Internet Addicts don’t steal to pay for their habits. They don’t lock themselves in bathrooms and shove needles up their arms or snort things through their noses. Their addictions don’t cause car accidents or impair their judgment or ability to make decisions, but that doesn’t mean an Internet addiction isn’t dangerous.

Internet addictions have broken up marriages and strained friendships. They’ve torn apart families and gotten in the way of school and work. Because an Internet addiction isn’t seen as life-threatening as drug addiction, it’s a lot more acceptable. Because it’s legal doesn’t mean we should be any less aware of what can happen if we spend all our time online.

The Internet vs. The Real World

The Internet is attractive to so many people because it offers something we don’t have in the real world, anonymity. People who are shy or have trouble speaking to others can have intense discussions online. People who feel they’re unattractive or unpopular can have many online friends. In fact, there’s really no need to leave the house anymore. Now that we can shop, chat, play, date, even have sex online. One can see how easy it is for someone to get hooked.

Signs of Internet Addiction

There are those who spend a lot of time on the Internet and there are those who are just plain addicted. People who spend too much time online, might have trouble tearing themselves away from their computer screens, but people who are addicted can’t seem to do so at all. Here are some signs of Internet Addiction:

• Spending hours online without a break.
• Preferring to spend time with a computer over friends and family.
• Lying about the amount of time spent online.
• Hiding what you do online.
• Checking email several times an hour.
• Family complains about the amount of time spent online.
• Thoughts are always on the Internet – even when offline.
• Logging on while at work or school instead of working or studying.
• The first thing an addict does when family leaves the house is log on.

Internet Addiction Defense

In July 2007, a Nevada couple was charged with child neglect after their Internet gaming addiction kept them from caring for their two children aged 11 and 22 months. The couple claimed they spent so much time online, their kids where left to “fend for themselves.” The children were underweight, malnourished, dehydrated, suffered from infections and filthy. One child had cat urine in her hair. The couple was unemployed and used a $50,000 inheritance to support themselves and pay for equipment. The couple pleaded guilty to two counts of child neglect which can land them each a dozen years in jail. (Source: bloggernews)

In 2000, a teen who vowed to “finish what Columbine started” blamed his threats on his Internet addiction. 18 year old Michael Ian Campbell sent the threatening note to a sophomore at Columbine High School. The school ended up closing down for a couple of days as a result. Campbell was sentenced to four months in prison. (Source: nytimes.com)

Crimes & Other Addictions Attributed to Internet Addiction

Many Internet addicts are also addicted to:

• Online gambling – Some online addicts turn to robbery to support and pay off gambling debts.
• Pedophilia – With child pornography available online, more cases of pedophilia and predators searching for children to have sex with are surfacing.
• Identity theft – Hackers break into online databases and steal personal information.
• Cyber Harassment, Stalking and Bullying – The anonymity of the Internet allows many individuals to be bolder than they would in real life. Thus, cyber bullies are becoming more prevalent as is stalking and bullying others online.

Statistics and Studies

The Washington Post listed some interesting statistics:

• About 6% of surveyed individuals responded, “their relationships suffered as a result of excessive Internet use.”
• About 9% attempted to conceal “nonessential Internet use.”
• Nearly 4% reported feeling “preoccupied by the Internet when offline.”
• About 8% said they used the Internet as a way to escape problems
• Almost 14% reported they “found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time.”

A 2006 telephone-based Stanford University Study revealed one in eight individuals displayed at least one “problematic” sign of excessive Internet use. Elias Aboujaoude, a clinical Assistant Psycholology and Behavioral Sciences Professor at Stanford’s Impulse Control Disorders Clinic likens these problematic behaviors such as the constant need to check email or visit online forums and chat rooms as being similar to the cravings drug addicts experience.

Some statistics from the Stanford University study:

• 13.7 percent of those interviewed found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time
• 12.4 percent stayed online longer than intended very often or often
• 12.3 percent had seen a need to cut back on Internet use at some point
• 8.7 percent attempted to conceal non-essential Internet use from family, friends and employers
• 8.2 percent used the Internet as a way to escape problems or relieve negative mood
• 5.9 percent felt their relationships suffered as a result of excessive Internet use

Treatment:

So other than shutting down forever, how does one treat an Internet addiction? In China online addicts are put behind bars and given shock treatments to ensure they don’t abuse their access. In the German town of Boltenhagen there is actually a camp geared towards weaning kids from the Internet. These are rather drastic and there are more recommended recourses:

Most treatment involves therapy, including getting to the root of the addiction. What does the addict do when online? Socialize? Gamble? Shop? If so, the treatment might not necessarily be to control Internet use but work on socialization skills or addictions to shopping, gambling or sex. In fact, many argue the addiction isn’t to the Internet itself but what one does when one is online.

Other therapy relies on motivation. What will motivate the user to spend less time online? Since most people can’t function at work, or even at home without at a computer, the key is moderation rather than abstinence.

Conclusion

If you find you’re online more than off, that your real-world relationships are sacrificed to cyber friends you’ve never met, and you can’t stay away from your computer … you may be addicted to the Internet.

Because Internet addiction doesn’t impair one’s ability to judge and think clearly like drugs, it’s a more socially acceptable addiction. Plus, many who spend large blocks of time online refuse to believe there’s such a thing as Internet addiction, anyway.

If the time you spend online is straining relationships in the real world and getting in the way or school or work, do seek help or at least make an attempt to spend less time online. As many things as there are to do online, there are more in the real world. Get out and explore.

photo credit: Daquella manera

Change is society can be slow, especially for something that has so many unknowns. The mainstream practice for dual diagnosis treatment used to be treat the addiction then treat the mental disorder. Now researchers and professional are realizing that there is a much better way – dual diagnosis treatment that helps both problems at once.

Which Came First Mental Illness or Addiction

Occasionally the dual diagnosis “chicken and the egg” question arises. Which came first for this person – the mental illness or the addiction? And for that matter, which one usually comes first in the dual diagnosis population? Sometimes it turns out you are asking the wrong question from the beginning.

Researchers have found that in most cases, the mental illness has developed before the addiction. The debate has gone on for years, but this focus has taken the mental health and addiction community off track. The point is really this – worrying which came first masks the fact that the interaction of the diagnoses is what really matters. The person with these problems is only concerned that their life is going downhill and they need the best treatment the mental health and addiction community can offer.

Separation of Mental Illness and Addiction in Treatment

Until recently, most professionals kept addiction and mental health treatment fairly separated. The conventional wisdom had been to get the person stable in their sobriety before really addressing any mental health diagnoses. It was thought that you couldn’t effectively treat the mental illness if the addiction was still “getting in the way,” so to speak. However, this process has misinterpreted the basic way co-occurring disorders work. Again, it is the interaction that dual diagnosis recovery needs to focus on.

When one diagnosis gets the focus and the other is left aside, the person isn’t getting the whole problem addressed. It’s like finding two different infections on a person’s two hands, but waiting until the left hand gets better before treating the right one. In the meantime, the infection in the right hand just continues to get worse!

Misdiagnosis and Under-Diagnosis of Co-Occurring Disorders

Also, it’s important that genuine dual disorders are not seen as one major disorder with a small side-problem – like a depressed person what has a few too many drinks after work (alcoholic), or a drug addict with an occasional anger and aggression problem (probably some form of depression in disguise).

It is certainly possible for a major disorder to occur with some minor disturbances on the side, it is absolutely essential that a well-trained professional make sure significant problems aren’t getting the brush-off. The Canyon takes accurate dual diagnosis assessment quite seriously. The staff is highly trained in the complexities of dual diagnosis treatment and assessment.

Your Experience

Have you ever been treated for your dual diagnoses separately? What was your experience like? How do you think that affected your overall recovery? We here at the Canyon very much appreciate you sharing your stories and with us. It helps us to make your dual diagnosis treatment experience the best possible.

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?

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?

( photo credit: rfmphotography)

Uncovering a dual diagnosis can be a challenge. There are so many different patterns and levels of use associated with addictions and mental health. Some of the symptoms or problem from addiction can look like symptoms of a separate mental health diagnosis.

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

Here is an example to consider: a person who regularly binges on alcohol may alienate themselves from their friends. This person may then report increased loneliness and despair, showing a great deal of sadness because of their social loss. This can look like a depressed person who has isolated themselves because of the nature of depression symptoms (increased sadness, negativity, being snappy at others, etc). The root cause of each person’s sadness is different, but the outward appearance is similar.

It takes a skilled therapist to sort out the details of symptoms that seem to overlap. It may also take some time to fully understand whether a person has a dual diagnosis. History of mental illness in the family can be a good indicator, but it does not always manifest itself in every family member.

For some diagnoses, it may be easier to tell right away. For example, clearly defined panic attacks or psychotic episodes that do not seem directly associated with patterns of substance use can present a more clear picture. Also, if it seems a mental illness had begun before substance use started, a dual diagnosis can be easier to spot.

Which Comes First: Drug Addiction or Mental Illness?

Sometimes, a person with an addiction may be in denial of the problem and they have more trouble with their mental health situation. They may seek counseling for grief, anxiety, relationship problems, or depression first. Their addiction may reveal itself later on in the process.

Other times, someone’s addiction may be the more obvious problem. They get arrested for possession of an illegal substance, lose their driver’s license from a DUI, or something similar. They may get quite a ways through the legal and substance treatment process before the larger underlying problem becomes apparent.

What is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

No matter how a diagnosis is uncovered, the proper treatment and rehabilitation program is vitally important. An untreated mental illness can undermine the progress of a recovering addict. It can also become somewhat harder to treat with success if it continues for a long time without treatment.

The Canyon is well equipped to not only make or confirm your condition, but also effectively help with your dual diagnosis treatment. When you have more than just an addiction to deal with, you need specially trained professionals on your side. The experts at The Canyon literally wrote the book on proper dual diagnosis treatment. This can give you the best chance at a having a revitalized, peaceful, and sober life.

What’s been your experience with dual diagnoses? If you have been addicted, how challenging was it to figure out your entire set of diagnoses? If you are a mental health or addictions professional, what has been your greatest challenges making a dual diagnosis?