Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment

Alcoholism and metal health researchers have known for quite some time that alcoholism and depression tend to occur together and that both disorders may run in families. Indeed, a family history of either alcoholism or depression puts an individual at increased risk for developing either illness.

Important Facts about Alcohol Abuse and Depression
The following list represents some key facts that researchers have uncovered regarding the relationship between alcoholism and depression:

• Alcoholism and depression are frequently associated, leading to a high potential for alcohol-antidepressant interactions.
• The use of alcohol and drugs can complicate the diagnosis and treatment of depression.
• Most people with depression do not seek dual diagnosis treatment, although the great majority of individuals, even those whose depression is extremely severe, can be helped with professional dual diagnosis treatment.
• Frequently, the reasons for depression are not clear. That is, there may not be just one “cause,” but a variety of contributing factors that accumulate over time and make people feel defeated, helpless, demoralized, hopeless, and depressed.
• Alcohol triggers depressive symptoms, increasing both their frequency and severity.
• Psychotherapy alone is not recommended as the only treatment for severe depression or for bipolar (manic-depressive) illness.

Alcoholism and Depression: Dual Diagnosis Help

Mental heath researchers have discovered the fact that some of the dynamics that are involved in producing the symptoms of reduced appetite, poor sleep, low mood, and anxiety that are characteristic of depression are also affected by alcohol. The following represents some of the major facts about the symptoms of alcoholism and depression:

• Among alcoholics entering alcohol treatment, approximately two-thirds of them have symptoms that resemble anxiety disorders.
• Approximately 5 to 10 per cent of individuals with depression also have symptoms of alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
• Since symptoms of depression are likely to develop during the course of alcoholism, some patients with mood disorders may increase their drinking when undergoing a mood change, fulfilling criteria for secondary alcoholism.
• The symptoms of depression in alcoholics are significantly reduced after three to four weeks of sobriety.
• If a drinker has never experienced alcohol problems, he or she will tend to not have symptoms of depression.
• Since symptoms of depression associated with alcohol are the most sever when a person first stops drinking, recovering alcoholics with a history of depression should be carefully monitored during the entire alcohol withdrawal process and especially during its early stages.
• The strongest relationship between alcoholism and severe anxiety takes place in the context of alcohol withdrawal.
• Up to 40 per cent of individuals who drink excessively have symptoms that resemble depression.
• When depressive symptoms are secondary to alcoholism, they are likely to disappear within a few days or weeks of abstinence, as the alcohol withdrawal symptoms decrease.

Alcoholism Treatment Centers and Depression Treatment

Regrettably, many individuals, including health practitioners, tend to perceive alcoholism and depression as separate problems when in fact they are associated with one another. Consequently, the positive relation between alcohol abuse or alcoholism and depression argues strongly for a comprehensive approach to treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment.

This means not only paying close attention to the “drinking problem” but also taking into consideration the treatment of depression - which can require anti-depressant medications or psychotherapy. It almost goes without saying that this type of extensive dual diagnosis treatment approach will help ensure a more appropriate and effective outcome for the patient.

According to many researchers and mental health practitioners the clinical assessment of current and past alcohol abuse and alcohol-related disorders should be established as a routine part of all medical or psychiatric evaluations.

Moreover, all depressed patients should be frequently asked about their alcohol and drug use throughout the course of their dual diagnosis treatment and advised to abstain from drug and alcohol abuse. In sum, when alcoholism or alcohol abuse occurs with depression, both the substance abuse and the mood disorder require immediate and professional treatment. This is referred to as dual diagnosis treatment.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, August 12th, 2007 at 1:24 pm and is filed under Dual Diagnosis Drug Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.