should have to go through the addiction recovery process alone. At our Orange County drug rehab, we understand how complex and devastating addiction can be, and we are determined to provide the best care every step of the way on the road to recovery. Our individualized addiction treatment programs provide a way for every individual suffering from the reins of addiction to have their needs met. We also have caring and experienced professionals on our staff at our drug rehab in Mission Viejo, with some who have even personally experienced substance abuse. Whether it is you or a loved one who has been affected by substance abuse, we are here to help.
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