Co-occuring disorders

Question 1

How does substance abuse and mental illness affect each other

Answer 1

increased vulnerability
direct causation-drugs can cause mental illness
mental illness can induce substance abuse
hereditary factors

Question 2

Both disorders show strong what

Answer 2

indicators of hereditary factors

Question 3

Other causes for substance abuse and mental illness

Answer 3

traumatic experiences can create conditions that inline people toward both use and mental illness

Question 4

Why is dual diagnosis treatment more difficult

Answer 4

due to the combo of symptoms..exacerbation of one creates problems with the other
Relapse is more common

Question 5

Disorders that occur with substance abuse

Answer 5

Mood disorders
thought disorders
anxiety disorders
antisocial personality disorders

Question 6

What do people with mood disorders use

Answer 6

abuse stimulants as a form of self-medication

Question 7

What do people with thought disorders do

Answer 7

use illicit drugs of any kind

Question 8

What do people with anxiety disorders use

Answer 8

alcohol and depressants to self-medicate

Question 9

What do people with antisocial personality disorder use

Answer 9

Thrill seekers that tend to abuse opiates and stimulants

Question 10

What are the essential elements of effective treatment

Answer 10

concurrent treatment-treat both disorders concurrently
competency based approach-emphasize strengths and accomplishments
flexibility-not 1 treatment approach for everyone
collegial relationships among the various service professionals
multi-step process- recognize small steps to achieve abstinence and stability

Question 11

What are goals of treatment

Answer 11

promote abstinence
promote stability-learn skills to manage 2 disorders
involvement in community supports

Question 12

What are the 2 major risks of medication management

Answer 12

individuals w/ co-existing disorders may use street drugs or alcohol in addition to the meds prescribed
individuals may misuse prescription drugs to achieve a high or other desired response

Question 13

Why is medication compliance always a concern

Answer 13

Don’t take b/c of side effects
don’t take so they ca use alcohol or drugs
forget to take meds
prefer to have psy symptoms (manic)
pressure from fam/friends to be drug free
denial of having a mental disorder

Question 14

What are the principles of co-occurring disorders

Answer 14

1. when mental illness and substance disorders coexist, both should be considered primary. Simultaneous primary treatment is the treatment of choice
2. A substance disorder or psychiatric disorder should be considered “secondary” only if it resolves when the comorbid disorder is at baseline
3. Both major mental illness and substance disorders are examples of primary, chronic, biological mental illnesses which fit into disease and recovery model of treatment
4. There’s no 1 type of dual diagnosis treatment program. For each client the appropriate intervention at any point in time depends on the specific diagnosis, phase of recovery, level of acuity, severity and motivation for treatment of each disease