Understanding Addiction & Bipolar Disorder

Characterized by severe mood swings, bipolar disorder can oftentimes require specialized medication and care for treatment. Unfortunately, some patients believe that the medications are not suited to their needs or simply choose not to take them. These individuals sometimes rely on self-medication through drug and alcohol use, which can result in addiction. Understanding the reasoning behind substance abuse, the moods and the treatments offered can provide insight into both the addiction and disorder as a whole.

Depression and Mania

In order to understand the correlation between bipolar and addiction, we must first educate ourselves in regard to the moods. Depression is the mood where patients show an extreme disinterest in life, a discontinuation of typically exciting and fun activities and a heightened interested in suicide. In some cases the depression can be triggered once a patient is informed of their actions during a manic episode. The same patients can also suffer from mania, which includes heightened energy levels alongside the desire to participate in high-energy activities – exercise, frivolous spending and hyper-sexuality to name a few. Manic individuals will also immerse themselves within a variety of projects with the intent of completing each one, despite a lack of dedication and unrealistic deadlines.

Substance Abuse

When a bipolar patient dabbles in substance abuse, it is considered dual diagnosis. Substance abuse in bipolar individuals may occur during both the depression and manic phases. Some suffering from the disorder refuse to take prescription medication due to a fear of side effects and instead choose to self-medicate through alcohol or drug use. Others cater to the belief that the medications simply aren’t doing enough to alter their state of mind. For depressed patients, stimulants are often the drug of choice due to the energy and positive emotional effects. Patients in a manic state often resort to alcohol due to its depressive qualities. Unfortunately, self-medication will ultimately lead to addiction, providing patients with yet another condition to combat.

Help

Addiction treatment is the first step in addressing dual diagnosis. Many patients often require a mood stabilizer in order to keep the depression and mania at bay. However, most of the mood stabilizers used in mental health recovery do not interact well with illicit drugs or alcohol. Once the addiction can be managed through detox and counseling, doctors can begin administering treatment for bipolar disorder.

Researching dual diagnosis treatment centers? Contact Above It All Treatment Center today! With a team of seasoned addiction and mental health experts available to address each patient’s individual needs, you can count on Above It All for the personalized care and attention you’ve been searching for. Call today for more information and find out what Above It All can do for you!

Fighting Depression Following Addiction

Combating depression on its own can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. Fighting depression following an addiction to drugs or alcohol can be 10x worse. A small part of you will want to pick up where you left off; another will disagree. In some ways, it’s safe to say that depression works on the human brain in similar fashion to drug use… it’s time consuming and negative. If you’re up for the good fight, you will require assistance along the way. Reading this entry is the first step.

1 – Educate yourself. Though reading this article is a wonderful step forward, the act – in and of itself – will not cure your depression. Throw yourself into the fight by learning as much as you possibly can about it. Find out how other addicts have dealt with their depression, and chose combative techniques that best suit your individual needs and situation.

2 – Know that turning to drugs will only serve in feeding the depression. Though you may experience a few moments of euphoria, the escape will be short-lived, and draining. Finding ways to address your depression without the aid of drugs or alcohol is key to ensuring a happy life to come.3 – Need help? Ask for it! While medications and pills can help combat the pain of depression, they only address a small part of the big picture. Set goals, stay positive, and communicate your worries with a trained LA drug rehab counselor. Seek support from close family and friends who hold a vested interest in your sobriety. Drug addiction is very common in our society, as is depression. Finding help to address these issues is only as difficult as you choose to make it.

4 – Expand your social life! It can be easy for recovering addicts to avoid social interaction due to fears of relapse and anxieties. If you find yourself feeling nervous in social situations, just remember that you have the ability to leave when you like. Take things one step at a time, and push yourself to encounter new people and situations. In time, you’ll find yourself happier, more involved, and eager for fun!

5 – Always remember what brought you to this point. Some people will always maintain a desire for alcohol and drugs following recovery. Accept this, and move forward with a goal to maintain sobriety while staying active. Depression cannot be hidden or outrun… it must be dealt with head-on; as with addiction. When the going gets tough, just remember to take a good deep breath, and remember that for every low point, there is an equally drastic high point waiting around the corning.

“We Aren’t a Glum Lot”

“ … we aren’t a glum lot.” – The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 132

In the lives of many alcoholics and addicts who have begun the path to sobriety and a new life are many fears. One of them is often that we will never enjoy ourselves again.  This question, “How will I ever have any fun without a drink or drug in hand?” is based on our reliance of substances to provide for us things we think we have been without.

For many there was, once upon a time, the feeling of instant invincibility and the idea that we could be friendly and fun, attractive and well-liked when we had that drink of drug and now, without that drink or drug, we believe we would never be able to feel comfortable enough to have fun and let loose again.  In effect, we began to use drugs and alcohol as a way to treat this symptom, the belief of an inability to fit in. We believed that drugs and alcohol allowed us to suddenly become the vision of who we so wanted to be. Finally, we thought, not only do we fit in but the lampshade on our respective heads amused everyone around us.  Or so we thought.

The truth is that through our newfound and ever-evolving sobriety, we learn more and more that fun is there for the taking.  Maybe we always wanted to engage in an activity to which we were drawn but never sober enough to follow through on to even make the attempt.  In sobriety, all doors open to us, we are able to seek our heart’s desire and enjoy ourselves along the way.  We learn how to throw our heads back and laugh.  In the dawn of our Recovery, we begin to realize we have a bond with others who suffered in, possibly, the very same way.  The staff at this Los Angeles drug rehab understands the root of this fear and teaches us that enjoying oneself is paramount as well as shows us how to do just that.

Laughter and joy are waiting for you on the other side of the darkness to which alcoholics and addicts have become so accustomed.  We move together, meeting new people all along the way who encourage us on our journey into our new life where we will find ourselves happy, joyous and free.