What if you experienced your worst fear nearly every day of your life – the fear that others will abandon you completely? This fear is so large and intense that it takes over your relationships, your personal goals, your everyday behaviors, your life. This is the reality of borderline personality disorder.

What Are The Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder?

A personality disorder is diagnosed n a person has rigid inflexible patterns of thoughts and behaviors that cause continuous problems in the their life. These patterns are long lasting and difficult to change. in particular, someone with borderline personality disorder has an enormous fear of abandonment. They swing between intense feelings of anger and rage to desperation and anxiety. They also have a tendency toward impulsive aggression, self-injury, and suicide attempts. Anyone in a relationship with such a person will tell you it’s like riding an exhausting emotional roller coaster all the time. Borderline personality disorder is three times more common in women in men.

How Would a Borderline Personality Disorder Addict Look to Family and Friends?

Family and friends would already know their loved on has lots of trouble with unstable relationships. Everything becomes about drama and unpredictability. They would also notice that the symptoms would become worse with alcohol and drug use.

How is Borderline Personality Disorder Treated?

Borderline personality disorder is frequently treated with a combination of antidepressants and regular mental health counseling. The specific style of counseling that is most helpful is called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. This approach helps persona with borderline personality disorder build emotional and social skills. The emphasis is on accepting and adapting to change, accepting things as they are right now.

How Does Borderline Personality disosrder Interact With CDrugs and Alcohol?

Most people with borderline personality disorder use drugs and alcohol to escape the strong emotional pain they feel every day. In their world, there is a constant threat of abandonment and no one can be really trusted. Persons with this disorder often use drugs and alcohol in erratic unpredictable ways. They often abuse strong medication prescribed for their persistent anxiety. Their overuse of medication then becomes its own problem.

What Kind of Drug Treatment is Available for Borderline Personality Disorder?

Treatment for borderline personality disorder and addictions must be sensitive to close ties between borderline symptoms and addictive behavior. Intense anxiety leads to drug and alcohol use, symptoms become worse (especially impulsvity), confrontation about substance abuse leads to panic, which often leads to drug-seeking behavior. There must be strong healthy drug-substitutes put into place, knowing that the borderline symptoms are persistent and predictable.

Dual diagnosis treatment at The Canyon is second to none. Their treatment model covers the difficulties of both addiction and mental health disorders. The professionals at The Canyon use a holistic approach that addresses a person’s physical and emotional needs. Dual diagnosis is The Canyon’s specialty. Read more about The Canyon’s unique approach to drug rehab for individuals with co-occurring disorders on their main website.

Your Issues

We want to know what you’ve been through. Have you been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder? Did you ever use drugs or alcohol to escape your problems? Do you have a loved one with borderline personality disorder that you are concerned about?

Marijuana is one of those drugs that knows no bounds as far as gender, age, class, race, ethnicity or geographical region. A new study done in Canada was done recently to prove that a little bit more concretely, according to Medical News Today. It seems that the Canadian middle class, much like their American counterparts, are consciously choosing to “enhance” their leisure time with marijuana rather than just alcohol.

The Marijuana Use Study

Says MNT, “there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ marijuana user.” They point out that “people of all ages are selectively lighting up the drug as a way to enhance activities ranging from watching television and playing sports to having sex, painting or writing.”

Geraint Osborne is a professor of sociology at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose, and one of the study’s authors. He says, “For some of the participants, marijuana enhanced their ability to relax by taking their minds off daily stresses and pressures. Others found it helpful in focusing on the activity at hand.”

When Drug Use Becomes Drug Abuse

Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? For many, drug addiction starts with occasional drug use to unwind. At the end of stressful day, it’s common for people to turn to drugs and alcohol to relax. For many, it stops there. But for some, this is followed by drug abuse as opposed to drug use, characterized by using despite negative consequences including poor performance at work and an inability to keep up with responsibilities to work in family. Soon drug use is no longer a way to enjoy yourself but the cause of even more problems.

Treating Drug Addiction

If marijuana use is a problem for you or someone you love, you can find marijuana addiction treatment at The Canyon. If you’re ultimately looking for relaxation, there’s no better place to find it than in a healing environment on a private ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Contact us today.

For more information about the study mentioned in this post, check out the University of Alberta website.

There are tons of books written for alcoholics and addicts as they try to understand their disease and how to beat it. But don’t worry. If you love someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, there are plenty of books that are written just for you. Take a look:

A Personal View

When drug and alcohol addiction strikes someone you love, your natural first response is emotional. The only good thing about this situation is that you are not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of others who have and do suffer with the same problem, and a few of them have written books about it. For example, Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff. Interestingly, the son about whom David speaks, Nic Sheff, penned his own book about his struggle with addiction and recovery. You can check that out, as well: Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. Together, the two create a complete picture of a parent-child relationship dealing with one of the toughest trials of all.

Books on Codependency

If you love someone who is actively using, even if your loved one is in recovery, you run the risk of becoming codependent, if you aren’t already. Get some spiritual guidance in this touchy area from Melody Beattie in her book, Codependent No More: How To Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself. According to Powells.com, “Containing real-life examples, personal reflections, exercises and self-tests, this work recalls the history of “Codependent No More”, and points the way for how to take care of yourself, and what to do to start feeling better.”

Beattie has written a number of other books on the subject as well, including Beyond Codependency: And Getting Better All the Time, Codependents’ Guide to the Twelve Steps, and The Language of Letting Go.

Guidance for Families in Addiction
No More Letting Go: The Spirituality of Taking Action Against Alcoholism and Drug Addiction by Debra Jay is a new approach to dealing with addiction in the family that is the opposite of “tough love.” Says the Amazon.com site: “Detachment” has been the standard message of most addiction literature for the last twenty years. The conventional wisdom offered to an addict’s loved ones has been to let the addict “hit bottom” before intervening. Now intervention specialist Debra Jay challenges this belief and offers a bold new approach to treating addiction that provides a practical and spiritual lifeline to families struggling with alcohol or drug abuse.

From a more psychological perspective comes It’s Not Okay to Be a Cannibal: How to Keep Addiction from Eating Your Family Alive by Andrew T. Wainwright and Robert Poznanovich. Written by two professional interventionists, Amazon.com describes the book well: “With compelling case histories and real-life scenarios, the authors set forth a practical course of action for families to break free from the grip of addiction, a process that culminates with an intervention for the addict. The process liberates and forever changes the family.”

Drug Addiction Reference

Found a pill and don’t know what it is? Think some of that slang that your teen is throwing around is drug-related? Then check out Dangerous Drugs: An Easy-To-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals (Hazelden Guidebook) by Carol Falkowski. According to Powells.com, “Dangerous Drugs is an easy-to-use reference for parents and professionals. It includes the latest information on the newest drugs to hit the nation–and who’s abusing them. Written for parents, teachers, counselors, and other professionals, this is an up-to-the-minute, comprehensive guide covering all current drugs of abuse.”

What books do you recommend to those who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in their family?

Take some action while you’re going through your recovery or while your contemplating detox. For books that look at addiction and recovery with a focus on the psychology of our choices, check out:

* Why Good People Do Bad Things: Understanding Our Darker Selves by James Hollis
* The Self Psychology of Addiction and Its Treatment: Narcissus in Wonderland by Richard B Ulman and Harry Paul
* Treatment of Alcoholism and Other Addictions: A Self-Psychology Approach by Jerome D. Levin
* The Addictive Personality: Understanding the Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior by Craig Nakken

Drug Addiction Recovery Workbooks

For books that are interactive in nature, the kind that you can turn to for guidance in those moments when you need spiritual help rather than clinical instruction, turn to:

* Soul to Soul Meditations: Daily Reflections for Spiritual Growth by Gary Zukav
* Addiction & Recovery for Dummies by Brian F., PhD Shaw, Paul, PhD Ritvo, Jane, D.Phil Irvine
* The Addiction Workbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Quitting Alcohol and Drugs (New Harbinger Workbooks) by Patrick Fanning and John Terence O’Neill
* Willpower’s Not Enough: Recovering from Addictions of Every Kind by Arnold M. Washton
* The Recovery Book by Arlene Eisenberg, Howard Eisenberg and Al J. Mooney

History of Drugs of Addiction

If you’re an addict, one of your favorite topics is going to be drugs, whether or not you’re in recovery. It’s a hard habit to break and addicts aren’t alone in this. The history and evolution of drug production are a constant source of interest to addicts, alcoholics, and “norms” across the board. These are some of the best books I’ve seen on the subject:

* On Speed: The Many Lives of Amphetamine by Nicolas Rasmussen
* Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse by Paul Gahlinger
* Altering American Consciousness: The History of Alcohol and Drug Use in the United States, 1800-2000 by Sarah W. Tracy and Caroline Jean Acker

Autobiographical Books About Drug Addiction

The personal stories of those who have been through addiction and recovery are inspiring and uplifting when you’re in or contemplating getting treatment for your drug and alcohol addiction. You get to laugh at the comedic moments and experience the ups and downs of addiction and recovery vicariously, whether or not you identify with the author. There’s a lot to learn from other people. The following is a good place to start:

* Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff
* Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
* Dry: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs

* More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction by Elizabeth Wurtzel
* Leaving Dirty Jersey: A Crystal Meth Memoir by James Salant
* The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx
* How to Stop Time: Heroin from A to Z by Ann Marlowe
* A Small Journal of Heroin Addiction by Robin Marchesi

Fiction With Drug Addiction as the Major Theme

Want to disappear into a fiction world and watch other people destroy their lives with drugs and alcohol? It’s a great way to validate your choice to enter recovery. Check out:

* Crank by Ellen Hopkins
* Glass by Ellen Hopkins
* Smack by Melvin Burgess
* Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction by Luke Davies
* Beauty Queen by Linda Glovach

Are there any books on drug addiction and recovery you recommend?

The stigma of either a drug addiction or a mental disorder is difficult enough. Having both can make a person want to hide their face in town. Famous people have had to deal with their dual diagnoses in public, which would be unthinkable for most folks. However famous (or unfamous) you are, it can be hard to get around the stigma of addiction and mental illness together.

Stigma is some kind of trait or characteristic that causes a person to be rejected or shamed by the masses. Unfortunately, stigma is also closely related stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. All of these social phenomena are based more on beliefs and values than actual fact. Society resists open-minded thoughts and discussions about addiction and mental illness. Mentally ill addicts magnify their own (repeat source) self-stigma by assuming no one would help them anyway.

Prevalence of Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis is much more common than people may think. According to Foundation Associates, “Up to 65.5 percent of people with a substance dependence disorder had at least one mental disorder and 51 percent of people with a mental disorder had at least one substance abuse disorder.”

Many people with dual diagnoses never get treatment for a variety of reasons. The stigma can make it difficult to ask for help. The stigma can make it difficult for communities to talk about problems and solutions for mentally ill addicts.

How to Beat the Stigma

Fame has been doing one thing for addiction and mental illness. It has put real names and faces to the labels “addict,” “bipolar,” “alcoholic,” and so on. Celebrities’ substance and mental disorders have at the very least made it easier to spark conversations these problems. And when a celebrity actually comes forward to speak honestly about their struggles, fame and pain can come together in an educational stigma-breaking sort of way. I’m not saying that celebrities often look for opportunities like this, but it can happen. Some good recent examples of this:

• Carrie Fisher has a book about her struggles with bipolar and drugs.
• Brooke Shields came forward about her postpartum depression.
• Jane Pauley will be attending this years NAMI convention, also discussing her book about her bipolar experiences.

Read up on mental illness and addiction yourself. When the gossip mags blurt out how Britney Spears has bipolar or a drug addiction, look it up at a reputable source like NAMI or The Canyon. Is it what you thought it was? Do you know someone who fits these criteria that might actually need your help? Are you suffering from drug abuse or mental illness symptoms but haven’t reached out because of stigma?

If you find yourself in the definitions of “drug abuse”, “alcoholism”, or “mental disorder,” find one person you trust to tell your story. Many mental disorder and drug abuse symptoms mess with your judgment and your logic, causing you to think no one would want to help a “loser” or “junkie” like you. If you are suffering in silence, things will only get worse. You may not be able to afford to wait until someone rescues you. Find someone you know, or contact The Canyon to speak to someone will listen and extend help to you.

Who’s Fighting the Fight Against Dual Diagnosis Stigma

Fortunately, people with mental disorders and drug addictions have some pretty large and loud advocates in their corner. The common person doesn’t have to fight the stigma all alone. Here are some great resources for stigma busters you can learn about and even do yourself.

Foundation Associates Outreach and Advocacy
Foundation Associates Anti-Stigma Campaign
NAMI Stigma Busters
National Mental Health Awareness Campaign
You Tube – Mental Illness Stigma Project

Your Comments

What do you think about the stigma of mental illness and addiction, especially when they occur together? Have you had a dual diagnosis and experienced the stigma first-hand? What conversations have you heard others having about these issues?

photo credit: Dawn Ashley
Addiction and PTSD a Frightening Mix

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is like living an endless nightmare. You can feel like the horror is happening all over again, but it’s worse because it just keeps coming. You just want it all to go away, but you feel you have no control.

What are PTSD Symptoms?

PTSD can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed something shocking, gruesome, life-threatening, or disastrous. This could be a natural disaster, a devastating car accident, witnessing someone being killed or severely injured, war, etc.

Symptoms are usually grouped in three main categories:

Re-experiencing – flashbacks, feeling similar emotions and sensations as if the trauma were occurring again right at that moment
Avoidance -not wanting to talk about the trauma, go near the scene, speak to those involved with the traumatic experience
Arousal- sleep problems, anger, hyper-vigilance, overactive startle response

Persistence of these symptoms for more than a month determines a diagnosis of PTSD. For more specific information about this diagnosis, check out this helpful website – ptsdsupport.net.

Prevalence of a PTSD Dual Diagnosis

About half of the men and women in the US will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime, but only 20-30% of them will develop PTSD from it. Alarmingly, most men with PTSD also develop an alcohol or drug problem that was not present before the trauma. About half of the women who develop PTSD will do the same.

How is PTSD Treated?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used to teach people how to cope with their symptoms better. It is also used in the form of “exposure” techniques where the person is gradually exposed to the triggers for anxiety and fear. This slow exposure is paired with consistent use of coping skills to decrease the anxious reaction to the triggers. This is done to bring the symptoms down to a more manageable level that doesn’t interfere with daily life, relationships, work, etc.

Going through detox with PTSD can be pretty tough. The withdrawal process often heightens a person’s anxiety levels, which is just the opposite of what a PTSD sufferer wants. Extra care and support must be given to someone with PTSD going through this process. Anti-depressants are sometimes used to help with the symptoms.

How Does PTSD Interact with Drugs and Alcohol?

It’s not hard to see why someone with traumatic anxiety and repetitive nightmares would turn to drugs and alcohol. It may seem like a way to drown their awareness of their horrible thoughts and feelings. However, the use of drugs and alcohol actually worsens PTSD symptoms over time.

What Treatment Options and Support are Available for PTSD and Addiction?

The Canyon is a wise option for someone seeking treatment for PTSD and addiction. Not only do they manage the full range of detox and addiction treatment programs, but the staff is highly trained to help a person with trauma experiences. Treatment plans are tailored for each person depending on their needs.

The internet and community support networks also offer terrific support for PTSD no matter where you live. Gift From Within is a website that gathers information on trauma support groups around the United States and the world. Look around the site – it has more than it appears at first. One creative method of social connection is an Email Support Pal Group. Also, this is an long thread on SoberCircle about PTSD and addiction. It shares some personal experiences and some good coping suggestions.

Your Input

PTSD can be frightening and life-changing. Did you ever turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain? What ways have you learned to cope with PTSD in healthier ways?

There’s nothing glamorous about drug use, as most of us realize eventually. You may have heard stories about famous people who use drugs to party or get through life, but many of them end up on a slab in the morgue.

Still not convinced?

Check out this list of actors and actresses who died of drug overdoses.

1. Marilyn Monroe – Her death, due to an overdose of sleeping pills, was ruled as a “possible” suicide.
2. John Belushi – Died in 1982 after injecting a speedball – a mixture of cocaine and heroin.
3. River Phoenix – Died of a heroin overdose while in the presence of his younger brother Joaquim in front of the trendy Viper Room.
4. Heath Ledger – Died of an accidental prescription pill overdose.
5. Christopher Pettiet – You know him as Zach the budding chef in “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead”. He died of an accidental overdose in 2000.
6. Mary Anissa Jones – Better known as Buffy from “Family Affair”. Drugs found in her system at the time of her death include Seconal, PCP, methaqualone and cocaine.
7. Lani O’Grady – You remember her as the brainy and practical Mary on “Eight is Enough”, Lani died in 2001 at the age of 46 of “drug intoxication.” Found in her system at the time of her death were Vicodin and Prozac.
8. Chris Farley – Overdosed in 1997 after taking a speedball.
9. Judy Garland – Died in 1969 of an overdose of barbiturates.
10. Anna Nicole Smith – Died in 2007 of “combined drug intoxication.”
11. Elvis Presley – Found dead in his bathroom in 1977 after overdosing on prescription drugs.
12. Rodney Harvey – On the verge of being taken very seriously as an actor, Harvey died of a heroin overdose in 1998.
13. Nick Adams – Died of a drug overdose in 1968.
14. Nick Cantor – The Dirty Dancing actor died after injecting a shot of pure heroin in 1991. He was
15. Montgomery Clift – Died in 1966 at the age of 45 – the combined effects of drugs and alcohol.
16. Dorothy Dandridge – Died at age 46 of an antidepressant overdose.
17. W.C. Fields – Died as the result of a shot liver due to excessive alcohol abuse.
18. Robert Pastorelli – The Murphy Brown actor died of a drug overdose in 2004 at the age of 50.
19. Dana Plato – Died of a drug overdose in 1999 after taking Vicodin and Vanadam.
20. Edie Sedgwick – Died in 1971 after mixing alcohol and barbiturates.
21. Brad Renfro – Died of a heroin overdose in 2008.

If only they had sought out help earlier.

Can you think of any we have missed? Please add your suggestions in the comments …