CNS (or central nervous system) stimulants refer to all those drugs that make you feel speedy, stimulating you, if you will, into a state of high alertness. A few days ago we posted the Top 10 Signs of Methamphetamine Addiction, which talked about symptoms of meth addiction in particular, but a lot of these signs are typical of those addicted to any number of stimulants including amphetamines, cocaine and prescription stimulants like methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin.

Signs of CNS Stimulant Use

During use, these drugs generally make the user feel euphoric, super human even, as if they can accomplish anything. The talk fast, move fast and do whatever they’re doing with a focus and speed that is out of character. Their blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature also increase.

Signs of CNS Addiction

Addiction to CNS stimulants is apparent when the following symptoms are seen regularly, whether or not the user is “high” on their drug of choice:

* Decreased appetite and extreme weight loss
* Irritability and depression
* Restlessness and insomnia
* Paranoia and, in extreme cases, psychosis
* In those who snort their drugs, a damaged mucous membrane, regular nose bleeds and nasal congestion are common

If you have noticed this behavior in someone you love or recognize the signs of CNS stimulant addiction in yourself, there is help. The Canyon provides a comprehensive treatment program that offers crystal meth rehab as well as a medically supervised crystal meth detox. For those who suffer from a psychosis or psychotic episodes that linger long after the drug’s effects have vanished, The Canyon is especially equipped for dual diagnosis, or the treatment of psychological disorders and drug addiction. Contact The Canyon today!

Hiding Behind the Dual Diagnosis Stigma

Mental illness touches more lives than most people realize. And when your talking about dual diagnosis issues, it can be easy to get caught up in the addiction side of it. Chemical dependency is such a complex issue, even without the complication of a mental disorder. Stigma about mental illness still exists. However, there is an honor bestowed upon the month of May to raise awareness about mental illness – May is Mental Health Month. Let’s take a look at some really useful resources on the web and beyond.

Mental Health America has Dual Diagnosis Information

Mental Health America, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association, has a big promotion on their website for Mental Health Month. This year’s theme is connectedness and social support. The front page highlights many interesting resources. You can take a few polls, learn about anxiety and depression, or take note of their crisis number for phone assistance.

Even if your mental disorder diagnosis something other than depression or anxiety, there are many materials linked to stress and wellness topics. Mental Health America also offers a fact sheet for dual diagnosis including some quality information sources at the bottom. If you are a parent with a dual diagnosis, your child may be at a higher risk for developing disorders as well. It’s worth your time to peruse around the site. There’s enough info to be helpful, but not so much that it’s overwhelming.

The Canyon and Foundation Associates Dual Diagnosis Resources

The main websites for The Canyon and Foundation Associates also offer a wealth of mental health information. They are both world reknown centers of expertise in the area of dual diagnosis treatment. The Canyon has a comprehensive review of dual diagnosis to explain how mental disorders and addiction mix together. More focused on mental health, Foundation Associates has created three expanded resource pages describing three different types of mental disorders: mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychotic disorders.

NAMI Fights Mental Illness Stigma

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a national organization that fights the stigma of mental illness. They also have affiliates and local support groups across the United States. Their website has a ton of great reliable information to look through including a mental illness fact sheet and an extensive page on dual diagnosis treatment. NAMI’s recommendations closely mirror the client-based integrated treatment provided at The Canyon. NAMI’s website also have links for public policies, medication, and practically anything else having to do with mental illness.

NAMI also has a year round fundraising campaign called NAMIWalks. These are sponsored by local NAMI groups to raise awareness in their community and raising money to support their group activities. While it doesn’t seem to be officially linked with May as Mental Health Month, clicking on the View Upcoming Walks link will show many of these walks being held in May.

Mental Illness Stigma is Still Out There

The unfortunate truth is that the stigma is still out there. It is ugly, it imprisons people in their condition, and it is challenging to fight. But there are many passionate knowledgable organizations all over the United States and the world out there fighting the good fight for mental illness.

As a professional, I understand the desire for privacy around these issues. Living with a person that has untreated mental illness can be confusing and painful. As someone who’s also experienced depression, I know how the mind gets warped during mental illness. It magnifies anything resembling a stigma or rejection, even if your loved ones would truly bend over backwards for you no matter what the problem.

What’s been your experience with mental illness stigma? Have you felt like you held back on getting help because you were worried how others would react? Did you fear you’d be ridiculed or not believed? Also, who in your life ignored any stigma and just helped you without hesitation?

Photo credit Eggybird at Flickr

It’s been said that depression is the “common cold” of the mental health world. About 5 percent of the U.S. population is experiencing a major episode of depression at any given moment. For people addicted to drugs, the likelihood for developing depression increases significantly. Depression affects your thoughts, your feelings, and your body. Take a look at how addiction can become intertwined with depression.

Lack of Energy

When you’re depressed, you just don’t feel much like doing anything. There’s very little get-up-and-go to your day. Drinking or taking drugs may cause problems with your appetite, too. You miss out on good nutrition that would give you healthy energy throughout the day. Also, you might be using a drug that perks you up or slows you down even more. All of this really messes with your ability to have lasting energy.

Sleep Problems

Depression can turn your sleep cycle upside-down. You feel like sleeping all day, or you have trouble with insomnia. Anyone who’s gotten off-track with their sleep for more than a day or two can recall how messed up they felt. Some of your “self-medicating” activities might be intended to help you settle down or stay awake.

Negative Thoughts and Negative Mood

Depression churns up negative thoughts like “This is pointless,” “It’ll never get better,” “It’s hopeless,” and “I’m worthless.” This goes hand-in-hand with a negative mood. This mood could look like sadness, irritability and impatience, or full-fledged anger. All of this tends to be worse when you add drinking or drug use. Using decreases your inhibitions and judgment. In other words, you’re a lot more likely to let your angry mood get you into fist fight after you’ve gotten drunk or high.

Thoughts of Self Harm

People with depression sometimes think about hurting themselves, either to escape or to really end the pain of living. Drinking or drug use can knock your judgment out of whack. When you have scary thoughts about hurting yourself, you walk a really dangerous line. You might get high just to shut the awful thoughts out of your head. Or worse, you could actually attempt to hurt yourself when you’re drunk because your emotions are in charge. People with addictions are more likely to attempt suicide than people with only depression.

Social Isolation

When someone is depressed, they often believe that they are crazy, and no one would understand them. They are embarrassed by how confused and awful they feel, so they tend to withdraw. Also, their negative mood and lack of energy can cause friends and family to pull away from them. This can be a discouraging cycle just when they need social support the most. You might drink or use to cover up the pain of feeling alone, which can make this cycle even more painful and isolating.

All this talk about symptoms isn’t meant to be disheartening. Depression is a very treatable condition. Social support, good counseling, sometimes medication, and skill building are effective tools for treating depression. The professionals at the Canyon really know what they’re doing when it comes to treating two serious problems like this at one time.

There are more symptoms of depression than the ones listed here, so tell us your experience. Sometimes it helps to let someone know what you’re going through.

Have you been through a period of depression in your life? The examples listed above may or may not match your experience – so how have your depression symptoms been connected with your addiction?

The primary goal of any drug treatment facility, no matter what their approach, is to help you find a way to live that allows you to be functional: go to work, develop healthy friendships and relationships, discover your dreams and re-commit to family. Unfortunately, most drug addiction treatment centers treat just that: addiction. They don’t account for the underlying causes that may have instigated the initial drug abuse or perpetuated that abuse until it turned into addiction. Without addressing both addiction and its cause simultaneously, you significantly reduce your chances of success in treatment.

Psychological Disorders and Their Relation to Drug Addiction

When you suffer from a psychological disorder, whether it’s as simple as depression or as complex as schizophrenia, your chances of turning to drugs in an attempt to medicate yourself increase exponentially. If you find something that works for you once, be it pills, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin or methamphetamine, chances are you’ll use again. Regular use of a drug quickly turns into physical dependence upon it, a state of being that means you experience withdrawal symptoms when you go without the drug for too long. This dependence is one of the hallmarks of addiction. Unfortunately, if you’re not already dealing with a psychological disorder, many drugs will create one for you. For those who started using based on a mental condition, it won’t take long until drug addiction only makes it worse, which makes you think more drugs are needed to feel better, which in turn makes the psychological condition even worse….And on and on and on.

Trying to Ignore Psychological Disorders To Treat Drug Addiction

Most therapists will tell you that they can’t help you until you get your drug addiction under control. The problem with that is that if your psychological disorder is the reason why you’re using then you’re not going to get your drug addiction control without addressing this originating cause. It sounds like common sense, but unfortunately, in many treatment facilities, they just don’t have the resources to provide the comprehensive treatment you need. It’s called co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis and the only way to really begin healing is to enter a treatment program that is equipped to give you the individualized attention and multi-faceted treatment you need.

The Canyon Treats Drug Addiction and Psychological Disorders

The Healing Life program at The Canyon is a unique drug addiction treatment program designed for those who suffer from mental issues in addition to addiction. Located in Peace Park in the Santa Monica Mountains outside of Malibu, California, you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful start for your new life in sobriety.

Bookmark this blog as we keep you updated on the latest treatment approaches in dual diagnosis treatment, therapeutic options we provide, news in addiction treatment and trends as well as the personal stories of those who are struggling to find their foundation in recovery. Welcome to The Canyon!

Contrary to popular belief, effective drug addiction treatment is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It’s true that drug addiction is a medical disease affecting the brain, however, the extent to which it affects the brain and the spiritual and emotional effects vary widely and each person who suffers from addiction issues likely also suffers from psychological disorders, too. Also medical in nature, the range and severity of psychological issues only makes it more difficult to find a drug treatment center that is appropriate.

How do you know what to look for in a drug treatment center and, more importantly, how do you prepare to wade through the mountains of available options?

Be Objective

The best person to tell you what you need is you. Were you depressed or suffering from a mental disorder like manic depression or schizophrenia before you began using drugs? Have you been using for years and at high doses, mixing drugs or maintaining an expensive habit or have you been experimenting for a few months?

Only you know whether you need treatment for the co-occurring disorders of drug addiction and psychological disorders. Only you know if you need an intense inpatient treatment or a more open day treatment option. If you’re going to do it, do it right. Be honest with yourself and decide what you need before you look any further.

Be Thorough

Once you start your search for the right drug treatment center, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by your options right out of the box. Don’t falter. Your life depends on your ability to see the process through. If you need help, ask for it: loved ones, friends, doctors, even insurance agents can help you see your situation more clearly if you’re having trouble being objective. If you’re searching out the best option for someone you love, the addict or alcoholic in your life is most likely in denial and will only get better if you do as much as you can to show them the right way to go.

Call The Canyon

Whether or not you decide to come stay with us, you owe it to yourself to see what a premiere dual diagnosis drug addiction treatment center like The Canyon can be: a sprawling estate in the Santa Monica Mountains, luxury accommodations and a customizable treatment program grounded in traditional therapeutic concepts and augmented by cutting edge alternative therapies. If you’re ready to get better and build a whole new life for yourself, you need a new kind of treatment.

What do you think is lacking in drug addiction treatment centers today?