Category: Articles

Dual Diagnosis and Treatment

Dual Diagnosis and Treatment

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Malaysia, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

The co-occurrence of substance abuse issues and mental health conditions can make both problems difficult to treat. The facts are that approximately 50% of people who suffer with severe mental illness also wrestle with some type of substance abuse problem. More than 30% of those who abuse alcohol also have at least one mental health problem. And more than 50% of people who abuse drugs also have a mental health condition. These facts lead to what is now called dual diagnosis treatment. These are treatments specifically designed to treat both mental health and substance abuse problems at the same time.

The complexity of treating someone who suffers from both addiction and mental illness demands a specific strategy for recovery. While those who wrestle with a substance abuse disorder may benefit from treatments which follow fairly well known programs of recovery. Those with a dual diagnosis disorder face particular challenges. Simply removing the substance from their lives in the course of a traditional program that demands abstinence may complicate a vastly more complex disorder such as depression, OCD, or PTSD. These types of patients have specific needs and require a specific regimen of treatment. Likewise, any attempt to treat the mental health problems without taking addiction into consideration is likely to be ineffective.

In many cases, the psychological problems precede the substance abuse problem and are likely what fueled substance abuse in the first place. For some people, the mental health problems may have developed in childhood or adolescence which they then tried to treat by self-medicating with drugs and/or alcohol. In other cases, the effects of substance abuse either brought on a psychological problem like severe depression or severely complicated a pre-existing issue. In any event, both the addiction and the psychological disorder require treatment. One problem is unlikely to get better without treating both at the same time.

In the most general terms, dual diagnosis treatment is practiced through a series of staged interventions. Many people who are suffering from both addiction and mental health problems are unable to participate in treatment programs in the same way as someone who deals with addiction only. The motivation necessary to begin treatment may well be inaccessible to them. For this reason, establishing a real trust with clients is the first order for treatment professionals. These interventions are stepped up as trust and willingness are established. At this point counseling and social support interventions can be introduced which directly involve clients with treatment.

From this point, dual diagnosis treatment is determined by the specific types of addiction and mental health issues. The decision to use medication, for example, will depend on the type of substances the client has been abusing and the type and severity of the psychological diagnosis.

The problem of co-occurring issues is now better understood than ever before. The unique and specialized treatments are also more available. People who are struggling with co-occurring mental illness and addiction have a much better chance for recovery now that the science of treatment has adapted to a more comprehensive understanding of how best to treat this complex issue.

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Most People Are Addicts

To Varying Degrees, Most People are Addicts

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

I can just hear hundreds of people yelling, “I’m no addict,” but you are you know.

Loosely defined, you are addicted to anything that is pleasurable to you. Which you have had or done for a long enough time that you would go to great lengths to continue. Not only can many people not start their mornings without their coffee, but they even have it sitting on their desks while they work.

Then there are people who roll out of bed, and half asleep begin their jogging in all kinds of weather for several miles. Why?  The payoff is a rush of endorphin , which make you feel good. If you missed a morning of jogging you would definitely miss that harvest of morning endorphins all day long. You would not likely receive any negative feedback for this, as most people are not aware that done consistently to the extent that you need the results to get you through the day is actually an addiction. You would receive kudos instead. However, as with many activities that society does not even recognize as an addiction, a lot of exercise has been connected with feeding and eating disorders.

Most of us love sweet things; and the more sugar we put on our cereal and raspberries, the more we love it; and will be on the lookout for more before we even clear off the table. Again, this is not good for your health, but not viewed negatively by society.

Then there are the many sex addicts; mostly men, but also women.

Then there are the addictions to various types of prescriptions. Sometimes doctors prescribe too many; and the patients do not notice it because either they don’t know better, or because the more they take the better they feel, since they cause an increase in dopamine, a neurological  chemical that stimulates pleasure. Regardless of who may be to blame, each year there are a goodly number of prescription overdose deaths.

The downhill skiers are already lining up in the summer for their season downhill skiing pass, which most will use to their fullest extent. The hue and cry that occurs when a couple of warm days come along; and some ski runs are closed is heartbreaking, because the faithful skiers really miss their daily dopamine injection.

To top it all off, there are numerous health care professionals who believe that addiction is an illness just like cancer, for instance. Consequently, according to the particular problems, their treatment methods vary somewhat from those health care providers who do not agree that addiction is a disease. One thing that this type of thinking does, is to let addicts hold their heads up a little higher. Because their part in becoming addicted, whether to alcohol or drugs, is minimized because surely they cannot be more responsible for that than they would be if they got cancer.

Finally, a couple of the addictions that I mentioned earlier should not be difficult to cure by the individuals themselves. Such as foregoing unnecessarily infusing food with sugar. But sex addiction, well that’s another story!

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Spirituality in recovery

Spirituality in Recovery

Articles, Australia, Education, International, LGBTQ, Malaysia, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Spirituality is a touchy topic in life and even more so in recovery. However, it would be unforgivable to not include at least one article on spirituality as part of recovery. To understand the importance of this topic in relation to staying clean and sober, one must first understand what spirituality is in life. Spirituality is defined as the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Addiction makes us very self-centered and singularly focused on the next fix. Once we choose to enter recovery then that focus must shift and often that shift is toward spirituality. The idea of using spirituality or spiritual practices as a way to stay away from drugs and alcohol is not a new one. Many programs have a focus on spirituality, but the choice is truly up to each individual. Recovery may be the first time in years or maybe in the addicts entire life that they have thought of someone or something outside themselves. Read on to delve a little further into the concept of spirituality.

Spirituality can be understood as an inner path enabling a person to discover his or her well being. Spiritual practices could be described as those things or the religion that helps an individual discover who they are in life. This can help create a more personal journey. The benefits of spirituality in recovery are numerous. Some of these include being better able to cope with trials and tribulations. Offering a boost each day as time is spent in reflection or with a higher power. Clarity, increased happiness and contentment. As a mood lifter. And as a guide to being a better person, mother, father, and child.

Spirituality in recovery can offer support when others are not available and as it is practiced over time can lead to a more peaceful life overall. As those that choose to practice spirituality grow and gain deeper understanding of their spiritual choice. Then it is likely they will be more relaxed, happier, and less depressed. All of these things will benefit overall health and make reaching long term recovery more likely.

Spirituality is a decision that is unique to each individual. Some may believe in karma, some in God, some in many gods, and some in nature. The possibilities are endless. It is something that is worth finding and practicing in recovery. The one thing each person needs to remember is that you are free to try one or many forms of spirituality or glean from as many as you can to decide on your life philosophy. Just knowing that there is something more to life than yourself and what that knowledge can do for you is life changing.

So now you are faced with a decision. Will you look into the concept of spirituality? Will you learn and grow in the form of spirituality that you already know or practice? Are you willing to think of something and someone outside yourself? The choice is yours, but if you at least explore the possibilities then you will know you have tried. Stay strong, you can stay in recovery long term.

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Early Sobriety - Testimonial - What I Wish I Had Known

Early Sobriety – What I Wish I had known

Articles, Australia, Education, International, Malaysia, Testimonials, Treatment, Understanding Addiction, United Kingdom, United States

Looking back on my early days and weeks in sobriety, I often think of things I had known at the time. Early sobriety is an extremely confusing time. There are just a few facts which would have helped me sort through some of that confusion. We come into treatment dizzied and beaten, knowing just a few things would definitely help get through the first days. 

Upon finding myself in drug and alcohol rehab I was completely shocked to find that so many people I had counted as friends had disappeared as soon as I went into treatment. I thought surely some, if not all, of the people I had called friends would be there for me now that I had decided to get well. That was not to be the case. There were actually quite a few people for whom I had simply disappeared from the earth. I was shocked and hurt. I felt abandoned. The reality that I came to know was that not everyone in your drinking and drugging life is worth keeping around. This plunge into treatment had turned into a process of separating the wheat form the chafe and I am now grateful for it. Those people who saw me as nothing more than a party buddy are gone. The people I do have left in my life are precious to me.

One of the attitudes I took with me into the earliest days of sobriety was the firm belief that things can and will get worse. I think this is common for people who find themselves in need of drug and alcohol treatment. This attitude is really a hold-over from using. Drug and alcohol fuels the downward slide into the negative, and we become so accustomed to this that we mistake it for a reality. What I found is that life always gets better in recovery—always! I may hit stumbling blocks, and life still throws me difficulties. But life as a sober person is always a steady rise toward the positive. The days begin to seem normal, boring even, but over periods of weeks we all see noticeable and marked improvement in the quality of our lives.

This last piece of information leads to another fact that I was blind to in early sobriety. You will never regret being sober. It seems obvious now. But in early recovery I thought I would surely miss out on great times that centered on drinking. I would necessarily regret missing those times while I got with the business of being sober. This is just not true. What is true is that a life of being addled by alcohol always gave me regret. There has never been the slightest moment of life that I regret spending sober. The blunt truth is that could have done many things intoxicated that I did sober. But there was nothing about being sober that in any way diminished dong those things. This comes down to a simple wager. I will not lose anything by betting on being sober.

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Alcohol and Women in Australia

Alcohol and Women in Australia

Articles, Australia, Education, Understanding Addiction

It is currently estimated that one third of women in Australia are problem drinkers. This is to say that their alcohol consumption poses a risk to their health. Also, they are at risk for serious dependency issues. One study showed that women are catching up with men in Australia in alcohol consumption, and in some case they are exceeding them. All of this begs the questions, why are women in Australia particularly at risk for alcohol abuse and dependency.

One of the reasons women are increasingly becoming at risk for alcohol abuse is because recent years have opened the way for women to drink in ways which were historically accessible only to men. In short, it has become more acceptable for women to openly drink to excess than it has been in the past. As a result, more women are indulging in risky drinking behaviors.

There are other reasons for the increase in problem drinking for Australian women. These include the fact that women experience depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress at rates much higher than men. They turn to alcohol as a way of self-medicating for these problems. The fact that there are so many women who feel the need to self-medicate leads to another source of the increase in problem drinking among Australian women.

There is a perception among women in Australia that there is not as much access to help for things such as depression and anxiety. Women feel the stigma attached to these issues more than men and are looked down upon for seeking help. Thus women feel more isolated as they face these problems. Women are more likely to turn to alcohol (and other substances) for help in managing their lives.

Another reason for the isolation that many women feel is due to the patterns of their drinking habits. Many women begin in their 20’s (or earlier in some cases). They engage in high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking. Though dangerous, this in itself is not all that unusual. But as they transition into adulthood and begin families, many of these women believe their drinking will just naturally slow down. This turns out not to be the case in many instances. It is true that most women stop going to parties and clubs after they start families. But the indulgences of wine and cocktails persist. Due to the feelings of shame attached to these behaviors, they often hide their drinking. The isolation becomes worse and the drinking becomes worse.

There are bright spots in all of this. The news is not all bleak. Since these reports have come to light, there is an increase in awareness of the particular needs of women and substance abuse. More women are finding that there is a world of help available for them. There is a host of treatment options. Dara Rehab in Thailand is a relatively short distance away and offers a full range of treatment programs for women. There are many reasons to be hopeful, especially as more people become aware of the specific challenges women face in getting help for problem drinking.

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