The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that about one in six adults in the United States have a diagnosable mental illness in any given year.1 There is a known connection between a mental illness and substance abuse. As a result, many treatment programs for addiction provide routine screenings for mental illness, just to ensure that administrators are aware of all the issues that might impact recovery.

However, there are times when people have a specific mental health issue without receiving a full mental health disorder diagnosis. Without mental health support, these individuals often use addictive substances to help them cope. And, whenever this happens, the risk increases for many serious health issues.

Transient Trouble

Some mental health difficulties emerge suddenly, like when someone close passes away due to an accident or illness. Feelings of grief are considered normal during this process.

However, there are some other common changes after the lose of a loved one.

  • Loss of appetite
  • Sweeping feelings of anger
  • Nightmares or vivid dreams
  • Social withdrawal

It’s easy to see how substance abuse can be tempting in times of grief. Sedating substances could allow a person to sleep better and forget about the loss for a few hours. Stimulant drugs, on the other hand, might allow people to zoom through work tasks with ease, rather than feeling slow and sluggish. Some grieving individuals find that drugs help them to cope. However, drugs have the potential to bring about chemical changes that lead to compulsive use or addiction.

Many drugs boost the production of chemicals the brain uses during moments of pleasure. The individual then feels intense joy, but it comes with deep consequences. Over time, the brain stops responding to low doses of the drug, and the brain may stop producing chemicals at all unless the drugs are present. Even moderate grief can explode into deep feelings of sadness or depression when drugs are present.

Coping with Distress

Handling grief and loss can be difficult. Research shows that substance abuse is a risk factor for severe domestic violence.2 Those who abuse drugs may be more likely to lash out with physical expressions of anger. This could lead the sense of depression and loss to deepen.

Domestic abuse struggles tend to grow more intense over time. Even death is possible. In addition, children may witness the episodes and become traumatized. If both parties are sober, they might be able to come to some sort of understanding, or they might choose to separate for the sake of everyone involved.

Life Status Changes

Even lives that seem calm and without traumatic episodes can be filled with transition points that put a person under stress.

Some common life changes include:

  • Marriage
  • Divorce
  • Childbirth
  • Children leaving home
  • Career change
  • Retirement

These times of transition can make people can feel adrift and unsure of what the future might bring. These times may bring with them feelings of depression or anxiety. Substance abuse can become a crutch that is used to get through this time, suppressing unhappy feelings. Sadly, when the person is sober, all of that work remains to be done, and depression often worsens over time.

Helpful Options

The good news is that anyone with a new mental health issue, who is also abusing drugs, might be able to reverse the damage before addiction starts. These individuals can often benefit from a brief intervention for addiction performed by a doctor or a mental health specialist. Only one, two or three sessions might be included in this model.

Essentially, the person is exposed to the idea that substance abuse could be worsening a mental health issue. Brief interventions are not intended for individuals with serious substance dependence. Rather these forms of treatment help individuals involved in problematic or risky substance use.3

This kind of help is right for some people, but others need more help to deal with a mental health and substance abuse issue. They might find it hard to get sober after a brief intervention, or their sobriety might be continually compromised by the life stresses they don’t yet know how to handle. People like this might benefit from more comprehensive care. Enrolling in a residential program that can handle both mental illness and addiction can provide these people with the space and help they’ll need to heal on a deeper level.

“Today I am a recovering addict with six years clean, writes Kirk C. at Heroes In Recovery, “and I am happy with the way I feel. My life is filled with freedom and joy. I am thankful for my past because, without it, I would not be where I am today. I thank God for working the miracle to change my life around.”

If you or someone you love needs help with a drug problem, Black Bear Lodge is ready to help you turn your life around. We offer a program known as a Dual Diagnosis treatment program. This means Black Bear Lodge is capable of addressing both mental illness and addiction. Our therapists can develop treatment plans that are sensitive to the complicated life histories of people with co-occurring disorders. We even incorporate alternative therapies like exercise and yoga into our customized healing plans. It’s a robust program of help, and we’d like to tell you about it. Please call us at 706-909-9811 to find out more.

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Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders

When a person enrolls in a treatment program for addiction, the counselors and therapists that make up the treatment team might spend a significant amount of time administering tests that measure memory skills, reaction times, stress responses and impulse control.

For people enrolled in care, this assessment process can seem tedious, and they may wonder what in the world they’re expected to prove with each answer they provide. After all, they may feel as though targeting the addiction is the primary goal while talking about brain health seems somehow unimportant. In reality, this assessment is a vital part of the care an addiction treatment program can provide, as each little test measures a person’s mental health.

Deficiencies found here could impact the care a person receives, and ultimately dictate how easily the person might overcome a substance abuse problem.

Common Causes

A person with a substance abuse issue might easily qualify for a diagnosis of mental illness. People who use and abuse addictive substances tweak chemical levels inside the brain on a regular basis, and their moods might be erratic and changeable as a result. People like this might also have little control over their emotions unless they have access to the substances they’re addicted to. It’s reasonable to suggest that these sorts of problems are similar to those experienced by people who have another type of mental illness. But when discussing the intersection of mental health and addiction, experts are typically discussing people who qualify for two diagnoses at the same time.

It’s hard to make generalizations about this type of problem, as there are far too many variables involved. The drugs people take, their family history of mental illness, their physical health and more all might play a role in the development of this kind of issue. The path that people might take to a Dual Diagnosis issue can be similarly variable. Sometimes, a mental health concern sparks so much pain and misery that a person is drawn to drugs in order to drown out the distress. In other cases, the addiction causes a little knot of damage that encourages a mental illness to form.

In general, however, it’s safe to say that people who have two conditions have a more complicated road ahead, should they attempt to get well. Often, they have severe issues when they even consider getting help. In a study in The British Journal of Psychiatry, for example, researchers found that people with a Dual Diagnosis issue often had “complex care needs” that involved suicidal behavior, self-harm or a previous failed attempt at sobriety. They needed help, but their needs were really intense.

Education can be a powerful ally, as people who understand the two conditions they have will be in a better position to fight back. Much of that education takes place in a treatment program, but these are the broad strokes concerning some of the most common conditions that tend to form in combination with substance abuse.

The Link to Depression

A Dual Diagnosis problem can spring to life in response to almost any mental illness, but it’s especially common for addictions and depression to coexist. The chemical changes drugs of abuse can bring about are often responsible for this connection, as these substances tend to hijack the systems the brain uses when communicating pleasure. In time, the brain will only access this system when drugs are present, and even then, the signals might be muted and diminished. As the addiction progresses, the person becomes chemically unable to feel pleasure, even when something wonderful is taking place.

Specific drugs can do yet more damage, making depression even more likely. For example, in a study published in the journal Neuron, researchers found that cocaine damages specific trace chemicals inside the brain of drug-exposed mice, making them more susceptible to both stress and depression. When these mice were placed in situations that put pressure on their emotional control, the craving for drugs was severe, and the overwhelming sensation the mice demonstrated was depression. While human beings have brain cells that are quite advanced when compared to the cells mice carry about in their skulls, studies like this do seem to suggest that chemical damage caused by drugs can lead to unusual emotional responses, with depression playing a major role.

Dealing with Anxiety

People who use drugs might often seem low and depressed, particularly when they don’t have substances on hand to use. They might also seem anxious and upset, unable to focus on anything that doesn’t involve the use and abuse of substances. While this might be a behavioral change related only to a physical need for drugs, people who behave in this way might also have an underlying anxiety disorder.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that people with anxiety issues are two times to three times more likely to have an alcohol abuse or drug abuse problem at some point in life when compared to people who don’t struggle with anxiety. For some, substance abuse begins in a mistaken attempt to keep control over nervous feelings. A bolt of alcohol or a sniff of drugs could make socializing at a party a little easier for people with social anxiety, while people with post-traumatic stress disorder might feel as though substances allow for a deep, dreamless sleep.

Unfortunately, blending anxiety and substance abuse is a terrible idea, as addictive substances often have the ability to make nervousness and worry even worse. Hidden visions that are common with some anxiety disorders might be harder to control when intoxicants are in play, and feelings of helplessness and fear might be difficult to control when portions of the brain are taken offline by drugs.

Personality Disorder Concerns

Living with depression or anxiety can be difficult, but some people with personality disorders move between emotional extremes on a regular basis, without having much control over the shifts they face. Other personality disorders impact the way the person interacts with the outside world, increasing feelings of both isolation and superiority. These are very complicated disorders, and they are sometimes hard to treat, as people who have these concerns often mistrust those who are trying to help. They may act out in therapy sessions, or simply refuse to go at all.

Not surprisingly, drugs can make these conditions much worse. Drugs can become a tool people like this use in order to keep others at a distance, even as the substances force them to experience even more shifts in mood and changes in behavior. The substances can also cause yet more damage to the portions of the brain that are already impaired when this mental illness is in play. Even if people do choose to participate in therapy, they might find that the treatments just don’t help, unless they get sober first.

Triggering Schizophrenia

Some drugs of abuse have even more complicated relationships with mental illness. Hallucinogenic drugs like marijuana, for example, have been linked with latent schizophrenia. Researchers aren’t really sure of what happens inside the brain, but it seems that drugs like this work a little like gasoline on a flame, allowing a latent problem to grow into an uncontrollable issue. The progression isn’t reversible, either, and the damage can be severe.

In a study in the journal Schizophrenia Research, for example, experts found that having schizophrenia in addition to substance use can lead to:

  • Increased episodes of psychosis
  • Violence
  • Homelessness
  • Medical concerns

People like this also tend to be less compliant with the treatment programs their mental health teams put together. They might not take their medications properly, for example, or they might not attend all of their therapy sessions. As a result, they might not get better with time, since they’re not really addressing the issue in a comprehensive manner.

Finding a Solution

There’s no question that having a mental illness in addition to an addiction is serious. Without help, people like this may find it hard to recover at all, as they just have too much to understand and too much to control. It can seem overwhelming, and handling one issue at a time doesn’t seem to help.

Real recovery comes about when people choose to enroll in comprehensive programs that address both problems at the same time. In a Dual Diagnosis program, therapists integrate issues that pertain to both conditions in each therapy they provide. People who have anxiety, for example, might learn how their feelings of fear and tension work as a trigger for drug use, and they might learn how to handle those feelings without leaning on drugs. Those who have depression, on the other hand, might learn more about how drugs trap them in a low mood, and they might find that the grey clouds begin to part with each day they don’t use drugs. The therapies are tailored, but they’re also comprehensive, dealing with both the addiction and the mental illness at the same time. Standard addiction programs might focus exclusively on relapse prevention and impulse control, but these programs do much more. This kind of tailored care is the best way to deal with addiction recovery complicated by mental illness.

If you or someone you love needs help like this, please contact us at Black Bear Lodge at 706-909-9811. We specialize in providing care for people with Dual Diagnosis issues, and all of our programs begin with intense testing and personalized planning. We can help you develop an in-depth understanding of your addiction, and we can help you build up the vital skills you’ll need in order to stay well in the future.

How Are Co-Occurring Disorders Diagnosed?

When an addiction is complicated by the presence of a mental illness, the two conditions are known as co-occurring disorders. It’s a remarkably common occurrence, as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) suggests that about 8.9 million adults have co-occurring disorders. Unfortunately, SAMHSA also suggests that 55.8 percent of these people get no treatment at all for their distress. That’s a shame, as there are a number of excellent options that could really help people who are dealing with these issues.

Why Does It Happen?

Co-occurring disorders are classic chicken-and-egg problems, as it can be remarkably difficult for people to break the issue down into its component parts and understand why people developed both of these very different issues. Sometimes, it seems as though the issues arise spontaneously, due to no outside prompt that the person can name. In reality, however, one issue does seem to appear first, and the other follows later. Schizophrenia provides a good example of this principle.

Of those who have schizophrenia, 88 percent smoke tobacco, according to an article in the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. Many of these people started smoking before they developed symptoms that would characterize schizophrenia, but the act of smoking seems to help them deal with the demands of having this disease. Tobacco seems to provide these people with the opportunity to break away, take deep breaths and calm down. It works as a form of self-medication for them, and as a result, they might be unlikely to even consider a life without cigarettes. For them, the smoking came before the mental illness, but the cigarettes seem to help them deal with the mental illness.

On the flip side, some people who have a family history of schizophrenia may experience their first episode of psychosis while they’re under the influence of marijuana.

Marijuana Works as a Catalyst

Research published in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin suggests that marijuana use causes symptoms of dysfunction in the brain similar to those seen in people who have active schizophrenia, meaning that the drug doesn’t help people to deal with schizophrenia. Instead, the drug can seem to spur the development of the disease. For people like this, marijuana works as a catalyst.

A third group of people might have a long history of sobriety prior to developing schizophrenia but might turn to drugs when the dysfunction is in full swing. People like this might find it hard to sleep, eat or relax when they’re bombarded with difficulties from schizophrenia, and they may find that drinking alcohol makes life just a little easier to handle. They may develop symptoms of alcoholism long after they’ve been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Not everyone who has a mental illness like schizophrenia will develop an addiction like this. In fact, many people develop symptoms of mental illnesses or addictions and never do develop another co-occurring problem.

But the National Alliance on Mental Illness suggests that certain groups are more statistically likely to deal with co-occurring disorders, including:

  • Men
  • Those who live in poverty
  • Veterans
  • Those with existing medical illnesses

Screening and Assessments

People who have co-occurring disorders face intense difficulties that others simply do not face. For example, research released by the Oregon Health Authority suggests that people with co-occurring disorders die at age 45.1, while those who don’t have these issues die at age 76.6.

Save Lives

It’s just incredibly vital for people to get the help they need, so their lives aren’t cut short.

A screening process begins the path to healing. In this process, people are put through a series of tests so that experts can spot and name all of the issues that might be driving a person to the use and abuse of drugs. There are a number of different tests that experts can use in order to spot mental illnesses, and they all work just a little differently, but most require the person to answer a series of questions about what has happened in the past and how the person is feeling right now. The questions aren’t really intrusive, but they can be a little uncomfortable for some people to answer. With the results, experts can provide a firm diagnosis of mental illness and/or addiction, and they can move on to the assessment phase.

Here, experts attempt to develop a timeline that explains the disorders. They might try to determine which problem came first and what else was happening in the person’s life at the time. They might also attempt to determine how disabled the person is by either disorder, and how capable the person might be of participating in meaningful treatment programs. Experts might also attempt to determine just how motivated the person is to change his or her life.

Developing a Plan

It can sometimes be a little difficult to encourage an addicted person to participate in addiction recovery programs, particularly if a mental illness is in play. To the person, the drugs seem to provide an appropriate level of relief for a very real pain syndrome, and the person might not understand why anything should change. If drugs help, the person might be desperate to keep them.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy can help. Here, experts attempt to point out the discrepancy between what the person is saying and how the person is acting. For example, someone with an addiction and a mental illness might believe that the drugs help, but in reality, the drugs might make the person feel yet more disconnected and out of control. In therapy, the counselor asks questions that help to make this discrepancy come to light.

The counselor might ask:

  • Do you feel like you’re in control when you’re high?
  • How do you feel right before you get high?
  • How do you feel when the drug wears off?
  • Do drugs really help, if you feel like you always need them?

At the end of these sessions, clients often come to a deeper understanding of the damage drugs can do and the dysfunction they’re allowing into their lives. With this information, they can learn to really participate in therapy and pull together a happier, healthier life.

Once people agree to participate in therapy, their counselors can begin to pull together targeted, individualized treatment programs. In a Dual Diagnosis program, every therapy that’s provided is designed to address both sets of problems at the same time. People who participate in counseling sessions, for example, might learn techniques that help them to avoid addiction triggers and mental illness triggers. People who use art therapy might make art that represents their experiences with both kinds of disorders. Everything is blended and connected in these programs, and the help can be remarkable.

Support group work can also be valuable for people who have co-occurring disorders, but according to the National Drug Court Institute, some people with these disorders may feel stressed out or attacked when they’re placed in a traditional support group. They may not feel as though they can discuss their concerns openly with complete strangers, or they may find it difficult to listen to others without injecting their own opinions. As a result, some co-occurring disorder programs don’t introduce the 12-Step support group model right away. They might allow people to settle into the idea of healing first, working through some of their concerns privately before they dive into support group work. Some might never get comfortable with the model at all.

A person’s co-occurring disorder treatment program should change as the person changes, meaning that screenings, assessments, and planning should be revisited often, and the work should be tweaked accordingly. That’s the best way to ensure that the person gets the right kind of help at the right time.

At Black Bear Lodge, we specialize in providing help for people with co-occurring disorders. We provide intense screening and assessment at the beginning of the healing process, we provide periodic screening throughout the person’s stay, and we adjust our therapies accordingly. We’d love to help you or someone you love to improve. Please call us at 706-909-9811 and our admissions coordinators can tell you more about what we can do for you.

The Most Common Co-occurring Disorders

Many people who struggle with a drug or alcohol problem do so as a way of coping with depression, stress or other mental health concerns. Others face mental health concerns after drugs or alcohol trigger or worsen symptoms. The term co-occurring disorders is used to describe the overlap between these mental health and substance use issues. Some co-occurring disorders are more common than others.

All co-occurring disorders are cause for concern and immediate treatment.

  • Alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder. Alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder are commonly co-occurring concerns. People with antisocial personality disorder are often impulsive and thrill seeking. They are able to ignore or deny the consequences of their actions. The Mayo Clinic4 lists substance abuse and addiction as common complications related to antisocial personality disorder because of these and other reasons related to the disorder’s symptoms.
  • Marijuana and schizophrenia. When individuals with preexisting mental health concerns use marijuana, serious co-occurring disorders can develop. The American Journal of Psychiatryreports, “Rates of cannabis use disorder as high as 53% have been reported in some studies of patients with first-episode schizophrenic psychosis, and cannabis use has been associated with an earlier age at onset of schizophrenia, an elevated risk of developing psychosis, and a higher relapse rate after remission of acute psychotic symptoms in the first episode.”5 Although marijuana does not cause issues such as schizophrenia, using the drug can trigger or worsen symptoms. Individuals with schizophrenia are also more likely to turn to marijuana and other drugs to self-medicate symptoms.
  • Cocaine and anxiety disorders. Cocaine can produce a wide range of mental illness symptoms. According to Psychology Today,long-term cocaine use leads to, “psychosis, paranoia, depression, anxiety disorders, and delusions.”6 Cocaine can worsen pre-existing anxiety disorders or lead to the development of anxiety symptoms.
  • Opioids and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD involves stress reactions that affect individuals during and long after they experience physical or psychological trauma. These reactions contribute to self-medication and make opioid and other drug abuse more likely. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse explains, “Prescription opioid use problems are a risk factor for co-occurring PTSD symptom severity… Patients with prescription opioid use problems should be carefully evaluated for PTSD symptoms.”7 Drug use may lead to PTSD symptoms, or PTSD symptoms may lead to drug use.

No matter the challenges you face, you are not alone. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that “roughly 50% of people living with a mental health condition also have a problem with substance abuse. This creates a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder.”8 The details of co-occurring disorders change from person to person, but experiencing multiple health challenges doesn’t have to feel isolating or stigmatizing. Understanding, support and professional help are available.

The Relationship Between Mental Health and Addiction

Co-occurring disorders develop for many different reasons. They may have a genetic source, as genes contribute to both addiction development and mental health. However having a genetic predisposition towards addiction does not guarantee that one will develop. The same applies to mental health disorders. One theory that explains why some people develop co-occurring disorders and others do not is the stress-vulnerability model. This model suggests that environmental and biological vulnerabilities work together to lead to the expression of mental health or addiction issues. Biological vulnerabilities include genetic or early-life triggers for health issues. Environmental vulnerabilities include the challenges faced in everyday life such as financial struggles, traumatic experiences or relationship problems. These combine to put individuals at risk for co-occurring disorders.

Other risk factors include the following:

  • Prescription or recreational drug use
  • Lack of social support
  • Lack of positive coping skills
  • Stress

These and other issues combine with genetic and environmental factors to create co-occurring mental health and addiction concerns.

Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders

No matter the cause, co-occurring disorders can be treated. Treating a co-occurring disorder comes with challenges. Integrated treatment can meet these challenges. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration explains, “People with co-occurring disorders are best served through integrated treatment. With integrated treatment, practitioners can address mental and substance use disorders at the same time, often lowering costs and creating better outcomes.”9 Integrated treatment leads to immediate and long-term healing.

It does this by accomplishing the following:

  • Helping patients understand substance abuse and mental health
  • Helping patients recognize the impact of their substance use
  • Involving friends and family in the recovery process
  • Working with patients to establish goals and develop ways to accomplish these goals
  • Connecting patients with job training, life skills training and other services that help them return to normal life
  • Providing specific therapy and counseling for co-occurring disorders

All aspects of co-occurring disorders need specific, coordinated care. Integrated treatment offers this care. With the right treatment, anyone can start on the path back to health and happiness.

Find Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders

Black Bear Lodge offers professional, compassionate treatment for co-occurring disorders. We approach recovery using the integrated treatment model. We offer personalized, in-depth care so that patients can heal physically, mentally and emotionally. Our experienced staff is available any time to answer your questions and help you begin your healing journey. Please reach out today, and learn more.

Treatment Options for Co-occurring Disorders Involving Substance Abuse

Addiction and mental health issues are real, serious diseases. They often overlap and are referred to as co-occurring disorders. People facing these challenges deserve support and understanding. They deserve the real, effective treatment that leads to long-term health.

Are Co-occurring Disorders Normal?

People facing mental health issues often feel isolated or stigmatized. However anyone struggling with substance abuse, mental illness or a combination of the two is anything but alone. Newsweek reports that 1 in 5 Americans, around 4.5 million adults, suffers from mental illness.10 9.3 million adults, nearly 4 percent of the population, faces a serious mental illness that disrupts everyday life.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 21.6 million, or 8.2 percent of the American population over the age of 12, battled substance abuse or dependence in 2013.11

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports “7.9 million people in the U.S. experience both a mental disorder and substance use disorder simultaneously.”12 One-third of all alcohol users and one-half of drug users also struggle with a mental illness. One-third of those battling mental illness also abuse substances and one-half of those with a serious mental illness abuse substances such as drugs or alcohol.

If someone struggles with co-occurring mental health and addiction concerns, they are not alone. They can find hope in stories of others’ recoveries. They can find recovery for themselves through compassionate, integrated treatment.

Treating Co-occurring Disorders

Mental health and addiction issues co-occur for a variety of reasons. Certain genetic or environmental risk factors can trigger both. Some individuals may self-medicate mental health symptoms with drugs or alcohol. Substance abuse can cause mental illness symptoms to appear for the first time. No matter the reason for co-occurring disorders involving substance abuse, treatment exists. However this treatment has to be specialized to be effective

Substance abuse exacerbates mental illness symptoms and may interfere with medications and treatment for mental health disorders. An undiagnosed mental health disorder can disrupt substance abuse or addiction treatment. Regardless of the reason these disorders co-occur, specialized treatment called integrated treatment typically provides the best results. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration supports and approves the use of integrated treatment. It explains, “People with co-occurring disorders are best served through integrated treatment. With integrated treatment, practitioners can address mental and substance use disorders at the same time, often lowering costs and creating better outcomes.”13 Integrated treatment considers both substance abuse and mental health disorders primary concerns. It treats both simultaneously.

What Does Integrated Treatment Involve?

Integrated treatment combines mental health care and substance abuse counseling and care. It begins with a comprehensive screening and assessment. This helps professionals diagnose the mental health and substance abuse issues an individual faces. It helps them create a comprehensive care plan tailored to the individual’s specific circumstances and needs. Assessments will also be provided throughout the treatment process to ensure that specific needs are still being met. The care plan can be modified to address changing recovery needs. Plans may include psychotherapy, group therapy and other forms of family and individual care. They will be followed by support for long-term recovery.

Psychotherapy for Co-occurring Disorders Involving Substance Abuse

Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, is an important aspect of both mental health care and the treatment of a substance abuse disorder. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) addresses emotional and environmental contributors to both mental health symptoms and substance abuse. It also works to modify any and all negative views of the self. It helps patients shift self-destructive behaviors and thoughts into positive ones by teaching practical coping skills and bolstering self-confidence. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry explains that CBT can actually change how the central nervous systems functions. It produces real, tangible changes in mental health and outlook.14

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is another form of psychotherapy related to CBT. DBT focuses on coming to terms with difficult emotions or behaviors. DBT helps individuals find a balance between acceptance and change.

Other Treatment Options for Co-occurring Disorders

Psychotherapy is at the core of most effective treatment programs. However integrated treatment uses more than just one form of care when addressing co-occurring disorders. Exposure therapy may help some individuals facing post-traumatic stress disorder and related issues. Group and individual counseling sessions are a part of both mental health care and substance abuse treatment. Educational opportunities providing insight into both mental illness and substance abuse. Life skills training provides support for long-term success. Family counseling sessions can help repair relationships and provide improved understanding and communication.

Integrated treatment plans may include the use of medications. These are rarely used a first approach to recovery, but they may be important supplemental care for some. They may be needed for mental health management or for relapse prevention. Medications with addictive or habit-forming properties should only be used with extreme care and supervision. An integrated care plan will weigh potential side effects and risks against the benefits of medication-assisted treatment.

Long-Term Treatment for Co-occurring Disorders

Recovery is real and attainable for anyone. The right diagnosis and appropriate integrated care provides immediate healing. Long-term support allows this healing to continue. Integrated treatment programs connect patients to ongoing therapy resources. Support groups and 12-Step programs offer social support and experiential advice. Alumni events encourage continued sobriety.

Finding the Right Treatment for Mental Health and Addiction Issues

Selecting the right integrated treatment provider is the first step toward a healthy recovery. Black Bear Lodge is a premier treatment facility for co-occurring mental health and substance use issues. Our team of medical professionals is trained in the most current and scientifically-based treatment models. We address all aspects of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. We do so in a serene, private and healing location. Call us to learn more about co-occurring disorders involve substance abuse and your options for moving forward.

What Causes What: Substance Abuse and Mental Illness?

Unfortunately, it is all too common for people suffering from mental illness to also suffer from substance abuse, making treatment that much more complex. Dual diagnosis is one of the terms used to describe co-occurring disorders that manifest in the same person often at the same time.

According the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), of those suffering from mental illness, about one-third of them also struggle with substance abuse. The flip side of that indicates that around half of drug abusers and one-third of alcohol abusers also suffer from mental illness. These numbers may actually be much higher as many cases of each disorder go unreported. It can also be difficult to ascertain which comes first, the mental illness or the substance abuse.

Mental Illness Can Lead to Substance Abuse

People suffering from many different mental disorders with varying degrees of severity may turn to substances as a way to self-medicate or to escape the daily struggles their mental illness brings them. More severe symptoms may actually increase the likelihood of someone turning to illicit substances like drugs or alcohol, as well. NAMI reports that about half of those with severe mental illnesses, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for example, abuse substances also.

Substance Abuse May Trigger Mental Illness Symptoms

Conversely, substance abuse can exacerbate underlying mental health disorders and increase symptoms. While substance abuse doesn’t exactly cause a mental health disorder, it can bring one to the surface, increase psychotic episodes, and heighten already existing symptoms. For example, someone who abuses alcohol but also has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder may become further depressed and even suicidal when using alcohol.

Withdrawal symptoms from substance abuse can further increase anxiety and other mental illness symptoms, increasing the urge to continue abusing substances as they may dull or numb the feelings while intoxicated or high. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that those who abuse drugs are more than twice as likely to also suffer from an anxiety or mood disorder.

Co-occurring Risk Factors

One of the other notions to consider is that those who suffer from mental illness as well as those prone to substance abuse may actually have some of the same underlying risk factors.

Some of these factors include:

The debate rages on about nature versus nurture when it comes to substance abusers and certain mental illnesses, with most scientists today agreeing that both play a role. It may be that these disorders so often co-occur since many of the same factors can lead to each.

Treatment

Whether substance abuse may have led to a manifestation of a mental illness or vice versa, getting the right treatment is important. Most experts agree that treating both disorders simultaneously using an integrated treatment model is the most effective method.

Black Bear Lodge is a comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment center specializing in offering the highest level of care for co-occurring disorders. Our highly trained staff members at our tranquil location work to develop a personal and unique plan for each patient, to help combat the intense symptoms of mental illness, and to discover the roots of addiction. Black Bear Lodge strives to treat each person as a whole and individual entity and teaches the tools necessary for a fulfilling life. Call us at 706-909-9811 for more information.

Drug- and Alcohol-Induced Mood Disorders

Drugs and alcohol seem to promise an escape from the frustrations and stress of daily life. When you struggle with co-occurring mood disorders, this promise seems even more appealing. Unfortunately, the truth is that drugs and alcohol cause more problems than they solve. They worsen pre-existing mental health issues. They contribute to anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.

What Is a Mood Disorder?

Mood disorders affect how you think and feel. The Food and Drug Administration defines a mood disorder as, “a prominent and persistent disturbance in mood.”15 This disturbance can lead to a depressed, elevated or irritable mood. A mood disorder induced by outside factors involves, “evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.”15 A mood disorder can also be caused by medications, drugs or alcohol. No matter the cause, a mood disorder is a real, serious mental health concern.

Individuals with mood disorders cannot control their symptoms. They cannot simply “stop” feeling depressed or manic. Their mental health concerns begin to overtake their thoughts and lives. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders explains that all mood disorders are accompanied by “somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function.”16 Mood disorders impact how a person experiences daily life. They influence some choices and take away others. Symptoms can trigger new or continued substance abuse.

Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mood Disorders

Mood disorders and substance abuse often overlap. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains, “Many people who are addicted to drugs are also diagnosed with other mental disorders and vice versa. For example, compared with the general population, people addicted to drugs are roughly twice as likely to suffer from mood and anxiety disorders, with the reverse also true.”17 There are many reasons why this overlap occurs.

Addiction is a mental health issue, so it cannot be ignored or separated from other mental health concerns. Drug abuse can trigger mood disorders. Mood disorders can lead to drug or alcohol use. Substance use and mood disorders also share many risk factors, symptoms and effects. NIDA explains that these concerns involve similar brain regions. Substance abuse issues and mood disorders also share environmental triggers. A person’s past or present may put them at risk for both. Genetics may also lead to a person, “having a greater risk of a second disorder once the first appears.” Individuals may be genetically vulnerable to developing a mood disorder after beginning drug or alcohol abuse.

No matter the reason mood disorders and substance abuse overlap, they can and should be treated. Professional integrated treatment programs help patients address all co-occurring concerns. They help them unravel causes and contributing factors. They help individuals move forward and find freedom from mental health and addiction symptoms.

Treating Drug- and Alcohol-Induced Mood Disorders at Black Bear Lodge

Black Bear Lodge offers the professional, in-depth care you or a loved one needs. You can get treatment for substance use and mental health issues right now. We are here to answer your questions. We are here to support you in your journey towards recovery and wellness. Please reach out at 706-909-9811 today.

Mood Disorders Caused by a General Medical Condition

Mood disorders are conditions that include depressed episodes, manic episodes, or cycles of mania and depression. If you have a medical condition that causes depression, severe anxiety, or mania, then you might receive a diagnosis of “mood disorder caused by a general medical condition” As the name suggests, this is when various physical diseases or conditions create some form of mental health issue.18

There are certain criteria that have to be met before a person receives a diagnosis of mood disorder caused by a general medical condition. As with any form of mood disorder, the symptoms (whether depression or mania) have to cause significant impairment of daily life, job performance, or academic responsibilities.

When mood-disorder depression hits, it lasts for a very long period of time, and you may lose interest in hobbies, friends, or goals. Things may seem hopeless, and you may even have suicidal thoughts. Mania may cause a surge in energy, sometimes with anger, agitation, or euphoria. In either situation, you may experience emotions that feel uncontrollable, relationships may be strained, and you may feel tired from sleeping poorly. These episodes make it very difficult to live normally.

For example, a study conducted at the University of North Carolina found that patients who underwent heart bypass surgery often experienced lingering depression after their surgeries. Twelve years after their surgeries, up to 83 percent of the patient population remained unemployed, and 57 percent of them had sexual problems as a result of depression caused by their heart trouble. This would be a case of mood disorder due to a general medical condition.19

What Medical Conditions Can Cause Mood Disorders?

Almost any severe medical condition can trigger a mood disorder under the right circumstances.20

Some well-known illnesses that can lead to a diagnosis of mood disorder caused by a general medical condition can include:

  • Neurological disorders (Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease)
  • Heart attacks
  • Pancreatic diseases
  • Thyroid problems
  • Cancer
  • Infections
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s colitis and ulcerative colitis)

Sometimes, a physical illness begins at the same time a mood disorder happens to also begin. Other times, a severe physical illness may trigger a mental health disorder that was already about to begin. It is important to take time to work with your doctor and counselor to investigate every possible cause of any type of mood disorder. This may involve completing a round of blood work to see if vitamin levels, dehydration, or malnutrition have caused a change in mood. It may also mean thoroughly reviewing all medications and treatments for side-effects that may have caused an abrupt change in mood. When you are given the diagnosis of a mood disorder caused by a general medical condition, it is very important to take time to be sure that your mood disorder is actually caused by your physical ailment. This will allow you to treat your condition in the best and fastest way possible.

How Can a Mood Disorder Caused by a General Medical Condition Be Treated?

Treating depression that is caused by a general medical condition can involve the administration of standard medications: antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Therapy may also help you cope with life changes related to illness, and supportive groups may put you in touch with other people who understand what you are going through.

Mania or bipolar symptoms that are caused by a medical condition may also be treated the same way that bipolar disorders are treated. These symptoms may also be treated after a closer examination of medications, blood levels, nutrition, and other outside factors. There are many things that may cause mania, and it may take some time to determine the best treatment.

Treatment of a mood disorder that resulted from a general medical condition should also address the underlying medical cause. This may involve continued treatment for the primary medical concern, and it may involve finding second, or even third medical opinions. Psychotherapy is important here as well because it offers a better support system and another person who can help advocate for your wellness.

A medical condition compounded by a mood disorder can make life very difficult, but Black Bear Lodge is here to help you. Please call us today at 706-909-9811 to find out how we can assist you.

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