Why is it that knowing as we do now from research over the years, that the majority of the patients that return to detoxes over and over again have other mental health issues going on, do we persist in only educating them on addiction.
Granted, there are those facilities at the detox level (usually private) that educate on all areas of mental health (such as information on: affective disorders, trauma, grief, abandonment issues, etc) in addition to addiction. Unfortunately, they are far and few between.
Look around Massachusetts and the majority of state funded addiction programs are based on the 12 Step Model. I am not anti-twelve step by any stretch of the imagination. However, for many patients (if not most), twelve-step is not enough in and of itself.
I remember a client in my practice telling how at a meeting he said he was having a difficult time and being told, "just go to another meeting." The fact was he had been awake for four days and had gone to seven meetings (hmmm, maybe his bipolar disorder needed to be addressed, huh?)
Those of us in the addiction field that have worked inpatient psych/addiction, I have found over the years to be much more cognizant of dual diagnosis than those counselors that have not had this experience.
"Just go to another meeting," "Get a Sponsor," is not enough for the majority of people with multiple detoxes under their belts.
When I worked at the detoxification level and did education groups on dual-diagnosis issues I never ceased to be amazed at the number of patients whose jaws would literally drop when I mentioned something about depression, or trauma and the like, and they would have a moment of identification. Education can be very powerful stuff, needless to say.
Until we have DPH (addiction issues), merge with DMH (mental health issues) such as they have done recently in New York State, we will continue to see people enter and re-enter the detox settings.
1 comment:
I am in full agreement. To me there are often other criteria to the substance abuse. I am not anti 12 step either. But with substance abuse and other disorders. Bipolar, derpression, ADD, going to just meetings may not be the only salvation for a person. I am pleased to say that through working with you, I found I had other issues going along with my substance abuse. By discovering them, they were treated. And like abstinence from substances it is the daily vigilance and awareness that will keep me substance abuse free. I may never be cured, but my "disease" and "conditions" will be treated as long as I am aware of how necessary that is to live life on life's terms.
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