Tag: Mental Illness

Dual Diagnosis Focusing on the Mental Aspect

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.

Dual diagnosis can be a sedate dispute because of the person who is experiencing the problem cant completely be treated. One of the widely accused reasons why people develop dual diagnosis is because of the mental status of the person who has failed to cope with the situation. In order to effectively treat the disease without meed expectations of a relapse, medical practitioners must have the ability to treat both disorders. That would be pretty complicated.

Co – occurring diseases are common than anyone can imagine. According to studies, there are about 50 % of drug abused people who are having an undiagnosed serious mental illness that will be more evident in the long run. Debates have been made regarding which triggered which. Statements are both true but to be able to cure something, one must focus on the preliminary reason why the person have accumulated the disorder.

Mental Illness versus Substance Abuse

Talks about the development of dual diagnosis are spoken to be caused by both. Although, the exact reason was never truly proven and is still a hanging controversy. Either road, development of underlying disorders still depends on the situation of the individual. Asking the process of which came maiden is double determining if the hen or the egg came aboriginal. Contrary to the doubts, there are confirmations that the mental commotion is the one that may be the cause of substance abuse in the individual remarking a major leap in the persons behavior.

It is stated that in order to feel somewhat peppier, more cheerful and calmer, a person must submit to substance dependence like alcohol drinking or the use of illicit drugs. This is referred to self – medication. When a person results to frequent self – medication, it may lead to psychological or physical dependency to the substances. Once this happens, the person will suffer with not just one but two predicaments which, as a matter of gospel, very debilitating on the part of the individual.

However, alcohol or drug abuse can merge further may continue when adulthood comes. This can contribute to emotional, social, again firm development of difficulties, each making its own turn on destroying a persons soul. When this happens, the person has to seek immediate help.

Usually, people who are suffering from emotional problems due to dual diagnosis tend to manifest disorders like:

Anxiety this includes the generalized terror, obsessive – compulsive behavior, paranoia also phobias.

Depression can also be associated with bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia and other personality disorders

Some of the major mental disorders that can trigger and heighten the stake for an individual to result in substance abuse are: antisocial personality disorder, schizophrenia, panic and manic disorder, depressive episodes, phobias and obsessive – compulsive disquiet.

A psychiatrist can accurately tell if the person is suffering from substance dependency or mental illness although, in the circumstances of dual diagnosis, determining which came first is difficult. It is also said that because substance abuse can mimic the conditions of psychiatric problems, the doctor have to dig deeper. Withdrawal syndrome can be mistaken as a cause of by oneself mental problem.

No matter if dual diagnosis is caused by chemical abuse or mental illness, the medical band must imitate able to treat both simultaneously. It is not advisable to treat just sole disorder because it can trigger a relapse.
Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about diagnosis.

Theories of Dual Diagnosis Prevalence

Are you looking for some inside information on diagnosis? Here’s an up-to-date report from diagnosis experts who should know.

Individuality is the barrier that makes people different. The way a person thinks, feels and acts are the things that make someone one. Some may choose how they conscious; some will uncolored go with the flow. Others may enjoy necessary will others may not even behold the slightest fun underneath it. Some people take drugs in regulation to have a haven of escape from too much stress also pressure. For other tribe, peer pressure, work pressure and boredom can trigger the illness. It is easy to generate something bad than something good because you never really have to prove yourself. This is where dual diagnosis comes in.

Theories

There are multiple theories to explicate why an individual who tends to experience severe mental disorder are very powerfully vulnerable to substance abuse. On the other hand, there are also certain explanations why co – sense of these behaviors is prevalent. Complications will be further explained through the following theories:

1. Theory of Self – medication

In this mindset, it suggests that when an individual who suffers from a severe mental illness starts to use several forms and kinds of drugs in order to relieve specific symptoms. Dealing with psychotic medication side effects are also dealt with. Meaning, substances are not primarily chosen in a random case but with good purpose.

Although, with the dependence of the secluded to the medications in regulation to alleviate the symptoms of his or her mental illness, it impression that the person can no longer continue life without having that medication. Example, nicotine is a stimulant which deals with sedation that is caused by increased doses of anti – psychotic drugs.

Although, this research is not entirely accepted because of the evidences that certain individuals use drugs the same way that person who doesnt show any sign of mental illness do.

2. Theory of multiple risk factors According to Mueser, qualified are several factors in the environment which needs attention and can cause co – existing disorders. Some of which is:

Living a life where drugs is highly available again the person can sustain the habit

Poverty and lack of resources

Lack of adult or parent supervision and responsibility

Lack of structured everyday activities

Being associated to people who are already using drugs

Isolation from the typical social norms of life

Other evidences also suggests that events in the past life which are traumatic like sexual abuse can be nowadays associated to the psychiatric problem development and abuse of illegal substances.

3. Theory of Dysphoria

The simplicity of this theory states that when a person experiences dysphoria, he or she will result in drug dependency just to alleviate or reduce the bad feelings. Research shows that this is one of the foremost motivators in why a person results to alcohol or gravity abuse.

4. Theory of Supersensitivity

According to Mueser, people who suffer severe mental disorders have psychological and biological vulnerabilities which can be regarded to hereditary causes. Connotation, those who are suffering vulnerability when a stressful event occurs in his or her elan will result to triggering a mental illness or relapses.

Some of these theories are entirely accepted by medical practitioners dealing with the client who is experiencing dual diagnosis. These theories can greatly help in the effective diagnosis and plan of treatment of the same occurring disorders.
Sometimes it’s tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I’m positive you’ll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

Prozac for Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, and Anxiety

Prozac is a medication often prescribed for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anxiety disorders. The medication is highly effective because it acts as a serotonin inhibitor, which means that it helps balance serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin levels are responsible for mood stability, depressive states, and control of anxiety, fears, or phobias.

Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that is caused by a combination of biological, neurological, emotional, and situational factors. The true causes of bipolar disorder are not yet fully understood. However, it is understood that imbalances in the neurotransmitters of the brain, such as serotonin, are partially responsible for the predisposition of bipolar disorder in some patients.

Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the patient eats excessively then purges themselves of the food they have eaten through either vomiting or induced bowel movements. Bulimia is caused by a combination of psychological and emotional factors, and in some cases environmental factors. The emotional factors relating to bulimia are very similar if not identical to factors involved with depression and low self worth issues, which are connected to serotonin levels in the brain.

Anxiety disorders are thought to be caused by erratic fluctuations in brain chemistry. Anxiety is defined as the intense somewhat debilitating feeling that something horrible is going to happen. Everyone feels anxiety at some point, but typically the normal person has a logical reason to feel anxious. With anxiety disorders, the reason for the anxiety may not be known, or it may not be logical if it is known.

Prozac is an effective treatment for bipolar disorder, bulimia, and anxiety because it controls and balances the serotonin levels in the brain. In bipolar patients, it is often prescribed in conjunction with other medications. Prozac is an effective treatment for depression, but may cause manic episodes to worsen. For this reason, Prozac is generally prescribed along with an anti-psychotic drug that helps tone down manic episodes. Therapy sessions or counseling is also generally a part of treatment.

In bulimia patients, Prozac is often the only prescription given. However, it is combined with treatment of symptoms via counseling and therapy. The idea behind this counseling is to identify why the patient has developed a sense of self-worth, and to allow the patient to learn that what they perceive is not necessarily reality. This is very helpful in bulimia patients who binge and purge as a result of how they perceive their bodies.

Anxiety patients are often prescribed Prozac with great success. Counseling may also be a part of treatment. In therapy sessions, patients may learn techniques to control their anxiety through rationalization of situations that may not at first appear rational. For example, if a patient feels anxiety over a cigarette burning in an ashtray, they can learn techniques to allow their mind to rationalize the situation and understand that there is no real danger of fire, and therefore no reason for the anxiety. These techniques are very successful in conjunction with Prozac for treating anxiety.

Overall, Prozac is an effective treatment for many mood disorders. Along with Lithium, it is often considered a miracle drug, helping patients gain stability and normal lives while living with an unstable, unrealistic view of themselves or their surroundings.

Pediatric Bipolar Versus Asperger’s Disorder

Pediatric bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that presents itself in patients as mood swings or mood cycling. Pediatric bipolar type one patients tend to experience episodes of mania alternating with periodic episodes of depression. Pediatric bipolar type two patients tend to experience episodes of depression interspersed with periodic episodes of mild mania. Depression symptoms include anger, extreme sadness, sleeping too much, and feelings of worthlessness. Manic symptoms include bursts of rage, extreme happiness, increased energy, hyperactivity, distractibility, sleeping too little, and obsessive behaviors.

Pediatric bipolar disorder is caused by a combination of neurological, biological, emotional, and environmental factors. Not all factors are present in every case, although most cases include biological and environmental factors. Little is known about the exact causes of pediatric bipolar disorder. However, advances are being made in this area.

Asperger’s disorder can be described as a mild form of autism. Actually, asperger’s disorder is a type of pervasive development disorder that can cause developmental issues, especially in the areas of communication and social development. Symptoms of asperger’s disorder include problems with social skills, odd or repetitive behavior or habits, communication difficulties, and obsession with a limited range of interests.

The causes of asperger’s disorder are not yet known. Studies show that asperger’s disorder tends to run in families, meaning that it is hereditary. This fact shows that the underlying cause of asperger’s disorder must be biological, meaning that it is either genetic or neurologically related.

Pediatric bipolar disorder can be misdiagnosed as asperger’s disorder because pediatric bipolar disorder can present itself via symptoms such as obsessive compulsive behavior, odd habits, and bouts of rage. Patients of pediatric bipolar disorder and asperger’s disorder both have symptoms that lead to lacking social development skills, educational issues, behavioral issues, and anger issues.

Pediatric bipolar can also be present in conjunction with asperger’s disorder. Typically, this is the case. It is unknown, however, if the pediatric bipolar disorder is a result of the asperger’s disorder, or if the same neurological issues that cause asperger’s disorder are related to the chemical imbalances in the brain thought to be the cause of pediatric bipolar disorder. Answers to these questions will likely come to light as research in neurological, technological and psychiatric areas continue to progress.

Medication treatments for pediatric bipolar and asperger’s disorders are quite similar. There are no medications for asperger’s disorder; however, medications exist to treat the symptoms of asperger’s disorder. Since the symptoms of asperger’s disorder, such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and anxiety, are the same symptoms often experienced with pediatric bipolar disorder, the medications used in both instances are the same.

Counseling treatments are also commonly used for both pediatric bipolar and asperger’s disorders, used in conjunction with medication or alone. Most asperger’s patients do not need medication. Counseling is required, however, to help the patient cope with their disability. Counseling treatments for pediatric bipolar disorder are considered necessary, with or without medication. These treatments can help the patient learn to recognize and correct irrational emotions or behavior.

If you notice your child exhibiting any of the behaviors mentioned in this article, you should contact your pediatrician, doctor, therapist, or other health care professional to obtain a proper diagnosis and start a viable treatment plan. Undiagnosed or untreated pediatric bipolar or asperger’s disorder can lead to