When Drug Addiction in Texas Becomes a Dual Diagnosis
Imagine having to deal with a heroin addiction alongside battling chronic depression. Believe it or not, this happens more often than most of us realize. When a drug addiction and mental illness occur coincidentally, it is known as a dual diagnosis; the two conditions are known as co-occurring disorders.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2010 revealed that as many as 45% of all people suffering from drug addiction have a co-occurring disorder as well. That is a stunning number by any measure. It means that nearly half of all drug addicts are also dealing with something such as clinical depression, anxiety, or excessive compulsive disorder. Could it be that drug addiction and mental illness are linked?
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Unfortunately, no one knows for certain how the two are related. In fact, that is one of the main challenges of a dual diagnosis case. Doctors don't know if the drug addiction led to the mental illness or the other way around. Or it could be that both occurred coincidently. The science of drug addiction and dual diagnosis is still too new to draw any concrete conclusions.
Common Dual Diagnosis Scenarios
Though science still has a long way to go in the area of cause-and-effect, research and observation have turned up some interesting associations. For example, one of the most common dual diagnosis scenarios is the combination of alcoholism and clinical depression. There are no hard and fast numbers to say how often these co-occurring disorders are found together, but almost every drug and alcohol counselor can testify of helping to treat someone with the diagnosis.
Why alcoholism and depression occur together so often is anyone's guess. But there are some things we know for sure. We are aware that people often drink to chase away sadness or stress. We know that devastating circumstances like the loss of a loved one or financial problems can encourage people to drink. In essence, the same things that promote alcohol misuse are also things that can lead to clinical depression if not handled properly.
Another common dual diagnosis scenario is clinical anxiety alongside the use of certain stimulants. Once again, many of the reasons people choose to use stimulants are similar to the kinds of things that can lead to clinical anxiety. There is definitely a link between the two, albeit a link that is not entirely understood right now.
Treatment Is Challenging
Treating individuals suffering from co-occurring disorders is challenging, to say the least. The first thing doctors and therapists must determine is the extent of all of the disorders the patient is currently suffering from. Then they need to understand how those disorders play off one another.
In cases where it is possible to determine that one disorder caused the other, treatment is a lot easier from a practical standpoint. But being able to identify cause-and-effect is very rare. More often than not, treatment providers are left to simply treat both disorders without knowing if either one caused the other.
Additional challenges arise when trying to figure out ways to treat both disorders without one treatment negatively affecting the other. For example, certain prescription medications can be used to overcome an opioid addiction. But those same drugs can exacerbate clinical depression. Drugs used to treat depression can inhibit efforts to break dependence on opioids.
Doctors and therapists essentially have to come up with ways to treat both disorders simultaneously. When that is not possible, they tend to treat the drug addiction first and then, only after it is under control, turn their attentions to the mental disorder. As you can imagine, dual diagnosis can be an incredibly complex situation.
Because dual diagnosis scenarios are so complicated, they take a specialized form of treatment that not every drug addiction rehab program offers. However, a greater understanding of drug addiction and dual diagnosis is encouraging treatment centers to bring on the experts they need to offer appropriate treatment programs. More and more we are seeing dual diagnosis patients getting the help they require.
Anyone suffering from drug addiction could also be suffering from a co-occurring mental disorder. That makes the potential harm of addiction even more serious. Hopefully, we will make greater strides in treating dual diagnosis cases in the years to come.
Sources:
1.SAMHSA --http://archive.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10MH_Findings/2k10MHResults.htm#Ch4
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2010 revealed that as many as 45% of all people suffering from drug addiction have a co-occurring disorder as well. That is a stunning number by any measure. It means that nearly half of all drug addicts are also dealing with something such as clinical depression, anxiety, or excessive compulsive disorder. Could it be that drug addiction and mental illness are linked?
Texas
Treatment Center in Texas
Addiction Recovery in Texas
Houston
Dallas
San Antonio
Unfortunately, no one knows for certain how the two are related. In fact, that is one of the main challenges of a dual diagnosis case. Doctors don't know if the drug addiction led to the mental illness or the other way around. Or it could be that both occurred coincidently. The science of drug addiction and dual diagnosis is still too new to draw any concrete conclusions.
Common Dual Diagnosis Scenarios
Though science still has a long way to go in the area of cause-and-effect, research and observation have turned up some interesting associations. For example, one of the most common dual diagnosis scenarios is the combination of alcoholism and clinical depression. There are no hard and fast numbers to say how often these co-occurring disorders are found together, but almost every drug and alcohol counselor can testify of helping to treat someone with the diagnosis.
Why alcoholism and depression occur together so often is anyone's guess. But there are some things we know for sure. We are aware that people often drink to chase away sadness or stress. We know that devastating circumstances like the loss of a loved one or financial problems can encourage people to drink. In essence, the same things that promote alcohol misuse are also things that can lead to clinical depression if not handled properly.
Another common dual diagnosis scenario is clinical anxiety alongside the use of certain stimulants. Once again, many of the reasons people choose to use stimulants are similar to the kinds of things that can lead to clinical anxiety. There is definitely a link between the two, albeit a link that is not entirely understood right now.
Treatment Is Challenging
Treating individuals suffering from co-occurring disorders is challenging, to say the least. The first thing doctors and therapists must determine is the extent of all of the disorders the patient is currently suffering from. Then they need to understand how those disorders play off one another.
In cases where it is possible to determine that one disorder caused the other, treatment is a lot easier from a practical standpoint. But being able to identify cause-and-effect is very rare. More often than not, treatment providers are left to simply treat both disorders without knowing if either one caused the other.
Additional challenges arise when trying to figure out ways to treat both disorders without one treatment negatively affecting the other. For example, certain prescription medications can be used to overcome an opioid addiction. But those same drugs can exacerbate clinical depression. Drugs used to treat depression can inhibit efforts to break dependence on opioids.
Doctors and therapists essentially have to come up with ways to treat both disorders simultaneously. When that is not possible, they tend to treat the drug addiction first and then, only after it is under control, turn their attentions to the mental disorder. As you can imagine, dual diagnosis can be an incredibly complex situation.
Because dual diagnosis scenarios are so complicated, they take a specialized form of treatment that not every drug addiction rehab program offers. However, a greater understanding of drug addiction and dual diagnosis is encouraging treatment centers to bring on the experts they need to offer appropriate treatment programs. More and more we are seeing dual diagnosis patients getting the help they require.
Anyone suffering from drug addiction could also be suffering from a co-occurring mental disorder. That makes the potential harm of addiction even more serious. Hopefully, we will make greater strides in treating dual diagnosis cases in the years to come.
Sources:
1.SAMHSA --http://archive.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10MH_Findings/2k10MHResults.htm#Ch4
