New Questions? Or New Topic?

New Questions? Or New Topic?

            I thoroughly enjoyed the subject of my last paper, substance abuse and mental illness and how they are often dually diagnosed in an individual.  However, I didn’t enjoy doing the works cited page nearly as much. :) With that being said I really felt I covered all the questions I thought of when I was first brainstorming.  I wanted my paper to be as conclusive as possible so every question I could conjure up I did the research and eventually found the answer.  As of now I have a sound understanding of how and why these diseases are connected. 

To be perfectly honest, I have a whole new set of questions floating around in my brain due to the work of the previous paper.  I wonder the effects that both mental illness and substance abuse have on relationships.  How exactly does being dually diagnosed affect the dynamics of family relationships?  Are family members more understanding of
”chaos” that can be created by the individual who is dually diagnosed?  What is the attitude of the family and friends of the individual?  Are they accepting of the diagnosis? Or are the family and friends skeptical of the diagnosis, thinking of it as more as an excuse for bad behavior than an actual diagnoses.  

Also, I learned that people who are diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia are more than double likely to develop a substance abuse addiction because of their mental illness. And though I’m familiar with these mental illnesses I would however benefit from learning more about them.  What does it mean exactly to be bipolar or schizophrenic?  When is the onset?  Are there genetic factors that can help facilitate these diseases? How often do they occur together?  What is the best treatment for these diseases?  What are the characteristics of each of these diseases?