Dual Diagnosis

It’s a familiar but frightening story: something terrible happens early on in your life, and before you know it, you find yourself doing increasingly awful things to your body. It’s the only way you know how to cope.

Sure, you know better than to drink to excess or to take that many pills. Of course you wish that you could stop. On the rational level, it’s easy to see the folly of substance abuse and addiction.

But what really caused this? What is the connection between trauma and addiction?

Are drugs really the issue when it comes to addiction, or does the root cause go much deeper?

If you’re struggling with addiction, is there a need to take a look at your childhood experiences, and how they might contribute to your substance abuse in adulthood?

Does the term “toxic relationships” ring uncomfortably true for you? Have you ever found yourself browsing through a library or bookstore and gravitating toward the titles about healing addiction and relationships?

Many people struggle to understand - much less improve - the dynamics of their most difficult relationships.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Marie Miguel of BetterHelp.

Bipolar disorder is one of the most debilitating mood disorders and is considered a form of depression. This is one of the most common mental health disorders in the world affecting more than 20 million adults in the United States every year. If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or depression, you know what it means to go through the ups and downs of this disorder.

Have you ever been in a toxic relationship? Many of us have. How do we know enough is enough? And how are toxic relationships related to addiction?

What happens when your addiction rehab just doesn't work?

“I [did both] a 12 step program and an aversion therapy program. Both, ultimately did not work for me …. It seemed like the most important thing to them was if your insurance covered you and your check would clear.”

Do you need to hang your head in shame because of the choices you made in the past, when you were in mental and emotional pain and didn’t know any other way?

Does being completely responsible for your experiences mean that every bad thing that happened to you is your fault?

"Anger is the only healthy response to injustice." — Dr Martha Beck

Trauma and addiction are linked. Many people suffering from substance abuse or even depression have some underlying trauma that has not been resolved.

This is a topic with a lot of myths and misconceptions swirling around, so we’re going to shed some light on the painful places.

“My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress.”

So said Oprah Winfrey, media mogul, producer, and philanthropist. Oprah’s candid words highlight the link between food and drug abuse, capturing the addictive struggle that millions of Americans face daily.

Thanks to decades of research, we have a stronger understanding of the neuroscience of addiction.