Inability to Change Vs. Ability but Lack of Desire

[SophiaGrace]

Do you think that there are some people, that no matter how hard they try to get better, they can't, not because they don't want to, just because, they lack whatever it is needed to change.

Whenever someone says "they have to want to change." in response to someone that has a mental illness, I want to say to them "but what if inherently they cant change?

I've watched several episodes of intervention and it's absolutely heartbreaking when at the end of an episode you learn that the person has relapsed and has fallen back into their old ways...

Do you believe that some people just truely can't change? Even if they have the best psychotherapist, psychotherapy, combination of drugs, support group online/offline, nonjudgemental family & friends, people that refuse to enable them. etc.

 

[queenwindbaby]

SophiaGrace this is a loaded reply-very complicated but it's great that your searching for some answers. I'll try to share the little I know about the subject. With D&A ppl relapse rates are very high. When using either D&A it changes the brain patterns in many ways. For instance-the way certain areas of the brain communicates w/ other parts of the brain. When first time users of say herion they get that incrediable high, that only happens this one time and so they con't to chase that high that isn't going to happen. It effects the dopamine (pain receptors) levels, and again changes the synapse of the receptors. A nurse recently told me that they have idenfied the gene connected w/ alcholism. She said that if you have this gene and don't drink then you crave sweets. Not quite sure how that all works.
And yes some ppl just can't change. Some feel they are stuck-just plain stuck w/ there situation. For instance in Domestic Violence- it's called learned helplessness and it is a cycle of that relationship. And very hard to break away from unless you have a strong support system.
The ppl w/ mental illness indeed feel they can't change-it's too overwhelming for them to know where even to start w/ out MH assistance and sometimes that doesn't work either, because MH ppl don't have a lot of the answers. We shouldn't blame ppl that state they can not change only support them and have a kind word for them.
I don't know if any of this will answer some of your question I can only hope so. Regards