Dual Diagnosis & Dual Disorders
The Dual Diagnostic Track - Dual diagnosis
often accompanies chemical dependency, drug and alcohol issues.
At CTC, we recognize dual diagnosis as a co-occurring condition.
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Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a major affective disorder between states of
deep depression and extreme elation. Symptoms are: sleeping more
than usual, then needing very little sleep yet never feeling
tired, becoming uninterested in things you once enjoyed, becoming
unable to make simple decisions, wanting to die, experiencing
hallucinations or delusions, indulging in risky sexual behavior,
feeling hopeless or worthless for a sustained period of time,
paying no attention to daily responsibilities, and having bouts
of uncontrollable crying.
Clinical Depression
Not everyone experiences clinical depression in the same way. Symptoms
are: A persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood. Sleeping
too little or sleeping too much, Reduced appetite and weight
loss, or increased appetite and weight gain, restlessness or
irritability, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling guilty, hopeless
or worthwhile, or thoughts of death or suicide.
Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder fills people's lives with overwhelming
anxiety and fear. They are chronic, relentless and can grow progressively
worse if not treated. Symptoms include: trembling, profuse sweating,
nausea, difficult talking, fatigue, muscle tension, twitching,
irritability, easily startled, rapid heart beat, unable to relax,
and hot flashes.
Eating Disorder
The term eating disorders have come to mean anorexia
nervosa, bulimia
nervosa, and binge eating. Anorexia nervosa is defined as the
relentless pursuit of thinness. The symptoms are: Person is terrified
of becoming fat, he/she reports being fat when very thin, weighs
85% or less than what is expected for age or height, he/she has
compulsive rituals, strange eating habits, division of food,
low tolerance for change and new situations, and may fear growing
up. Bulimia is defined as the diet-binge-purge disorder. The
symptoms are: Person binge eats, feels out of control while eating,
vomits, misuses laxatives, excessively exercises, or fasts to
get rid of calories. Bulimics are often depressed, lonely, ashamed,
and empty inside. Binge eating disorder is when a person binge
eats frequently and repeatedly. Symptoms are: depression and
obesity, eats rapidly and secretly, may snack and nibble all
day long. Binge disorder is not a process of vomiting like bulimia,
it is a process of eating for emotional reasons to comfort themselves,
avoid threatening situations and numb emotional pain.
Attention Deficit Disorder (Adult ADD)
Attention deficit disorder is described as inattention, hyperactivity,
and impulsivity. Symptoms include: lack of focus, disorganization,
restlessness, difficulty finishing projects, and losing things.
These symptoms interfere with success at work and get in the
way at home or with friends.
Clinical Mood Disorders
Mood disorders range from depression, bipolar
disorder and mania.
Symptoms include: low self-esteem, less control over emotions,
lowered capacity to feel pleasure, less tolerable to feel pain,
not motivated and low energy levels.
Treatment centers across the country began treating a new classification
of chemical abuse. Clients with a behavioral disorder coupled to
compulsive/obsessive symptoms are classified as dual
diagnostics.
Many of these disorders in the past were seen only by mental health
personnel; and the symptoms were more often than not treated erroneously
because chemical addiction was not considered! In other words,
a patient describing low energy, low self esteem, sadness and despair,
was expressing all the feelings of depression. And he was labeled
as such. He was a victim of depression. But if drinking and using
were not discussed, if the therapist failed to discover the extent
of the chemical habit, the direction of treatment took the wrong
path.
Too, for years, health professionals thought to treat
addiction,
they had to find the underlying reason for the addiction. They
would treat the "underlying reason" and figured the addiction would
go away. Sadly, that is not at all the case. A person suffering
from an obsessive/compulsive disorder, such as drinking and using,
will surely return to that behavior after only brief success. Thus,
relapse.
Probably the best way to understand the futility of psychotherapy
is to use an example that is very fitting: Say, a person goes into
treatment for fire setting. The therapist would have little success
treating the underlying disorder if the patient were allowed to
continue to set fires. Common sense can go a long ways-first, the
fires have to go! Stop setting fires and now we have a chance to
treat whatever else is wrong.
So is the case with many addicts. Learn
to stay sober and clean, and if any severe underlying disorders
still exist we have the benefit of time and experience to solve
those problems also.
Chemical Imbalance
Some disorders will simply not go away with counseling,
group therapy, 12 step programs alone. This is yet another type
of dual diagnosis. It is more bothersome to the client, and in
severe forms can distract from chemical dependency treatment. However,
these types of disorders can be treated very successfully. These
people suffer many times from certain chemical imbalances, and
need additional help to overcome their challenge. A responsible
treatment program should professionally diagnose all of it clients
upon intake. At Comeback Treatment Center we treat this kind of
disorder in three phases:
- Psychosocial evaluation
- Proper medication to restore chemical balance
- One-on-one counseling (evaluating and treatment planning)
- Introduce client into the primary phase of chemical
abuse treatment
- When chemical balance is achieved, clients respond
well to the general concept of standardized treatment:
> Group process
> Relating to others and gaining social skills
> Incorporating a treatment plan into their lifestyle that they can live
a satisfying life
> Identifying and acceptance of their own personal challenges
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