The Canyon

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?