Dual Diagnosis: Depression and Substance Use Disorders

When a drug or alcohol use pattern begins to interfere with day-to-day functions, health, and overall quality of life, we know a substance use disorder is involved and goes beyond the association with drug or alcohol usage. Many people overlook the connection between depression and substance use disorders because they are unaware that people living with depression are more likely to develop this connection. According to Health Line, substance use disorders and mental health conditions concur so often that experts have decided to call this unique combination “dual diagnosis.”

When it comes to having a dual diagnosis, major depression is the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition among people in this category.

  • 25% of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) also have a substance use disorder.
  • 8% of people with MDD also have alcohol use disorder.
  • 8% of people with MDD also have illicit drug use disorder.
  • 7% of people with MDD also have cannabis use disorder.

In the same way that depression can factor into substance use, substance use disorders can also play a significant part in depression, depending on the severity. Living with depression can cause many to feel the need to use alcohol and other substances to help ease or manage their depression. This is a form of self-medicating. Some people self-medicate to boost their energy levels, while others do so to gain sleep at night. Others might be motivated to self-medicate because of its power to lift moods and soothe unwanted emotions. While this method can mask or erase specific symptoms related to depression, it is only temporary.

Symptoms of depression typically come back in a full circle once the person stops using substances.

If a person starts living in a world where substance use is prominent, it can contribute to depression in many ways. Substances such as alcohol can release dopamines in your brain that produce feelings of pleasure. These same substances can cause increased inflammation in the brain, making it harder for your brain to produce mood-boosting chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Withdrawals from substance use can also contribute to depression. When a person stops using, the brain takes its time adjusting and producing the expected levels of serotonin, dopamine, and other necessary chemicals for everyday healthy living. While this happens, a person might start feeling low, numb, or even have difficulty finding pleasure or interest in regular activities, all similar signs of depression. Because depression and substance use disorders can feed into each other, it is always important to pay attention to related signs and symptoms.

  • Spending large amounts of time thinking about the next opportunity to drink alcohol or use substances.
  • Knowing your substance use has hurt your career and relationships, but not bringing yourself to a stopping point.
  • Feeling even more exhausted and bitter about life once the effects of the drugs or alcohol wear off
  • Needing more and more of a particular substance to stabilize your mood and energy.
  • Feeling guilty or ashamed about your substance use but not being able to stop
  • Feeling so hopeless about your future, the long-term effects of substance use do not matter anymore.

If any of the signs above affect your daily life, a substance abuse professional who conducts alcohol and drug evaluations can offer more support and guidance. The goal of an alcohol and drug evaluation is to determine whether an alcohol or drug dependency is present and its cause(s). This makes it possible for any substance abuse professional to decide the proper course of action for recovery or intervention. In the case of dual diagnosis, alcohol and drug evaluations can address both mental health conditions and substance use disorders at the same time. At the end of an alcohol and drug evaluation, your substance abuse professional may recommend a treatment approach to help you recover. This can include but is not limited to medication, therapy, support groups, education, individual counseling, outpatient rehabilitation, intensive outpatient rehabilitation, in-patient rehabilitation, detoxing, and so much more. The resources and opportunities for tackling dual diagnosis are just as readily available as it is for someone diagnosed with just one behavioral health condition.

People often wonder whether their depression occurred independently or through substance use. To find this answer, it helps to consider how and when depression symptoms appeared. Primary depression can be identified when the depression occurs or persists even in a period or stage of stable or no substance use. Substance-induced depression can be identified when it appears after prolonged substance use and subsides/improves once substance use decreases. It’s good to know where your dual diagnosis started, but at the end of the day; no matter which condition appeared first, the most important thing to know is that both depression and substance use disorders can improve with treatment, and professional support can make a big difference in symptoms.

How AACS Helps in Virtual Alcohol and Drug Evaluations?

Whether you are an employee charged with alcohol and drug abuse or a citizen who has violated some rules under the influence of addiction, then both court and employer would ask you to undergo virtual alcohol and drug evaluation. Virtual alcohol and drug evaluations are done to treat addiction to various substances like heroin, marijuana, cocaine, etc.

Purpose of online alcohol and drug evaluation

The assessment is done to find out the behavior and pattern of drug abuse. Various other factors like mental health, social circle, relationships, education and much more can be determined through virtual alcohol and drug evaluation. The assessment is important to understand the mental thought process behind the consumption. For example, there was a hike in addiction cases because of the increased levels of stress among some people.

These days, even courts accept the final report of virtual alcohol and drug evaluation along with other major documents. Various psychometric and psychological tests are also conducted in this process. With the advancement of technology, virtual evaluation has surely made it easy for people to get the assessment done without traveling to the center.

When things get out of control and you feel like a slave to addiction, getting help from a team of expert counselors and doctors can be a great idea. AACS Atlanta has verified and licensed professionals who guide the patient in a friendly manner. Don’t wait for more and fill out the signup form for personalized online alcohol and drug evaluation. If you know someone facing an addiction problem, then refer the assessment to him or her for the betterment of society.

Different Steps in Online Alcohol and Drug Evaluations

To help the addicts in recovering from an addiction problem, alcohol and drug evaluation  is done by AACS. This counseling and assessment are important for individuals who want to get back to work after successfully completing the evaluation. When a person has charges of substance abuse against them, the court orders them to get the evaluation done. Online alcohol and drug evaluation provide the convenience of getting the consultation and assessments done by staying at home.

The evaluation process has four stages: screening, assessment, follow-up, and referral. American Alternative Court Services specializes in alcohol and drug evaluation. There is a team of doctors, counselors, and social workers who have been providing help to people in overcoming the habit of drug and alcohol consumption. The rehab service is very helpful for the local criminal justice system.

The first step of virtual alcohol and drug evaluation is screening. At this stage, various questions are asked to determine the presence of disorders and symptoms related to addiction. The questions can be answered in simple yes or no.

The second step is an assessment which involves a deep analysis of the problem and chalking out of treatment plan for fast recovery of the patient. This assessment may include questions related to family background, social life, and drug abuse history. It plays a vital role for counselors to prescribe the treatment.

Follow-up is the third step in addiction treatment. Patients must take sessions to ensure complete recovery and prevent the urge to take alcohol after the treatment.

Sometimes a person needs special help from different resources and cannot be treated with a limited number of sessions. In this case, the patient is referred to the concerned person for further process of treatment.

Now that you are clear with the steps followed in the evaluation, you may book an appointment for alcohol and drug evaluation at AACS.

DUI School (RRP) New York

You might see people talking about a DUI School New York-Risk Reduction course or Program these days. It is a court-ordered intervention program for those convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Possession of Illegal Drugs, Underage Possession of Alcohol While Operating a Motor Vehicle, or Boating Under the Influence (BUI). The assessment component is the first portion of this course. A 130-question comprehensive screening tool will be given to participants to assess the amount of an individual’s alcohol and drug usage and its impact on driving.

The intervention component is administered once the evaluation component has been completed. This component is a 20-hour course broken down into numerous sessions over several days. Because the courses are presented in a group setting, you will not be alone during this part of the DUI School Alden- risk reduction program. The intervention component aims to provide therapeutic education and peer group counseling on the effects of alcohol and drug use on driving.

Education therapy sessions are held in groups to help people comprehend the common challenges and issues that others may face due to driving while intoxicated. This is a tried-and-true method of assisting a person in recognizing substance misuse issues or triggers that may go unnoticed in their daily lives. Videos and lectures can also help people understand the broader picture of how alcohol affects the body and mind. To get a Certificate of Completion, students must complete both components of a risk reduction program.

DUI School Ballston-Risk Reduction Programs emphasize the significance of making better life decisions and avoiding situations that could lead to a repeat DUI offense in the future. Students are provided with many circumstances as they are guided toward making the best and most responsible decision. As you proceed through the risk reduction program, you will encounter numerous real-life and real life-changing points and highlights. Counselors and facilitators will also discuss recognizing triggers, surrounding oneself with the proper people, and the severe consequences of future DUI crimes.

Many attendees may hurry to get out of the program due to the high expense of classes and the amount of time they take up over a course of several days, but focusing on how much information can be gained can lead to a more significant shift in making our roadways safer places to drive. The best thing you can do for yourself or a loved one is to take advantage of all the things that a DUI School Canton-risk reduction program has to offer before it’s too late. They exist to inform offenders about the severe and long-term repercussions of DUI, hoping that they will think twice before getting behind the wheel the next time they are arrested.

Anger Management Program-New York

Anger: The emotion

Feeling angry is not a problem since it is a natural emotional response. The real trouble with anger comes into play when you lose control of your reaction to anger and respond with over-aggressive behavior. Responding to anger in such a manner can result in violent outbursts, physical altercations, run-ins with the law, abuse, and addictive behaviors in some situations. There are many cases where people try to suppress their emotions because they fear going overboard in certain angering conditions, but this is not a solution. The key to returning yourself to a natural emotional state is to strike a healthy balance between experiencing the intensity of your anger and quieting your emotions. Anger management classes can help with this and more when anger starts to get out of hand.

Anger Management

The word anger management speaks for itself in many ways. It is all about recognizing the signs of anger and learning to maintain complete control of anger situations by addressing the emotion responsibly and constructively. With an increasing rise in criminal arrests caused by angered individuals, companies created anger management classes to help individuals identify triggers and productively resolve them. Strategies taught in these classes allow individuals to express their anger and take control of it instead of suppressing it. It is possible to learn anger management techniques independently, but attending an anger management class offers a professional’s guidance and teachings as an added benefit.

Who can attend anger management classes?

A common misconception is that anger management classes are only for those under court or probation orders. In reality, many people attend anger management classes independently to find ways to cope with difficult situations in their lives associated with their emotional response to anger. Whether it’s for a court-related matter or a way of achieving personal intervention, generally speaking, anger management classes are an excellent resource for anyone struggling with anger issues. These issues can frequently result from various circumstances, including low self-esteem, underlying mental health conditions, anxiety, depression, grief, and even social conditioning.

Do I need anger management classes?

Nearly one in ten adults in the United States carry impulsive anger issues, which is why we see fights and road rage instances occurring left and right. Coping with anger issues is complicated enough on its own but acknowledging your anger and need for treatment is even more difficult. The following symptoms may be indicators of acute, mild, or severe issues associated with anger. If any of these scenarios describe any aspect of your lifestyle, you could benefit from attending anger management classes :

  • Threatening violence against people or their property when angry.
  • Engaging in physical violence or verbal abuse towards others.
  • Displaying unsafe and irresponsible behavior, such as reckless driving.
  • Getting into arguments that escalate to violence.
  • Dwelling on negative experiences or persistent pessimistic thoughts
  • Regularly facing a need to hold in your temper.
How can I find an anger management class near me?

Once you recognize anger as a problem in your everyday life, the hard part is almost over. Finding the right anger management program may take some time, but it is a big STEP in the right direction. You can contact medical providers like your doctor and licensed mental health professionals to refer you to a suitable program. Researching for recommendations and resources online is another way to ensure you have options to choose from until you can find one that best suits you. Talking to someone who has attended anger management classes in the past can help prepare you even more. Doing so gives you an idea of what you can expect from anger management lessons if you have any doubts.

How are Anger management classes structured?

Anger management classes are generally available in individual sessions and group therapy settings. With individual counseling, you can talk about your issues with your facilitator and dive deep into any underlying problems since sessions are held privately and on a one-on-one basis. This type of treatment selection allows for a more individualized approach to developing suitable strategies for coping with anger. Group therapy sessions will enable you to hear about the experiences of others, which can help you understand your anger better. These sessions also provide a support network for students in the same group going through similar situations. It is common for counselors and evaluators to pair group therapy with individual counseling to ensure that you get the support you need outside their office.

Anger management classes are structured and intended to give individuals the necessary knowledge and skills to live a happy and healthy life even in angering situations. When an individual who has completed an anger management course is willing to learn and change their habits, the strategies and techniques taught during their anger management class will be effective. It is essential to create a plan and adhere to the process learned to use these techniques in the appropriate context. Abstaining from drugs and alcohol, practicing meditation to stay calm, and reframing your emotions are all ways to complement your anger management efforts. The process can only work if you work it into your life.

ASAM Level I and II New York

ASAM Level I and II criteria describe the treatment as a continued program marked by four and maybe even sometimes five broad levels of service including early intervention. Within these five broad levels, decimal markers are used to dive deeper into the intensity of service. This gives patients the opportunity to move up or down in terms of levels of intensity without having to move to the next benchmark level of care if they feel as though they aren’t fully ready yet.

These treatment programs offer specialized services on a scheduled basis for individuals with alcohol and other drug abuse problems. ASAM Level programs also provide patients with a unique way of sharing their life stories with group members in hopes of benefiting from the input of others. As a patient goes through the different ASAM levels they will learn a variety of socially acceptable values such as self-reliance, responsibility, competency, individual achievement, individual/community protection, and the importance of the family.

Along with that and many other topics discussed through these programs, the counselors in ASAM Level treatments also play a big part. They can be beneficial in supplying information to help clients gain knowledge to make better decisions in their daily lives. ASAM Level classes cover organized non-residential services that can be provided in a variety of environments. Addiction or mental health care professionals provide professionally directed assessments, treatment, and recovery services during these classes. These services are provided at regularly scheduled meetings and follow a defined set of guidelines and procedures, as well as medical protocols.

ASAM Level classes are designed to treat a person’s clinical severity and help the person make lasting changes in alcohol and drug use behavior along with mental performance. To do this, classes are set in place to provide treatment goals and increase an individual’s ability to accomplish important living tasks without the non-medical use of alcohol or other drugs. Lifestyle, attitude, and behavioral issues are some of the things that need to be addressed during ASAM level treatment. The teachings are guided by recent discoveries and experiences in cognitive-behavioral therapy such as motivational discussions, increased motivation, solution-oriented therapies, and stages of change.

ASAM Level New York

As the number of substance abusers worldwide continues to grow, the number and type of treatment providers are also on the rise. With the help of the American Society of addiction medicine (ASAM) and their specifically designed criteria, different levels of care can be provided to substance users and abusers through ASAM courses. You will be offered individualized treatment planning, readily available access to help and services, and ongoing reassessment while under ASAM care.

By the end of the course, facilitators will be able to match treatment settings, interventions, and services to each individual’s particular problems as well as often changing treatment needs. You can trust that ASAM courses advocate for individualized, assessment-driven treatment and flexible use of services for their students.

Because patients can become lost when the help or treatment they need is not immediately available, ASAM courses also advocate for a system in which readily available medicine and therapy are encompassed. This is why ASAM courses work great for patients in outpatient care. As more patients enroll in classes to become ASAM students, the waiting lists for residential treatment have decreased, thus improving access to care.

The philosophy behind ASAM classes is that treatment can attend to multiple needs of an individual, not just their alcohol or drug use. For this to be effective, ASAM courses offer ways to address any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. We can see the importance of incorporating multidimensional assessment and treatment into these courses through these six dimensions. This allows students to use their treatment to extend beyond the simple resolution of observable habits to achieve overall healthier functioning. Students respond to treatment through new insights, attitudes, and behaviors that stabilize their condition and alter its course.

One of the many benefits of enrolling in an ASAM course is knowing that you will receive an individualized treatment plan. A consultation is done with the student to help create an individualized treatment plan. The plan can then be used as a guide to tailor to that individual’s needs. A program like this will be based on a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of the patient and a comprehensive evaluation of their family as well.

The plan goes over any problems (obstacles that hinder recovery, skills or values deficits, dysfunction), strengths (readiness to change, positive and supportive social community, strong connection to a source of support), priorities ( treatment and risk obstacles outlined and arranged according to severity), goals (guided by realistic, achievable, short term and long term resolutions), methods, and a timetable set in advance for follow-through interviews and reviews that promote accountability. Another benefit to an individualized treatment plan is its ability to help facilitate the measurement of progress in the ASAM course and after graduation.

Anger Management Program Counselors New York

Anger management programs help aid in the process of learning to recognize signs that you’re becoming angry and taking action to calm yourself and deal with the situation in a productive way.

There is a big misconception that anger management programs try to keep you from feeling anger or encourage you to hold it in. This is not true at all because anger is a normal, healthy emotion when you know how to express it appropriately. Along with learning how to express appropriate, learning behavioral skills is also an essential part of anger management.

You may learn anger management skills on your own, using books or other resources, but for many people, taking an anger management class or seeing a mental health professional is the most effective approach.

Anger management classes or counseling for anger management can be done in a group or one-on-one with your partner or peers that are also attending classes. The setting, length, and a number of sessions vary, depending on the program or counselor and your needs. Anger management courses or counseling can be brief or last for weeks or months, depending on your situation.

Improving your ability to manage anger has several benefits and can help you tremendously when practiced daily. You’ll feel as if you have more control when you’re faced with life’s challenges. In the end, knowing how to express yourself assertively means you won’t feel the frustration of holding in your anger.

Atlanta Intensive Outpatient Program(s) New York

It is not always easy to get the help you need when life requires you to work and do other things throughout the day in order to maintain. Depression, anger management, addictions, and eating disorders are examples of conditions that can be addressed through Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) without taking you away from your daily life.

Residential treatment programs require patients to live on-site whereas clients in intensive outpatient programs can live at home while still getting intensive treatment.

A safe home environment with supportive family members and friends is the best way to make sure that a candidate for intensive outpatient treatment has a smooth recovery process.

From individual and group therapy sessions to music and art complementary therapies, the care that a patient receives while enrolled in an IOP is endless and always geared towards healing.

Signs That Outpatient Is The Right Choice For You..New York

It is possible to get confused between the right options for you. Recently, many people are recommended by their professionals to go for Outpatient Rehab. The rehab for drugs now has many types of treatments for the candidates. But, if you are confused about it, some factors will help you identify if this type is the best choice for you.

  1. Your emotional and physical activities are not unstable because of drug or alcohol use.
  2. You don’t need to be supervised all day long to control your addiction from substance usage.
  3. After assessing your reports, you don’t need any type of intensive care for the rehabilitation process.
  4. Your family members, children, spouse or people in your surrounding are stable and sober people.
  5. You have decided to channel your energy into getting rid of the bad habit of drug abuse.
  6. When you are with your children, you get motivated, and it is easy to avoid the craving or trigger for substance usage.

However, if you think this can be done without any professional. Then, this is not advised; a clinical professional will be able to advise you to take the outpatient treatment better. They can also advise you on the important major level of things you should avoid.

For drug rehabilitation, people are way comfortable with this choice of treatment. There are also evidence that this type of treatment works better as residential treatment has instances of increasing the stress among the clients.

Especially in those clients when they are not severely addicted and have responsibilities on them. In such scenarios, it was seen that individuals co-operate and recover better with a supportive environment of their family. So, yes, but the individual must be dedicated to getting rid of this addiction.

All you have to do in this type of treatment is visit the clinic as advised by your professional. After that, your schedule will be made on the basis of your occupation and responsibilities. Hence, it becomes easier to get rid of the habit without disturbing your routine or missing any responsibilities towards your children.

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