Program & Services

Addictions and Emotions

Experts say that people with addictions may need to deal with mental issues.

Most people who have an addiction problem also have an emotional problem. The problem might be depression. It might be anxiety. It could be an eating disorder. It's called "dual diagnosis." This means two problems at once.

A related emotional problem can make it hard to fight an addiction. This can really happen if you're doing it on your own. That's why the two issues should be treated at the same time. It's called dual recovery. It offers real hope.

Treatment

You may hear the message that you need to get clean before you can work on an emotional problem. That doesn't always work. Getting help for an emotional problem can help your addiction recovery. Treatment for both can help you break the link between feeling sad and using substances.

You also may have heard that using prescription medication is as bad as abusing a substance. That's not true. Such pills don't make you high. They're given in a controlled way. They help you feel normal.

Steps to Take

A good first step to take when getting help for an emotional problem is to learn more about it. Research it on the Web. Read a book about it. A professional evaluation is needed for mental problems. You don't have to take medication or go to therapy if you feel uncomfortable with either of those options. Just finding out more may be helpful.

Some people worry that a diagnosis will mean they're crazy. They may believe that they'll be taken to a hospital against their will. They may be afraid of medication. They may think therapy is only for weak people. These are not true. You can turn to new medications. You can turn to psychotherapies. You can turn to self-help groups. Books can help with emotional problems.

You may wonder which problem came first. Experts say answering that question isn't as important as following this rule.

A Typical Story

Here's a hypothetical story of a person diagnosed with both problems who decided to get help:

Kevin is a manager who's terrific at his work. He began having a drinking problem in college. He graduated from college and began spending too many nights entertaining clients. He knew he had a problem because he always ordered more drinks than others. He started to drink even before going out. He tried to find help through his company's employee assistance program. They referred him to a psychiatrist for an evaluation. Kevin was surprised to find that the psychiatrist diagnosed him with a mood disorder called hypomania. He was also diagnosed with an alcohol problem.

Hypomania causes high moods. It causes racing thoughts or speech. It increases activity. It causes irritability. It takes away the need for sleep. The symptoms can lead to poor decisions. Many people with hypomania become addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Kevin knew his moods could be strong. He never knew there was a name for it. He did not know that pills could help. He went to Alcoholics Anonymous. He took the medication his doctor prescribed. He was able to get control over his alcohol problem. His moods became more stable. He also learned that hypomania can run in families. Kevin felt lucky that it was caught early.

Common Emotional Problems

Here are some common problems that addicted people may have:

• Depression. Feeling down and blue. Being unable to shake loose from it.
• Posttraumatic stress. After surviving or witnessing a physically harmful experience.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder. You feel the need to keep doing some action over and over.
• Generalized anxiety. Trouble with nerves. This may feel like a lot of worrying. Or a lot of physical problems.
• Phobia. Your fear of something causes big problems in your life.
• Eating disorder. You use food to deal with emotional pain.
• Personality disorder. You relate to others in ways that cause serious problems.

Everyone has some emotional issues at times. A disorder means you have an ongoing problem that gets in the way of living a normal life.

How to Get Help

There are a lot of ways to get help. Contact your employee assistance program. Call a mental health center. Try the Yellow Pages for listings under mental health. Several national nonprofit organizations can give you information.

The most important thing to know is that you have choices. You can take medication. You can get therapy. You can join a self-help group. Just learning about an emotional problem may be helpful. You can decide from there if you want to do more.

You may not want to hear that you have another problem to deal with if you're already dealing with an addiction. Some dually diagnosed people actually feel a sense of relief to get a diagnosis that puts them on the path to a true recovery.

For More Information

National Institute of Mental Health
(800) 647-2642
www.nimh.nih.gov

American Self-Help Clearinghouse (support groups)
www.mentalhelp.net/selfhelp

Center for Mental Health Services
(800) 789-2647
www.mentalhealth.org