Mental Health Mental Health and Addiction Treatment: Seeking Experiences

[Jabberwocky]

I originally posted this in SL, but I figure it might get more responses here. Just wanted to see what kind of feedback it would get. Thank you in advance for any and all help. This is kinda pet project of mine

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So there is another thread I read this morning where the OP asked about basically what I'm about to ask about, and I really thought it would be useful for us to discuss this here in SL openly and honestly. We have a sticky on Treatment experiences, so what about one for Treatment of Co-Occuring Disorder experiences?

My question, for those of your with both mental illness and addiction, particularly those who have experienced any type of treatment for both mental illness and addiction, or only one and not the other (I'll provide an example below):

• What has your experience been like?
• What worked for you?
• What didn't?
• What advice would you give yourself at the start of your journey, or any day before today?
• And more generally, what has your experience of mental illness and addiction been like, regarding treatment, acuity or whatever you would care to share?

Here is what I wrote in that thread I referenced earlier, and the example of when one is given one form of treatment (say, in my case, addiction treatment) at the expense of another (in my case, mental health treatment):

And before I go into any more detail, from rereading your first post OP, now hear this: It is highly unlikely you will truly overcome the challenges posed by addiction until you address both those and those cause by your mental illness - e.g. until you address your co-occurring disorder(s). Until I began to really address my mental illness, I was an utter failure regarding my recovery re: addiction. Once I started really, effectively treating my mental illness, my recovery re: addiction really, really took off in ways I couldn't have ever imagined.

When I first sought help with my experience of addiction, I was literally denied mental health treatment, told "We don't do that here," but still told I had to do what they did there anyways. I honestly feel that now, if I had encountered actual professionals and had my mental illness treated, even if my addiction wasn't as much the focus, early on (given my particular history of self medication however), I would have been so, so much better off today. Oh well, live and learn!

In my case I was explicitly, or rather my family way explicitly, denied mental health treatment and they, nor I, knew any better when I first sought out treatment for my problems with addiction (and again, yet they told me I still had to do their course of treatment despite their acknowledgement that it wasn't at all appropriate for me, so fucking telling of the recovery/rehab industry).

Whether you were explicitly denied access to one form of treatment when you sought another, or didn't know you needed both at the same time until much later on your journey, or got what we all should get and were provided both mental illness and addiction treatment at the get go regardless of what you knew or didn't know, chosen or not, regardless, I would really appreciate to hear what you think. I have a feeling there are a lot of other BLers, Glers and lurkers who would agree.

Thank you I just want to let you know in advance any response I am really really grateful for, this is a kind of pet interest of mine, for glaringly obvious reasons

 

[closeau]

Dude, im happy to see this. I got to it by my thread so obviously i coud write a book on this subject but ill keep it to treatment and short.

My treatment for mental illness has been an ongoing thing since i was 9. Ive had some very good tretment and some really shitty treatment. When i say shitty i was treated and streeted. I dont know if i can answer all your questions but my experience has been sheer hell. I had the same diagnosis all these years and after a suicide attemt last year i was rediagnosed by the hospital pchy leaders. So my place agreed and several diferent meds were tried before finding the one im on currently. Im on main med and lithium for depression and kolonopin and hydroxizine for anxiety. I still do not connect to reality. I have auditory and sometimes visual haulicinations. Its scary but part of me is used to it. I can function but the depression is crippling. The anxiety has been ok until last couple of weeks when ive been to her office 3 times freking out and was given a shot of haloperidol which made me almost serene. This is one of the medications that was stopped when my diagnosis changed. They know i have substance abuse in my history and she occasionally asks me if im going to meetings, same shit as everywhere i suspect. Im going to talk to het about my diagnosis and treatment for it. I dont wanna go screwing around with my meds at such a fragile time but something has to be done.

Nothing really helps me unfortunatly. I do everything im supposed to and i feel like im losing my mind. My advice to myself would be be gentle with yourself and stay busy. Seems to be better when im preoccupied.

Im like you toothpastedog, my addiction issues suffer bc of my mental health. When i first went back to get help for my mental illness in 2009 i knew i had to start there cause rehab and meetings did nothing for me. Doesnt matter what substance it is, ive quit some and one i still struggle with. A lot of shrinks think years of abusing drugs and alcohol will make you mentally ill but i think its the oppisite. I truly believe the status of my mental health dictates my drug abuse. You know it just gets so unbearable you wanna get away and feel good for awhile. I was diagnosed schizophrenic at age 9 and was an active alcoholic and drug addict at 13 so now im 41 and i still struggle with both. Its like a death sentance having them both. Ive sent most of my like messed up or under a blanket crying wanting the sounds to go away.

So i know i really didnt througly answer your questions but its my brief testimonial how it is to live with both illnesses. I hope this helps. Good luck

 

[herbavore]

Back when I was first trying to get help for my son no one in my area would even agree to see a "dual diagnosis" teen. They insisted that he stop using all drugs and then they would agree to see him. I argued that in the absence of anyone else treating him he was treating himself. I argued that there really was no "dual". It didn't matter--there was no help to be had. I do understand that there can be a problem with diagnosis when it may be the temporary appearance of psychosis due to prolonged amps use rather than this same psychosis with absolutely no drug use but this can surely be observed with skill and training and care. I will go to my grave feeling that the mental health system failed my son and our family and that the status quo approach to addiction compounded that failure with another one. I don't blame anyone for anything other than ignorance and I accept my own blame for that as well. But I have learned much through his experiences in his short life and even more since his early death. I am no expert but I have made it my business to study as much as I can about mental illness--including diagnosis, treatment, cross-cultural perception, family systems, various approaches to thought and emotion and I am humbled by how much there is to know, how much is happening in the world of neuroscience and our understanding of the integrated systems of the body and that elusive thing called the soul. Surely those that are trained "experts" in their fields, whether they be psychiatrists, school counselors or addiction therapists could be expected to put at least as much into their continuing study.

 

[closeau]

Im very sorry about your son herbavore. Thst is truly heartbreaking. All you seek is knowelege and thats wonderful. Since ive been in the system my whole life i should be doing the very same thing but im tiredbof it all and quite lazy. Bless you for continuing your research into a very complicated field. Youre an inspiration to me. Thank you!!

 

[herbavore]

Thanks for your kind words, closeau.