The term dual Diagnosis refers to the presence of psychological disorders including but not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia concurrent with the presence of drug addiction or alcoholism.

In simple words, people who suffer from depression, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (commonly termed manic depression), tend to make efforts to overcome these psychological problems or symptoms with the use of alcohol or drugs.

Whilst this ‘self-medication’ creates a temporary sense of relief from the symptoms,  in reality it actually makes their condition worse as the dependence on these chemicals (drugs or alcohol) gradually increases. These psychiatric disorders thereby lead to an eventual drug addiction or alcoholism, giving rise to dual diagnosis.

Dual diagnosis also arises amongst alcoholics or those addicted to drugs when continuous addiction or alcoholism leads to depression, anxiety disorder or other psychological problems.

How Do I Know If I Have A Dual Diagnosis Issue?

A definitive diagnosis of this disorder can only be made by a clinician. However, you can ask yourself few basic questions in order to get an idea if you suffer from this condition.

The most important thing in the discovery and cure of any ailment is being honest to one’s own self in admitting the existence of a habit or condition. Being in a state of denial of a condition or symptom will only make it worse and its treatment all the more difficult and prolonged.

Some symptoms of depression:

• Feeling pessimistic about everything happening around you
• Feeling like crying all the time
•  A tendancy to feel that nothing will ever go right
• Significant changes in sleeping and eating patterns
• Always feeling worried and anxious
• Thinking of committing suicide
• Avoiding socializing or not being able to enjoy things once enjoyed

These, as well as many other symptoms are indicative of depression in an individual.

Symptoms of mania or manic depression (Bipolar disorder) vary from these and include:

• Aggressive behavior
• Increased self confidence or overconfidence
• Decreased sleep without feeling tired
• Irritability
• Hallucinations and delusive thoughts

If you have been suffering from any of these symptoms or are already aware of your psychiatric state, you should check for the presence of addiction.

To check for alcoholism, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you tend to get aggressive or angry when people point out your drinking habits?
• Do you find yourself out of control at certain times in the day or week for the want of  a drink?
• Do you tend to have withdrawal symptoms or experience a sense of being ill when you are not able to drink? This can include shivers, anger, irritability, nervousness or sweating.
• Do you have a tendency to avoid fulfilling your responsibilities towards family, friends and society?
• Do you have poor immunity towards common infections or diseases?

Similar symptoms are often noted amongst those addicted to drugs or moving towards drug addiction.

What is the Treatment for Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis treatment is a challenge which is dealt with and met by very few centers all over the world. The treatment of dual diagnosis is done only at a dual diagnosis treatment center like ours at Sovereign Health, where a team of specialists is dedicated towards taking up that challenge.

Why is Dual Diagnosis Treatment a Challenge?

Dual diagnosis treatment is often called difficult or challenging as the treatment involves addressing two major issues simultaneously treatment of the psychological disorder (including depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.) and rehabilitation treatment for the addiction.

Whilst this might sound as simple as treating any two concurrent conditions, the process is far more complex. The medications involved in the treatment of the psychological disorders often produce side-effects or symptoms that can worsen the withdrawal symptoms that arise during the treatment of addiction.

Dual diagnosis treatment thus involves a very careful and selectively chosen treatment plan with a modified combination of psychotherapies, talk therapies and medications, as well as behavioral interventions. An inpatient treatment plan is usually the most effective in dual diagnosis treatment.

What to Expect From Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Each individual presents with a different set of symptoms. Therefore, dual diagnosis treatment at Sovereign Health involves a specific program, personalized to suit the particular needs of each patient, designed by the team of experts and clinicians at our dual diagnosis rehab facility.

Most importantly, dual diagnosis treatment at our dual diagnosis treatment center will begin with a correct and complete diagnosis of your condition and the problems faced by you. We have team of specialists who will put forth questionnaires carefully designed to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Once a correct diagnosis of the condition has been achieved, our expert, experienced team will design a complete plan for recovery. This will involve Group therapies, Psychotherapies, medications and behavioral interventions, combined with other, holistic therapies designed to treat the complete individual, not just the condition.

Complete support and assistance is provided at each step of the dual diagnosis treatment plan with the help of our dedicated team of experts and specialists.

What Are The Effects Of Medications? Will I Get Addicted To Them?

The medications administered during dual diagnosis treatment at Sovereign Health are not addictive and dosages are carefully and closely monitored by our team of dual diagnosis rehab experts to minimize any adverse side effects. These medications are chemicals that alter brain functions and help you get rid of the psychiatric problem and its symptoms. Whilst these can have some side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, etc., all these side-effects are also well taken care of by our specialists. If you feel that the symptoms or side-effects of any medication is beyond your tolerance, you should report this to our dual diagnosis rehab team, when alternatives can be provided.

Staying Clean

Dual diagnosis treatment plans involve a close watch on the fact that one stays away from alcohol or drug use. This is an extremely important aspect and cannot be overlooked as getting back to these addictions will also bring back the psychological problems.

What If I Slip Or Relapse?

There is a common fear of relapse from dual diagnosis treatment amongst a majority of patients. If you have found yourself the right dual diagnosis rehab, you have also helped yourself stay away from the danger of relapse.

At Sovereign Health, the risk of relapse, or slipping from treatment, will be taken care of with the help and support provided by our aftercare program. Our experts are available to help you utilize the skills and techniques you will have learned during treatment. . Constant support from your family or friends or health-professionals also prevents a relapse.

What Is The First Step To Be Taken By Me?

Our team of expert advisors is available 24/7. It just takes few minutes to make a call or send an email. We will take care of the rest.

All you need to do is to remind yourself:  There Is Help Out There!

Are you still deciding whether or not to enter a drug addiction treatment center and wondering how to choose the right center for you, if you do?

A major psychological block with most drug addicts is that the idea of giving up their drug of choice can sometimes seem to be a good, but extremely difficult or almost impossible idea to implement. Whilst an addict may know that the addiction, due to its psychological or physical effects, has been harming him or her in many aspects of life in a grave manner, it really takes a great deal of effort and strong will to take that final step towards giving up the addiction once and for all. This is often accompanied by a lack of confidence or fear of relapse.

Ask yourself few basic questions: Are you respected by your family and friends as much as you would have been if you weren’t addicted to the drug? Does there seem to be deterioration in your judgment or decisions in life since you have been addicted? Do you honestly like the impact of this addiction on your family, personal life, social life or professional life? Do you truly and sincerely feel that life wouldn’t be a better, healthier and guilt-free place once you give up this addiction? Read more »

Greetings!

Sovereign Health of California presents Marcia Ullett, as our Guest Speaker at our recurring Monthly Network & Educational Luncheon, on January 11, 2012.

A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern associated with distress or disability and which is not considered a part of the standard development of an individual. Such disorders are associated with a combination of affective, behavioral, cognitive or perceptual components of a brain or nervous system, often in a social context. The recognition and understanding of mental health conditions have changed over time and there are still variations in definition, assessment and classification of disorder. Over a third of people, in the U.S. report problems, which meets the criteria for diagnosis of various types of mental disorder.

Mental illness falls along a continuum of severity. Even though mental illness is widespread within the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion ? about six percent, or one in seventeen Americans ? all of whom live with a serious mental disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in four adults ? approximately 57.7 million Americans ? experience a mental health disorder in a given year. Read more »

Please join us for our first annual International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) Fundraising Event! Gather with eating disorder professionals and members of the community in celebrating the gift of life by raising awareness to continued excellence in the education, training and certification of eating disorder treatment professionals.

Our theme this year will be Casino Night!  Drinks and  snacks will be served throughout the evening while we network and raise money for our national and local Orange County Chapter.

Throughout the evening there are opportunities to purchase raffle tickets to win prizes.  Raffle prizes are being donated to our chapter from various businesses throughout the community. They  include an Ipad, other electronics, jewelry, spa packages and more!

We hope you can join us! Bring your spouse, your family and your friends.  Let’s celebrate the holidays together for this great cause!

Event Details:

When: Saturday, December 3rd

Time: 5 to 8 pm

Where: Cheryl Burke Studio
28221 Crown Valley Parkway, Suite F
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 [click here for directions]

Cost: $40 for RSVP’s before 11/28/11 [click here to register online]
$50 at the4 door

We hope you can join us! Bring your spouse, your family and your friends.  Let’s celebrate the holidays together for this great cause!

Sincerely,

You’re warmly invited to Celebrate the Season at our Holiday Network Luncheon

Details: Thursday, December 1st from 11:30 to 2:00 PM at the Canyon Crest Country Club

Address: : 975 Country Club Drive, Riverside, CA 92506 (click here for directions)

More Information: Enjoy a delicious Lunch & Holiday Raffle with Special Guest Speaker Velvet Mangan, CADCI, NCRS, Founder of Safe Harbor Treatment Center for Women with live musical stylings by Eddie Gee. 1 CEU credit.

Topic: Soul Sickness: Intervening on Young Women

Sponsors: ABC Recovery Center, Pat Moore Foundation, And Sovereign Health of California

Click here to view or download the flyer.

When we go to the doctor, we expect a clear diagnosis as to what is wrong. Unfortunately, a specific diagnosis isn’t easy when dealing with mental health issues.

Many mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, can be convoluted by substance abuse. This makes it difficult to diagnose specific problems. If a person suffering from depression is using drugs, it may be hard, for instance,  to tell if they have bipolar disorder or are just experiencing symptoms of drug abuse.

When a person has mental health issues combined with substance abuse problems, both of these problems must be treated at the same time, since both of these issues are connected. The best treatment comes from a multidisciplinary team of experts who specialize in co-occurring disorders. Read more »

Addiction! After a long dilemma, this has finally been identified as a chronic brain disorder, thanks to the release of a document by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

It is very important for all society to understand that it is a function of the human brain  to reuse ‘good’ or ‘high’ experiences after the ‘pleasure point’ of the brain is satiated. If this satiation is caused by the use of a particular substance, we tend to reuse it, more and more, to the point that it becomes addictive.

For years we have been blaming drugs or alcohol abuse for addictive behaviors. But it has now been proved, through many scientific studies, that even substance-free behavior ? such as gambling, sex, exercising, eating, tanning, etc. ? can affect the brain in somewhat similar ways, with significant consequences. This doesn’t mean that one should be restrictive with eating or exercise. However, it does indicate that one should be well aware of the risks – especially when undergoing treatment. Read more »

Drug addiction! It maybe that you use drugs to feel high, but sometimes our addiction and inclination towards it increases because of its relation with celebrities. By the time we realize that there is nothing glamorous about drug addiction, it is often too late. From time to time, we all must have read about, or seen in the media, celebrities using drugs to party or during other times in their life, but few of them gave us signals that drug addiction never discriminates!!!

• Elvis Presley! One of the most popular American rock stars, often referred to as the ‘King of Rock and Roll’, was found dead in his bathroom. Physicians described cardiac arrhythmia as the cause of death.  This was the result  of an overdose of prescription drugs.

• Christopher Pettiet! Famous as Zach Crandell of ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ died on April 12, 2000 because of a drug overdose at the age of just 24.

• Heath Ledger!  Renowned Hollywood actor who starred in The Patriot, The Dark Night and more, Heath accidentally died in January 2008 due to acute intoxication caused by a concoction of drugs.

• Marilyn Monroe! At the age of only 36, Marilyn was found dead in her bedroom due to barbiturate poisoning.

Read more »

As a species, we spend around 700 billion minutes on Facebook every month. What started as a small, networking website for a handful of elite college students, quickly turned into a worldwide superpower reportedly worth $50 billion. Facebook is now an integral part of almost everyone’s life and has turned into something more meaningful than a website. It has become a serious means of communication, social status and expressionism. Facebook has become a major constituent of modern life.

Most see Facebook as a convenient tool. And obviously, most would agree that Facebook is, overall, beneficial. But others see it as a threat. People no longer talk to each other in person; instead, thet spend hours ‘chatting’. Users robotically stare into a virtual arena riddled with gossip and Likes and can anonymously stalk anyone they wish. Many simply spend too much time on Facebook and allow it to dictate their days. Used to excess, Facebook has been proven to destroy relationships, hamper careers, cause insomnia and even procure a sort of high. Some are now arguing that Facebook can, as with drugs, be the fuel to a fully serious addiction. Read more »