Medical issues, not bad behavior, are more telling when it comes to addressing addiction and getting to the root of the problem.

So often, when reporting on celebs and addiction, the story focuses on bad behavior. Out-of-control starlets partying too hard and saying or doing thing that get caught on camera or result in a ride in the back of a cop car. What is more helpful – and certainly more insightful – is so to focus on the medical conditions and symptoms behind the bigger problem of substance abuse.

When entering a treatment program, the intake counselor gathers this sort of information to begin putting together a medical history that doctors and treatment specialists use to formulate a treatment plan.

As Linsday Lohan prepares for her Playboy spread, it’s easy to get caught up in debating the path she’s taking and whether her current decisions indicate she’s on the path to recovery. Instead, let’s look at the medical issues she has to overcome.

In doing an intake exam, Lohan should certainly mention ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. While she doesn’t actually suffer from this condition, she did receive a diagnosis at one time, probably along with a big bottle of Adderall. Use and abuse of this drug in those who don’t need it can have severe negative effects, including (ironically) hyperactivity and manic behavior. Could ADHD drugs be to blame for some of Lohan’s more outlandish behavior? Could a dependence on these drugs have led her to move on to “bigger and better” drugs?

Lohan has admitted to abusing drugs and alcohol, mainly cocaine. Cocaine provides a burst of energy that is favored by those looking to party into the night, and this would have made it an obvious next step for Lohan. The alcohol then acts as a depressant, allowing the user to come down from the cocaine high. It can also lead to DUI arrests, which Lohan has experienced on more than one occasion.

So we know what she’s been using, but why did Lohan start using in the first place? I very high percentage of people batting addiction have accompanying mental health issues. Often, they start using in an attempt to self-medicate or feel “normal,” even if they haven’t been professionally diagnosed or are aware they have a problem. Lohan was actually professionally diagnosed – with bipolar disorder – but it turned out to be inaccurate. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other mental issues plaguing Lindsay. PTSD, depression, anxiety and a host of other issues could contribute to her decision to turn to drugs. The stress of life in Hollywood would only exacerbate those issues.

It’s that very stress that likely caused Lohan to develop an eating disorder, like countless young celebs and celeb wannabes before her. Bulimia, which consists of bingeing and then purging (or throwing up), leads to malnutrition and causes damage to your teeth and mouth. It’s an extreme disorder than begins with the desire to be thin or attractive, but usually relates more to a desire for control (pros will tell you eating disorders are rarely ever really about food). Lohan has received treatment for her bulimia, and seems to be on top of it, but sometimes dealing with one addiction can lead to the development of another if the underlying emotional issues aren’t fully addressed. That’s why it’s common for food addicts to begin abusing alcohol or turning to shopping or sex as a new outlet. It’s a danger than anyone in recovery knows they need to be aware of.

One of Lohan’s few medical conditions that doesn’t directly relate to substance abuse is asthma. While it’s severe enough that it’s led to hospitalization in the past, it doesn’t affect addiction issues, except that by not taking care of her physical health, it makes her more susceptible to asthma attacks.

Drug Treatment

If you or someone you love needs help with drug treatment, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

World Health Organization findings prove that mental health disorders are a bigger global problem than cancer or heart disease.

The World Mental Health Survey, published in 2008 and covering 28 countries, estimated that one in three adults suffers from a mental health disorder including bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, anxiety and many others. That’s a staggering number. And a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, pulled together data from surveys to reveal that 6.8 percent of adults had moderate to severe depression.

We’ve been saying it for a while now: mental health issues and addiction often go hand in hand. And even for those who don’t turn to drug addiction or alcohol addiction, the problem is still sizeable. We hear so much about heart disease and cancer, but in 2008 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that brain disorders accounted for about 13 percent of the global disease burden, a greater percentage than both cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The new report is an update on a 2005 paper that estimated that 27 percent of the European Union population was affected by mental health disorders each year. The higher figure resulted from the addition of 14 previously excluded disorders, many of which affect children and the elderly, meaning that the frequency of mental health disorders has probably not gone up substantially.

Still, the numbers are so high that we don’t have to see a huge increase to become alarmed. With so many suffering from mental health issues, there is a high incidence of self-medicating, with alcohol, prescription meds or illegal drugs. Individuals don’t get treatment for their symptoms or don’t feel it’s working so they turn to other methods to feel better. Before long, they have an addiction to deal with as well as their underlying mental health issues. In the treatment world, this is called dual diagnosis, and a high percentage of those entering substance abuse treatment arrive with these co-occurring disorders.

For decades, the stigma surrounding mental health disorders has kept some from seeking treatment and pushed others to keep their treatment secret. That shame can also contribute to addiction. Fortunately, in recent years the stigma has lessened and increasing education will continue to help sufferers feel like they don’t need to hide their diagnosis.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

If you or someone you love is in need of treatment for a co-occurring disorder or other help, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

A person with dual diagnoses has both a mental illness and a drug addiction. Drug counseling and twelve step approaches are commonly used to address the addiction. But what can be helpful for the mental illness?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Mental Illness

Drug treatment experts recommend that both diagnoses be treated at the same time. Years ago, the person would have to get sober before any mental illness treatment would start. Research outcomes now point to simultaneous treatment for the best results. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of therapy often used with dual diagnoses.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has an acronym that sums up its main therapeutic process – ABC. A stands for “activating event”, also known as the trigger event. B stands for “beliefs and assumptions”. C stands for “consequence” (feelings and dysfunctional behavior). Cognitive behavioral therapy helps a person take a step back and look at their situation more objectively. It helps you understand your options and come up with reasonable solutions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Helps Find Solutions in Drug Rehab

In its purest form, cognitive behavioral therapy is meant to be a rather short term solution- focused treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be useful when transitioning a person from a state of general crisis to a state of functionality. This works well for dual diagnosis drug rehab centers who may help people about 30-90 days on average. So much of a drug addict’s thinking is skewed by their addiction and mental illness. The techniques and processes in cognitive behavioral therapy help to correct flawed thinking.

Whether a person has schizophrenia or mood disorder, this model of therapy is useful in the short term. The person may eventually have a different type of long-term therapy, but CBT addresses a person’s immediate level of functioning. When the person works with the CBT during drug rehab, they can leave having some handle on managing their mental illness. Upon the conclusion of their rehab stay, the person can get referrals for local mental health providers for long term treatment.

Drug Rehab Treats Mental Illness And Drug Addiction

Though other types of mental health treatment can be used in drug rehab, CBT is a good outcome-based type of therapy. It is fairly straightforward and can help a person see results in a short period of time. No need to lie on a couch for years or drag up endless stories about the past. The therapist and client only work with anything relevant to the current situation. As dual diagnoses drug rehabs become more commonplace, expect more research and headlines about how simultaneous treatment really makes a difference.

Researchers, thankfully, are paying more and more attention to dual diagnosis, or those who suffer from co-occurring disorders like drug addiction and PTSD. Often, one issue influences and worsens the other in a vicious cycle, and it’s a huge step in the development of treatment that medical facilities like The Canyon are learning the links between psychological disorders and addiction and treating them simultaneously.

PTSD and Drug Addiction

It is estimated that about 33 percent to 50 percent of those who seek treatment for drug addiction and abuse are also suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In fact, more often than not, those who suffer from both PTSD and addiction are addicted to an illegal substance as opposed to alcohol. Additionally, those who suffer from both were more likely to have a higher level of addiction and a more serious physical issue with the disease than those who suffered from addiction but not PTSD.

What the Experts Say About PTSD and Drug Addiction

Martin Driessen is a professor of psychiatry at Ev. Hospital Bielefeld in Germany, and a corresponding author for a recent study on the subject of PTSD and drug addiction. He says:

“We already knew that there is a quite relevant association between PTSD and SUDs. More specifically, PTSD is a risk factor for the development of an SUD, particularly a drug dependence. However, it was unclear whether this is true for both abusers and dependent subjects, or only one of these groups, which is why we studied clearly dependent subjects.”

Andreas Heinz, the director and chair of the department of psychiatry at Charité — University Medical Center Berlin added:

“Drug dependence has frequently been observed in war veterans who also suffer from PTSD. Both men and women often increase drug abuse and develop dependence following war and other trauma.”

What It Means for Those Who Suffer From PTSD and Drug Addiction

Unfortunately, because drug addiction issues are usually far worse for those who suffer from PTSD than those who do not, the dual issues generally manifest in even more problems with family and friends, lost careers and more severe psychological issues exacerbated by drug use. Heinz says:

“The subjects suffering from PTSD had higher hospitalization rates, shorter periods of abstinence, and higher drug craving. However, the study did not show whether PTSD was a cause or consequence of drug dependence in individual subjects.”

An interesting question that is always at play when you suffer from two co-occurring disorders: did the PTSD instigate drug addiction or did drug addiction inflame the PTSD? What we do know for sure is that one always makes the other worse and that to effectively treat either disorder, you must treat both simultaneously.

Women, PTSD and Drug Addiction

The issues for women in this area of dual diagnosis is significant, according to Heinz. She says:

“Women in this study showed higher PTSD rates, which is in accordance with the literature. Women also more often show clinical depression, which often precedes alcohol dependence, while in men, depression seems to follow alcohol dependence in most cases. Further research on psychotrauma and its sequelae such as PTSD, anxiety and depression may point to gender differences in the course and consequences of drug and alcohol addiction.”

If you or someone you love is suffering from PTSD and drug addiction, finding help sooner rather than later can help mitigate the effects of the disorders. If you would like more information about our dual diagnosis program, contact us at The Canyon.

Adolescent Drug Use Linked to Insomnia

A study just released in the October issue of Sleep journal has discovered a definite link between chronic sleeplessness in teenagers and mental illness. Author Brandy M. Roane, MS, elaborates, “The current study suggests adolescents with insomnia are more prone to developing mental disorders, specifically depression. Previous research in adults has found similar results to this study.”

Sleep Study Links Insomnia with Mental Illness and Drug Abuse

Adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years at the beginning of the study were re-evaluated after six or seven years – a total of 3,582 young people in all, of which, 9.4 percent reported having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep nearly every night.

Of the 336 individuals with sleep difficulties, rates of depression were 2.3 times more prevalent in adulthood compared to those who did not report symptoms of insomnia. Drug and alcohol use as well as thoughts and attempts at suicide were also higher among the group suffering from insomnia.

Teenager Sleeplessness a Risk Factor for Depression and Mental Illness

In short, the findings of the study point to a greater risk of teenage insomniacs developing mental health issues and increased severity of the symptoms to boot. These conclusions suggest that insomnia could be a risk factor for mental illness and drug addiction – valuable information for parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, and mentors who play the major roles of keeping teens clear of danger.

There are many theories of why sleep is necessary for healthy functioning, and what exactly happens while our bodies rest. Studies abound on the effects of sleep related to memory, cognitive ability, motor function and control, wound healing, growth, even hormone production. While no one fully understands what happens inside our bodies while we sleep, one thing we do know for certain is that extensively long periods without sleep can kill you.

Tell Us: What do you think is the link between restful sleep and sound mental health? Is it dreams? Rapid eye movement? The difference between daylight and darkness?

Stay At Home Moms & Drug Addiction

On the outside it may be unthinkable for a mother to abuse drugs or alcohol while caring for her children. The view from the inside, however, can be quite different. Raising children is the biggest, most important commitment you can ever make. Frequently, this task falls on the mother’s shoulders – or rather, her breasts, as breastfeeding is typically the main focus for an infant’s first three to six months of life. The father’s task, then, is to provide for the mother and child until they are both able to fend for themselves.

Quick Switch in Roles Leaves Women Feeling Lonely and Depressed

What may have been a modern, progressive living situation prior to baby’s arrival, reverts (quite literally) overnight into the ancient male/female, provider/nurturer roles. In a culture founded on equal rights and doctrines of non-discrimination, such an immense shift in personal values may leave Mom and Dad wondering where they went wrong.

Added to that sense of secret shame is a newfound, neverending workload of diapers, laundry, and dishes, endless nights without adequate sleep, constant pressure and performance anxiety, all rewarded generously with extra helpings of baby poop, vomit, and breastmilk covering every piece of clothing you own. Weight gain, fluctuations in hormones, enormous eating habits, and total lack of any free time whatsoever leaves Mom completely frazzled and exhausted. And that’s just on day three.

Depression Leads to Drug and Alcohol Abuse as A Way of Coping

Who wouldn’t love a quick reminiscence of “normal life,” a much needed break from waiting on everyone else hand and foot? When you’re bogged down in teething toys and dirty diapers, and you haven’t had a real conversation with another adult in days, it’s tempting to reach for the one thing you know will bring you instant relaxation.

If you already struggle with depression, mental illness, or drug addiction, being off your meds during pregnancy can invoke enough anxiety that you either withdraw or act out in unpredictable ways. Depression, and the general stress of motherhood, increases the likelihood of consuming drugs or alcohol as a way of controlling the chaos of your new life.

Quality Relationships Help Recharge Mom’s Batteries and Fend Off Depression

Questioning your own competence at being a new mother is perfectly reasonable, considering the skills needed to provide constant care to a child are ones that many people don’t have until they’ve been thrust into the limelight. Instinct (knowing you need to do something) is part of it, but experience (knowing what to do) carries much more weight.

Connecting with other moms who are going through the same crazy scenarios as you can provide a genuine sense of relief, not to mention support, encouragement, and valuable tips and tricks for making your everyday life a little easier. Alone time is also a must, so Mom can have the opportunity to indulge in something she enjoys and a chance to connect with her personal needs that otherwise would never be met.

Tell Us: What’s your favorite way to relax and stay connected to the things in life that bring you joy?

Relapse is a trying time for anyone afflicted with addiction. Feelings of failure, low self worth, and hopelessness can certainly overcome a person who realizes they’ve taken a step backwards. However, it really helps to take a look at relapse as a part of a bigger picture. Relapse prevention is best done with a wide angle lens.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Some conditions can be cured with the right treatment. Got strep throat? Get some penicillin. Got tonsillitis? Take your tonsils out. Some health problems cannot be cured at this moment in time. We all hope that some day diseases like diabetes, asthma, and cancer can be cured forever once they are found inside a person.

Unfortunately, that is not reality for any human being. Cancer can come out of remission. Asthma problems can come and go. Diabetes needs careful daily monitoring. This is much the same for addiction. Unlike cancer, asthma, and diabetes, drug and alcohol addiction involves voluntary actions and consumption of toxins. Even so, addiction has the potential to do as much damage as any other chronic health problem.

Relapse Is Part of Addiction

Relapse is a natural normal part of addiction. Of course, no one looks forward to it and many people do whatever they can to avoid it. However, addiction has such a profound and long-lasting effect on the mind and body. It is hard to completely erase any chance of relapse, even after years of sobriety.

In fact, the attitude that you have addiction for life could help you stave off relapse. If you get into the “I’ve totally got this thing licked” mode, you may set yourself up to be blindsided by relapse triggers. Acknowledging that you may continue to have various triggers through your whole life can help you understand the possibilities.

Self Discovery Helps Relapse Prevention

Making new discoveries about yourself keeps your brain “tickled” about who you are at the moment. From moment to moment, who you are continues to develop. You don’t just sit still in time, you change and evolve to account for the changes around you and personal changes inside you. Or, you don’t make good adjustments, you stay focused on some kind of past moment for too long, and you lose sight of what really matters now.

The things that are important in your twenties aren’t usually the same as when you are in your thirties or forties. This progression continues upward as you age and see your environment change and grow. The “aha” moments you have along the way are often unexpected – they are usually quiet moments of realizing and embracing a new thought, a new feeling, the truth that has been there all along.

If all goes well, you will continue to evolve as you grow older. You keep the good stuff and throw out the bad stuff along the way. So of course, being in a constant state of self-awareness and renewal is a great way to keep yourself from getting stale and too far from reality. And denying reality is what addiction does best. Lies lies and more lies – before you know it, you are caught up in old beliefs, old patterns, and old problems.

Relapse Prevention at Drug Rehab Help People With Dual Diagnosis

If you have struggled with addiction relapse too many times, you may need a different rehab experience. Perhaps your untreated dual diagnosis is preventing you from having a long lasting period of sobriety. Sound like you? Don’t wait to get help – learn more about The Canyon dual diagnosis drug rehab.