SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sovereign Health, a national behavioral health system, is proud to announce that Dr. Tonmoy Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Health, will be presenting at the 'Mental Health America 2017 Annual Conference: Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll' on Thursday, June 15, 2017, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. EDT at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Other presenters include Patrick Kennedy, representing the Kennedy Forum, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.
Approximately 8.9 million people in the United States have "dual diagnosis," a mental health condition coupled with an addiction disorder. Dr. Sharma, in a presentation titled "Slaying the Hydra: Is Treating Concurrent Drug and Mental Disorders a Herculean Task?" will discuss dual diagnosis in adolescents and adults; other speakers discuss mental health, mental illness and addiction.
"The occurrence of drug addiction in the mental health setting is not terribly surprising. Self-medicating makes a lot sense – marijuana numbs the pain of depression, Valium tames panic attacks and cocaine and crystal meth can break a pattern of apathy and social withdrawal. The stigma associated with mental illness in and of itself can be a driver of drug use," Dr. Sharma explains.
Despite the prevalence of co-occurring mental and drug disorders in this country, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reports that the majority, a staggering 55 percent, receive no treatment for either disorder and only 7 percent are treated for both issues.
Dr. Tonmoy Sharma has been recognized with numerous awards, honors and grants for his work in advancing mental health. He is a prolific researcher and scientist as well as the author or co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and five books on schizophrenia and mental illness. Dr. Sharma has served on numerous editorial boards, acted as peer reviewer for 14 international medical journals, and has been on various advisory boards governing the development of antipsychotics. He currently co-hosts "In Your Right Mind," a cutting-edge, weekly radio show that covers various topics in behavioral health.
Sovereign Health currently operates nine treatment facilities in five states: California, Arizona, Florida, Texas and Utah. The facilities are licensed in accordance with the regulations of the state where the facility is located. Sovereign facilities have been awarded Gold Seal accreditation by The Joint Commission.
About Sovereign Health
Sovereign Health's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. Sovereign's facilities are licensed and have been awarded Gold Seal accreditation by The Joint Commission, the highest level of accreditation available in the behavioral health field. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.
SOURCE Sovereign Health