Co-occurring disorders

Do they treat the drug addiction first or the mental illness. I've seen on "Intervention" that they treat the addiction first so they can make sure the mental illness wasn't caused by the drugs.

Is this commonly done?

I'm trying to understand this.

I read somewhere that one cannot become addicted to SSRIs, just physically dependant, is it just me or does that sound stupid?

13 days in counting. Im kinda expecting a RTS or thrown out but who knows.

3 weeks until my First Appearce in court on Feb, 22nd., 2010.

I might have to move again if I get even partial custidy of her, to a three bedroom.

If anyone on here if from Toronto, Ontario and knows any 3bdrms under $1300 than shoot the ad my way

 

It depends, but I think they usually prefer to treat the drug addiction first. It's hard to treat a mental illness while someone's still using psychoactive drugs. And no, SSRI's aren't addictive, and you don't really develop a dependence in the usual sense - you just get withdrawals (well, "SSRI discontinuation syndrome") if you stop cold turkey after an extended period of use. But they're not the same kind of withdrawals that you'd get from drugs like opiates or stimulants.

 

thats what i thought.
some idiot i ran into tried telling me SSRIs / Benzo's are addictive and Im like uh NO you just go through SSRI Discontinuition Syndrome. which is horrid enough. but i must admit i got it pretty easy this time, I am VERY lucky!

 

^ I recently went through SSRI discontinuation syndrome after stopping my anti-depressants (40mg citalopram a day) cold turkey. It was pretty uncomfortable, but it was a walk in the park compared to the meth withdrawals I often get!

 

is it just me or does your sweat smell different while going threw benzo withdrawls? I noticed that and was WTF?

Though I eneded up gaining 3Lbs while going through withdrawls after I lost 22Lbs on Siroquel.

 

Hi crevan,
Mental Health verses drug addiction? An interesting and complex issue.

Here in the UK a full assessment would be carried out first before a decision is made, either way all agencies need to be working together with the client and it ought to be an informed and joint decision based on the assessment.
‘Dual’ Diagnosis, someone with two (dual) conditions, ‘the co-existence of mental health and substance misuse problems’.
Hopefully this link might shed some light on it. Take care.

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Dual-Diagnosis-(Drug-abuse-with-other-psychiatric-conditions).htm

 

Oh I know all about Dual Dianosis, I learned all about it in my Drug Addictions and Community Service Worker class.

I just find it amazing that some people in thr world sterotype mental illness AND drugs. How they sometimes contribute to the issue from their lack of knowledge and make snide comments and all or prejudge the person before getting to know them and just basing their judgement on the person's illness or habbit.
Some idiot and I had a debate on the subway (the tube for you UK's lol) and he thought ALL pills you can get addicted to, and I was like NO there are alot that you can't. You can become physically dependant on them but not addicted to them like crack or meth or MDPV or etc etc.
I am going to read that link anyhow, never know what I could learn.
My family is from Manchester so it's always nice to know abou things that they do there. Thinking of moving to Manchester one of thesee days but it's the point of saving enough money, getting a job and a visa and a sponsor. The sponsor is probably not going to be to hard cause family lives there but the job bit might be hard cause UK educational system is different than Canadian and in the UK my OSSD and my GPA would be a joke LOL who's gonna hire a lass with a C+ average lol

but yeah, thanks for the liink.

 

I ended up leaving the local mental health service because of the way I was treated by a few psychiatrists. They basically blamed ALL my mental health issues on drugs (which existed long before I even touched drugs!) and refused to prescribe me anything - even more anti-depressants - until I had been clean for 6 months. What a joke! Now I just get my meds from my GP, and hopefully soon a psychiatrist in the drug & alcohol service who will actually know what they're talking about.

 

My referral is with CAMHthat link is the program. Its a little unnerving to walk into the "nut house" that's what everyone calls it cause it used to house ALL the extremely crazy people until they dis[ersed them to other locations.

I'm a little skeptic on going through CAMH because of all the horror stories Ive heard from FTM/MTF's going to there and how poorly they were treated and such.... ***shrugs*** who knows, I'll just have to judge them fore myself, each person has a different opinion and all.

I hope it works out good though.

Yeah they don't like giving anti-depressants to alcoholics can in "the book" DMV-R or how ever its spelled ita been awhile....they think that giving opioids or anti-depressants can make that person form a habbit of using them but obviously Benzo's are non-addictive just physically depending (if you take for a long time).

Im sorry you had a shitty time with the mental health service.

**hugs**

Hopefully I have a better experience. **crosses fingers**

 

Crevan, I agree with your comment about stereotyping but unfortunately here in the UK people like to put people into their little boxes. With DD it shouldn’t be the case though. DD is just a term used to identify people with both mental health and substance misuse issues and once this has been identified it just indicates that a different approach to working with that person is needed, if that makes sense.

Sweet P, IMO we are all prone to having mental health problems and it can be triggered off or made worse by anything be it a traumatic event, a loss, drugs etc…, it shouldn’t all be blamed on drugs.
Anyway got to go, take care both of you.

 

^ I agree. Unfortunately many doctors don't share the same opinion - they think drug abuse is to blame for everything.