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What can happen here.

This is a site for discussion...about addictions, addictive behavior, relationships and other aspects of addictions.

It is also a place to discuss educational concerns in general, or specifically.

Let's see what develops as we move forward with a respectful and informative process.

Lina Liken, Ed.D., CAP

Do you, your friends, or your family have issues or questions about addictions? Let's talk.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Dual Diagnosis: When Addiction Partners with Mental and Emotional Disorders.




Relapse, use, fall away from sobriety, why, oh why, do they it. Why do they relapse. Don’t these folks know how to stay sober? Don’t they get it?
Have you heard these words? Have you said them? Let’s stop here for a minute. Consider this, could what you see be a bit more complicated than what it seems. Could the homeless person, or the one in treatment, halfway house or shelter, or even your house, suffer from something more than what shows…abusing alcohol and drugs. What if there were an underlying problem….what if there were pain, confusion, uncontrollable mood swings, voices that shouted all day and night in their heads, an overwhelming sadness that just lived on. Then would you view them differently? Then would they be more than a drunk, or an addict, who just doesn’t make it.
If any of the above is happening, and a swig from the bottle, or a pull on a joint, or swallowing a pill stopped it all for just a short time, now what. Now what do you see. Do the relapser and the relapse seem less pathetic, is the drunk/addict less hideous to watch. Would the stumbling, homeless drunk/addict be accorded a more generous welcome.
If there were a better understanding of co-occurring mental illness and substance disorders, would you be able to offer an outstretched hand, one with love, kindness, and understanding, to the chronic relapser, the dually diagnosed client. Would you? Would you see “One of the least” standing before you? One of God’s children, looking for what He has promised. Looking to you to be the shepherd, to be the one who guides the casting out of demons, his demons. The one who guides him to a “peace that surpasses understanding” ?
If you are curious to see just what these clients carry around in their head, read a bit. Then come back better equipped to understand what it means to be dually diagnosed. And have clarity on how to help.
DrL

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