Do you know of anyone who has been successfully treated for dual-diagnosis?

Question

(If you have to ask what dual-diagnosis is, chances are you shouldn't attempt to answer this question. Dual-Diagnosis IS the name of the condition itself.)

Do you know of anyone who has been successfully treated for dual-diagnosis? What was this person like before the dual-diagnosis was made, eg, relapses, jail time, etc.??? Did the dual-diagnosis make recovery better/easier versus treating only the addiction?

Answer 1

Dual-diagnosis makes recovery a greater challenge but it is not impossible. I know about ten people who are involved in AA in my town who have dual-diagnosis. Dual diagnosis usually require more mental health services than most addicts and it can help.

There are good medications available. As for what were like b/4 diganosis was made, they were anxious, depressed, distracted and high, drunk, or stoned. Some were in jail. Most of them had alienated themselves from their families with their extreme behaviors.

Answer 2

Well, to answer your question, no, I haven't personally known anyone who has been successfully treated for dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis is tricky in a lot of ways. First off, a lot of mental-health professionals have differing views on whether a patient with mental problems, as well as addictions need dual diagnosis treatment. Some of them (a few I spoke to) think it's better to treat one before the other. Usually, they opt to treat the addiction first. Personally speaking, I think that's a crock. Most addictions stem from mental health issues, and most mental health issues lead to drug abuse. In my humble opinion, there is no way to solve the whole with only a half approach. I couldn't find a good dual diagnostic doctor, so what i"m doing now is sort of "making my own" dual diagnosis treatment. I go to a psychiatrist for my depression and I also see an addiction specialist for my addictions. The two docs know I see them both and they even touch base on my progress from time to time.
Sorry I couldn't answer your question in terms of knowing someone who has benefitted from it, but just throught I'd throw in my two cents anyway. Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

My father-in-law suffers from Bipolar disorder and is a recovering alcoholic and drug abuser. I don't believe he ever went to jail, but I know that during the time he worked in Hollywood he was pretty out of control. He Bipolar was not being taken care of, he was constantly drinking and doing cocaine. I think it was an intervention that sent him to a rehab facility where he started getting the help he needed. I didn't meet him back then, I've just heard stories of it. But I can tell you that he now lives a normal life. His Bipolar is being treated successfully and he attends AA meetings every week. He is very self-aware of his issues and, although I know he's relapsed a couple of times, he does try hard to stay healthy. I personally think that treating both the mental illness and the addiction together would made the recovery better, but that's just my opinion. I believe that when my father-in-law was in rehab this is what they did.

Answer 4

Yes, I have a friend who is diagnosed with depression and she also was addicted to pills. She is doing much better with cognitive therapy for the depression and N/A for the pills.
Before treatment she was barely functioning and now she is doing much better. She has had one depression relapse and no addiction relapses.

Answer 5

"Dual Diagnosis" refers to those who have been diagnosed with major mental health disorders and alcohol or substance addictions at the same time.

Answer 6

QUOTE FROM ENCYCLOPEDIA...
"Dual Diagnosis" refers to those who have been diagnosed with major mental health disorders and alcohol or substance addictions at the same time.
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Not many people will be able to help you as this is many conditions you are talking about. You haven't specified what major mental illness with either drug addition or whether it's with alcohol. There are many major mental illnesses and these illnesses are all different and require different medication with each having a different response and prognosis.

Answer 7

Yes, I have been healed from many problems. I went to a very experienced doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She was able to revive areas of my body that had been affected by all the partying and by all the emotions from things I'd been through that I didn't want to face. Her treatment included acupuncture and herbs. It made me feel so relaxed and peaceful that I could quickly see situations that were not good for me. When energy surges into the prefrontal cortex, people feel safe. When I feel safe, I am drawn to situations where I will be safe. After going to acupuncture, I felt so good that I didn't need to do the things I used to do to try to feel good. When I did do them after awhile, they actually began to make me feel worse -- more lost and confused -- because acupuncture had made me feel so good. It is amazing. It is enlightening. Before acupuncture I was in dangerous situations around people that I began to get away from as soon as I'd gone to acupuncture.

Pharmaceuticals did not help me. They made me worse. You can read about the problems with them at www.breggin.com. It is said that Western medicine looks at things from the outside. It works quickly to treat symptoms, so you feel better. Chinese medicine looks at things from the inside. It heals the problem from the root, so it takes longer.

My doctor doesn't even tell me about diagnoses. She just says things that put my mind on a positive path where I want to go.