Mental-Health Nursing, Case Study of Lisa

Running Head: MENTAL-HEALTH NURSING 1
Mental-Health Nursing, Case Study of Lisa
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MENTAL-HEALTH NURSING 2
Mental-Health Nursing, Case Study of Lisa
Understanding the root cause of drug abuse habits is very important when dealing with
people facing drug-related issues. This is because the reasons for people getting into drug and
substance abuse are varied. Risk factors are the reasons which motivate people to get into drug
abuse while the resilience factors are the reasons which deter people from getting into drug
abuse. Research has indicated that most people get into drug and substance abuse when trying to
fix issues which disturb their lives. For example, depression has been a motivating factor among
youths and young adults getting into drug and substance abuse. Others find themselves into the
trap as they try to fit with peers. In the two cases, the victims get into drug abuse hoping to get a
solution out of their problems only to end up more distressed. Other people perceive drug abuse
as a self-medication approach. For instance, people suffering from chronic pain and other mental
health disorders get into substance abuse with the aim of cooling down the severe symptoms of
their health conditions. This paper scrutinizes the case of Lisa as presented in the video
https://youtu.be/83i2MWMqph8. Three issues have been identified in the video which is causing
problematic substance abuse. They are loneliness, family conflicts, and mental health illness.
The first issue which might be causing a problematic substance use on Lisa according to
the video is loneliness. According to the first principle of trauma-informed care, safety, space
should be created for a person to feel culturally, emotionally and physically safe as well as
awareness of discomfort and unease. There is no space for Lisa to feel culturally, emotionally
and physically safe in Jonah’s house. Lisa is staying alone after relocating from her parents’
house where she used to have company and moved in with Jonah. There is a high chance that the
loneliness in her new residence is making her feel unsafe to the extent of abusing substances.
Also, the video has clearly revealed that Lisa has not been in good terms with her parents

MENTAL-HEALTH NURSING 3
after moving in with Jonah. This is because the parents were against the idea of her moving in
with Jonah. This must be making her feel isolated by her family members. She has even
confessed that her parents have not been talking to her for several weeks since she moved in with
Jonah. The isolation must be making her feel culturally and emotionally unsafe. For that matter,
she must be getting into a problematic substance abuse with the aim of filling the relationship
void and guilty which she is living in. This also can be addressed from the perspective of
collaboration and mutuality, the fourth principle of the trauma-informed approach which
advocates for physical and psychological support (Evans, Nizette & O’Brien, 2017).
Moving forward, the video has revealed that Lisa had a mental illness before and was
undergoing medication until she moved in with Jonah. Research by the National Bureau of
Economic Research identified a close link between substance abuse and mental illness.
According to the research, most of the substance users are people who have had mental illnesses
or those undergoing treatment on mental health disorders (Sousa-Poza, 2018). Further research
has confirmed that people with mental illness such as post-trauma stress disorder, depression,
anxiety, and others are at high risks of getting into drug and substance abuse. Mainly, people
getting into drug and substance abuse are those who fail to adhere to the third principle of
trauma-informed care, choice. This principle entails the recognition of the need to adopt a
solution which honors individual dignity. Just like in the case of Lisa, most of the victims of
mental illness end up into drug and substance abuse as they try to cope with the hard feelings
they undergo.
In Lisa’s case, the video has revealed that she has been under a counseling session in a
local drug service for some time after being admitted in a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed
with a mental illness problem. She was later discharged but under antipsychotic medication.