Dual Diagnosis

Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you picture a person who is addicted to drugs? Even if you’ve heard about the opioid crisis, we’re willing to bet that you imagined a twitchy teen or a drunk twenty-something.

What would you do if one day you started hearing voices in your head?

Would you seek emergency care for schizophrenia, only to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital that offered little more than coloring books in the way of mental health care?

“I was, in general, terrified of other people; I used drugs for emotional protection and social comfort.”

So writes Maia Szalavitz in her book Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction, which interweaves her personal addiction account with science and research supporting the idea of addiction as a learning disorder, and why tough love doesn't work with drug addicts.

For individuals in the early stages of addiction treatment, depression symptoms are common due to a lack of dopamine. Dopamine is a pleasure chemical that the brain creates in order for you to repeat certain actions and be happy.

If you could just stop drinking, you would’ve by now. So, why don’t people understand that you quitting is difficult? More importantly, what can you do to overcome your alcohol dependence? The answer is simple. You need more than just willpower, you need professional help.

The connection between trauma and the potential for developing addictions in your lifetime is greater than experts previously believed. But understanding what this means can be difficult for individuals. In fact, it’s even difficult for experts. However, the majority of authorities in the behavioral health field agree on a workable trauma definition.

Have you ever felt hopeless and powerless in the face of your anxiety? Have you ever found yourself wishing that you could just feel better for good ... while simultaneously believing that recovering from anxiety isn’t a possibility?

You have heard of the 12 Steps. However, do you know about the substance abuse treatment that uses 21 principles instead of 12 steps? Many people struggling with deep-rooted addiction issues swear by this method. How does it work?

One of the most pervasive myths about mental and emotional trauma is that it is only “allowed” in the wake of major abuse or violence.

While physical and sexual abuse are certainly traumatic - and frighteningly common - they’re not the only requirements for trauma.

You’re struggling with an addiction. The person who lives with you can choose to worsen your condition or contribute to your desire for treatment. How is codependency addiction's best friend? If your loved one decides to support your drug habit, that’s a learned behavior, which mental health professionals call codependency.