Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Intervention A drug and alcoholism intervention is an attempt by family members and friends to help a chemically dependent person get help for his or her addiction.Xanax
Addiction
- As one of the class of drugs benzodiazepines Xanax has been shown to be a dangerous drug to withdraw from. The reason that Xanax withdrawal is dangerous is that as a CNS depressant that slows neural activity in the brain when the drug is abruptly stopped brain activity can rebound and accelerate out of control. Prolonged Xanax users should not attempt to withdraw from the drug without medical supervision.Drug Rehabilitation Drug Rehabilitation
is an umbrella term for a variety of processes by which a person addicted to a
drug stops using that drug. These processes can vary from cold turkey to the use
of substitute drugs which do not have the same action upon the state of consciousness
as the original drug to which the person was addicted. Oxycodone Addiction Oxycodone works by stimulating certain opoid receptors that are located throughout the central nervous system, in the brain and along the spinal cord. When the oxycodone binds to the opoid receptors, a variety of physiologic responses can occur ranging from pain relief, to slowed breathing to euphoria. Withdrawal reactions include anxiety, irritability, sweating, trouble sleeping and diarrhea.
Dual Diagnosis and Treatment: Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
Substance abuse disorders and mental health illness often occur together. This is known as co morbidity or dual diagnosis. Information on the occurrence of dual diagnosis is not well reported. Having said that, according to information published by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) the following statistics apply to the United States population:
• About half of the individuals with mental disorders also suffer from a substance abuse problem.
• Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and 53 percent of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness.
• Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent abuse either alcohol or drugs.
Are There Risks Associated with Severe Mental Illness and Drug Abuse?
Individuals with a co-occurring disorder are more likely to be involved in violent events such as crime associated with obtaining drugs. Accidents occurring while under the influence of substances are more common. Medication non compliance leads to more risk for both of the occurrences listed prior. All of these problems affect the individual’s friends, family as well as the community at large.
Having a co occurring disorder is detrimental from a health perspective because they often go undiagnosed. Health care providers, especially in the adult population, do not diagnose substance abuse disorders. This population is all ready at risk for lower functioning and spends much time moving in and out of hospitals. The mix of the two disorders tends to lead to more instance of substance abuse relapse.
Substance Abuse and Developing Relationships…What’s the Link?
Most individuals with severe mental illness find it difficult to develop relationships. The more erratic the individual’s behavior the more difficult it will be to connect with people who do not have a similar issue. Without proper social support, it is likely that these individuals will find themselves on a downward spiral which can include living in less affluent areas where drug use is more common. For some people, drug use may be a matter of forgetting their problems, but also just a matter of acceptance. If social activity is based on drug use, individuals may be able to connect with his or her peers. Though the relationships may not be healthy or completely real, it gives these individuals a way to connect. Drug abuse can be a way to develop a bond, which is something this community is missing.
Are the Issues Involved in Co-Occurring Disorders Addressed Separately?
There is something called integrated treatment which incorporates treatment for both mental health and substance abuse disorders. Being that such individuals are faced with two distinct disorders it is unreasonable to try to treat one and not the other. Unfortunately, this type of treatment is still not used as widely as it should be. There are many reasons why using integrated treatment benefits the consumer. For starters, using integrated treatment bridges the gap between the two sets of problems that occur. Appropriate treatment can stop a lot of the issues that arise with these disorders including: violence- domestic and otherwise, crime, HIV/AIDS and can also help these individuals with self care including developing proper social skills which helps with every aspect of life. Most literature demonstrates that if an individual with a dual diagnosis is able to overcome his or her substance abuse issue, they respond better to treatment for his or her mental health disorder.
What Does an Integrated Treatment Program Entail?
As the word implies, integrated treatment involves putting together different aspects of treatment and developing one all encompassing program. This way practitioners work together to provide the most effective treatment plan for each individual.
Substance abuse and mental health treatment work interchangeably, they in effect, lean on each other. Practitioners will often work in one office so that they can communicate about each patient. This should result in a treatment plan that bundles together the right treatment for every patient. Effective integrated treatment consists of the same health professionals, working in one setting, providing appropriate treatment for both mental health and substance abuse in a coordinated fashion.
This type of treatment recognizes that counseling is going to be different for these individuals. There is the issue of poor relationship choices which is more complex for this type of treatment. One must teach the individual to avoid relationships that will feed substance abuse as well as help them recognize how their emotional or mental disorder may affect relationships. It is a tall order to be filled, not to be taken lightly.
Perhaps one of the most important pieces of information for providers to impart to patients is that every individual will make progress at his or her own pace. There is no set schedule and these parties are dealing with multiple issues. Some of the concepts one must remember in regards to this treatment is:
• Providing social support
• Making sure to properly motivate individuals in treatment.
• Thinking of treatment as a long term goal, not something occurring quickly.
• Counseling which is culturally competent should be used.
There are varying programs available for consumers. It is up to the individual experiencing issue and his or her social support group to pick a program most fitting and relevant to his or her disorder. Picking the right ‘fit’ for dual diagnosis can be the factor that determines the success of the individual in the program and is a factor that should be considered.
Rachel Hayon, MPH, RN
This article was last modified on 11/1/2008.
Works Cited
Jerrell, J.M Ridgely, S. (1999). Impact of Robustness of Program Implementation on Outcomes of Clients in Dual Diagnosis Programs. Psychiatric Services, 50: 109 - 112.
Reno, R. (2001). Maintaining Quality of Care in a Comprehensive Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program. Psychiatric Services. 52:673-675, May 2001
Sherer, M. (2003). Contemporary Dual Diagnosis: MH/MR: Service Models: Volume I: Residential and Day Services • Contemporary Dual Diagnosis: MH/MR: Service Models: Volume II: Partial and Supportive Services
Psychiatric Services, 54: 1421.
Wilson DC, Crisanti AS. (2008). Psychometric Properties of the Dual-Disorder Treatment Fidelity Scale: Inter-Rater Reliability and Concurrent Validity. Community Ment Health J.
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