There is a close relationship between mental health and addiction, as mental health problems can lead to addiction, and conversely, addiction can lead to mental health problems. For this reason, this issue is often dealt with through dual diagnosis and treatment, and first of all you need to know what addiction is, what are its stages and treatment methods?
Addiction is a pathological condition that develops gradually and is characterized by the urgent need to use certain narcotic substances or to perform specific activities repeatedly, so controlling and abstaining from them is difficult and even impossible in many cases. The stages of addiction differ from one person to another, but they are usually divided into three main stages:
1. The normal stage: This stage is characterized by an increasing desire to take addictive substances or to perform an addictive activity, but the person does not yet suffer from any health, social or economic problem resulting from addiction.
2. The middle stage: This stage is characterized by an increase in the desire to use substances or to engage in addictive activity, and the person begins to feel anxiety, tension and nervousness in the event that his desire is not met, and the person may notice a defect in his behavior and his social and family relationships.
3. The final stage: In this stage, the person begins to deal with addictive substances repeatedly and continuously, so it becomes difficult to control the urge to use them, and the person’s behavior and relationships are negatively affected, and he suffers from major health, social and economic problems resulting from addiction. At this stage, he may Medical and psychological treatments are necessary to deal with addiction and prevent serious health and life consequences.
What is the first step in addiction recovery?
The first step in the journey of recovering from addiction is recognizing the existence of the problem and being willing to work to solve it. This requires the ability to be brave and honest with oneself and to recognize that addiction negatively affects personal, professional and health life.
After acknowledging the problem exists, you can start looking for available support and resources to help with recovery. Among these resources:
Contact an addiction treatment center or a therapist specialized in the field of addiction. Join an addiction support group, which is a group of people with a similar problem. Work on changing the lifestyle and start practicing new and useful activities. Get support from family and friends who support the person on their journey to recovery. Work to improve mental and physical health, through healthy nutrition, exercise, relaxation and meditation. Commitment to treatment and periodic follow-up with the doctor or therapist.
Embarking on the journey of recovery requires a lot of patience, willpower, and persistence in working to improve life.
What is a dual diagnosis?
Dual Diagnosis is a term used to describe the condition of patients who have a psychiatric disorder with a drug or alcohol use disorder; In other words, these people have mental health problems and drug or alcohol use disorders at the same time.
Other terms commonly used to describe this condition are “co-occurring substance use disorders” or “co-occurring substance abuse disorders”.
A dual diagnosis is a major challenge for specialists in the field of mental health and addiction, as treating this condition requires special skills and multiple disciplines, including psychiatry, drug therapy, counseling and guidance.
Once the dual diagnosis is identified, appropriate treatment can be provided, which includes pharmacological treatment, psychotherapy, and psychological counseling. Both addiction and psychological disorder are targeted, and treatment can also include social support and lifestyle changes for the patient.
What are the methods used to treat dual diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis treatment includes several methods and depends on the degree and type of addiction and the type and severity of the psychological disorder. Among the methods used to treat dual diagnosis:
Psychotherapy: It is usually used to treat mental disorder and includes several types such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy, and religious psychotherapy. Pharmacological treatment: It is used to treat mental disorder and addiction, in which antidepressant, antipsychotic, antianxiety, inhalational depressants, and analgesics are used. Specialized treatment: It includes treatment that helps addicts dispense with drugs, and includes behavioral therapy, family-focused therapy, and psychotherapy that focuses on counseling and guidance. Combined treatment: This type of treatment combines psychological and pharmacological therapies, and is considered effective in the treatment of dual diagnoses. Social support: It is the social support coming from friends, family, and the community that helps patients overcome addiction and psychological distress.
An appropriate treatment plan must be tailored to each person according to his psychological and addictive condition. This plan combines psychological and pharmacological treatments, combination therapy and social support, according to the recommendations of experts in the field of mental health and addiction.
Can dual therapy be effective in all cases?
Dual therapy can be effective in many cases, but it is important to note that the success of the treatment depends on several factors, including:
type of mental disorder. Addictive type. the severity of each. The speed of response to treatment.
Dual therapy also requires significant patient commitment and strong social support from friends and family to achieve the best results, and some people may need several treatment sessions and repeated adjustments to the treatment plan before they achieve significant improvement.
In addition, dual therapy requires a multidisciplinary medical team, and the treatment plan must be individually tailored to the patient’s needs and health condition; Therefore, the patient and medical team must work closely together to achieve the best outcome for treating this diagnosis.
Can specialized treatment and combination therapy be done at the same time?
Yes, specialized treatment and combination therapy can be applied at the same time for treatment. In fact, a combined treatment that combines specialized pharmacological and psychological treatments is one of the effective methods for this.
For example, the patient can receive courses of specialized psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy or that focused on the family, in addition to drug therapy to help control psychological symptoms and get rid of addiction, in addition to that, the patient can receive social support from friends and family and the local community to help overcome addiction and psychological distress.
The appropriate treatment for each case of addiction must be individually tailored, and adjusted according to the patient’s needs and health condition. Treatment must be managed by a multidisciplinary medical team, including physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, and counsellors, to achieve the best outcome for the patient.
What are the steps that can be taken to avoid falling into addiction again?
There are many steps that can be taken to avoid falling into addiction again, and here are some suggestions:
Stay away from situations and people that may trigger a craving for drugs or alcohol. Find new and useful activities and hobbies to fill the time and occupy the mind. Maintaining mental and physical health by improving lifestyle, such as exercising, healthy nutrition, and adequate sleep. Seek community support and join addiction support groups for support and encouragement. Commitment to treatment and periodic follow-up with the doctor or therapist. Work to improve social and family relationships and seek support that can come from friends, family and the community. Maintain a regular daily routine, set goals and focus on achieving them. Maintaining positivity, improving optimism, positive thinking, and focusing on the positive things in life. Work on improving life skills and dealing with challenges and difficult situations in a correct and appropriate manner. Avoid excess pressure and tension and work to improve stress and tension management skills.
Remember that avoiding falling back into addiction requires a lot of patience, willpower, and persistence in working to improve life.
2023-07-12 05:30:00
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