The Prevalence of Co-Occurring Disorders Essay

The Specialization chosen is addiction counseling. This paper will cover the key aspects of addiction counseling which include biological, psychological and physical aspects. As well as medical and social aspects of addiction and counseling. Addiction counseling must adhere to strict ethical codes, and the counselors need to have an understanding of addiction, and have knowledge in the various types of treatment programs. Other key aspects that are important in this specialization are the application to practice, and most important professional readiness. Addiction counseling differs from other specializations because it requires long-term care and treatment, and requires more than one form of treatment within individuals. Treating

Co-occurring disorders can be difficult to treat due to the complexity of symptoms. Both the mental health and substance abuse disorders have biological, psychological, and social components assessed throughout the treatment process. Co-occurring disorder individuals battle to maintain their sobriety as they need to find services for both mental health and support groups catering to their unique needs.

This clinician wants to open his own dual diagnosis center with substance abuse disorders and mental health disorders. Many individuals with substance abuse issues also suffer from mental health issues. This counselor suffers from the disease of substance abuse and has made it his lifelong goal to help individuals with these types of issues.

Concurrent disorders (clients with mental health and addiction) have different treatment needs for a number of reasons and one reason is that they differ in terms of their mental health diagnoses and their substance abuse. To illustrate this, consider the client who is diagnosed with anxiety and they use marijuana versus the client who has bi-polar disorder and they use cocaine (Courseware). The symptoms of their mental health are very different as are the drugs and the reactions of the drugs on their mental health (cocaine is a stimulant and alcohol can be both a stimulant and sedative depending on the amount being ingested).

The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (2002) states that substance abuse can occur in many clients who also have anxiety/stress disorders. The user believes that using alcohol or drugs will help lessen the feelings they have and somehow enable them to “cope” (The Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, 2002). Unfortunately, most users like James are unable to realize the substances are not helping their problems. Most people with alcohol and other drug use disorders who also suffer from other mental health disorders require an integrated care plan for the best chance at recovery (Sterling, Chi, & Hinman, 2011).

Individuals with a mental illness often turn to drugs or alcohol to reduce their symptoms, as opposed to or in addition to seeking treatment for their illness. This problem is much worse than previously imagined, with experts estimating 65 percent of prison inmates suffering from a dual diagnosis. The prevalence in the general population is likely very high also, thus anyone with a mental illness or substance abuse problem may find they need specialized care.

Substance abuse counseling can be a rewarding career for anyone who has a desire to help people who are battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol. A substance abuse counselor can work in hospitals, prisons, therapeutic facilities, and halfway houses. The purpose of a substance abuse counselor is to help those who have an addiction manage it. In this paper I will be discussing Texas state counseling laws and the ACA ethics code and how these two can guide my work as a substance abuse counselor. I will also discuss the characteristics of a counselor, review my strengths and any challenges I may have as a counselor, and discuss my perceptions of substance abuse that may impact my ability to become an effective counselor.

There is a spread of co-occurring disorders (CODs) seen in offenders who have committed sex crimes they include mood, substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive, antisocial, avoidant, narcissistic, paranoid personality disorders, impulse control, anxiety, and eating disorders (Guidry & Saleh, 2004). In a study done by Guidry and Saleh (2004) prevalence rates of the above mentioned CODs they include 82% were diagnosed with a mood disorder, 50% with an anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders were diagnosed at close to 40% with social phobia being the most common (Guidry & Saleh, 2004). There clinical syndromes seen in non-sexual offenders they include mania, somatoform,

I learned quite a few things from my interview with Andrea. Some good and some not so much, but overall I was able to listen and learn about a different form of social work, and the work and situations that she goes through. The person I interviewed, Andrea Gregert, is a longtime friend who went to the University of Pennsylvania, studied psychology, and now works and teaches at UC Berkeley. She 's had extensive training in clinical psychology, and has experience in substance abuse and counseling. Andrea told me that the feeling of wanting to help others has always been with her. When I asked her what helped her decide on being a social worker her response was that someone in her early life had a problem with substance abuse and it affected her because she didn’t know how to help them at the time. Her wanting to help her friend pushed her to complete her doctorate in clinical psychology. I know it must have been a difficult journey to complete her education. She knew then that she could make a difference with the education that she received. She left me with a very passionate feeling about the field, and I 'm glad that I had the ability to interview her.

Many individuals suffer on a daily basis with one mental disorder let alone multiple. Few have the resources needed to cope and can turn to other methods of improvement without thinking about the potential outcomes of addictions and worsen their condition. Mental disorders are often than not linked to substance abuse because of the stigma placed over humanity. Society places such a constricting grasp on what is considered normal that people are hiding their symptoms and attempting to mask them to get by; only causing chaos to their lives. It is easier to try an attempt to mask symptoms with alcohol and other narcotics. I chose to focus on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) mixed with Substance Abuse for the focus of this piece. All of this can be alleviated by erasing the stigma we 've placed and given these people the many methods of help they seek. One of the first things to think about is the comorbidity between abuse disorders and other mental disorders from an epidemiological standpoint. What is comorbidity exactly? The term was introduced to “refer to any distinct additional clinical entity that has existed or that may occur during the clinical course of a patient who has the index disease under study.” Which basically means when two or more medical conditions ensue simultaneously or consecutively in the same individual they are commonly said to be comorbid. 1

Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for the person with a mental disorder. When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs; these changes are what lead to compulsive drug use. Drug abuse plays a major role when concerning mental health. It is very difficult for these individuals to engage in treatment. Diagnosis for a treatment is difficult because it takes time to disengage the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness. It may also be difficult for substance abusers to be accommodated at home and it may not be tolerated in the community of residents of rehabilitation programs. The author states, that they end up losing their support systems

Diagnosis and treatment of co-existing mental disorders is an important part of recovery. Many individuals who suffer from substance abuse disorders also have anxiety, depression, or another mental illness. Identifying and treating these disorders with medication and counseling reduces a patient’s likelihood of relapse.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a serious, worldwide problem. SUD has physical, psychological, social and economic consequences (Papastavrou, Farmakas, Karayiannis, & Kotrotsiou, 2011, p. 108). In addition to SUD, many patients are simultaneously diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (Papastavrou et al., 2011). When SUD and a psychiatric disorder co-exist, it is referred to as a dual diagnosis or co-morbidity (Papastavrou et al., 2011). In the case of dual diagnoses, one disorder can worsen the other disorder, leading to an increase in relapse and decreasing the chance of successful rehabilitation (Papastavrou et al., 2011). A common dual diagnosis is that of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and SUD (Papastavrou et al., 2011). SUD is a term that refers to both abuse of and dependence on drugs

In regards to, assessing co-occuring mental health issues, the next assessment that can provide beneficial results is the use of The Substance Use Disorders Diagnostic Schedule-IV (SUDDS-IV). This assessment is generally completed in a fifty minute time frame (Hoffmann, & Harrison, 1995). This assessment is taken is through a computerized program where the clinician asks the individual the questions and then the clinician records the answer (Hoffmann, & Harrison, 1995). The assessment analyzes the demographic areas of the individuals life within a twelve month period (Hoffmann, & Harrison, 1995). One of the areas the assessment test examines is anxiety and depression.

Behavioral health disorders, which include substance use and mental health disorders, affect millions of adolescents and adults in the United States and contribute heavily to the burden of disease (World Health Organization, 2013). The coexistence of both a mental health issue and a substance use disorder (SUD) is referred to as a co-occurring disorder (i.e., a mental disorder and an SUD). (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2015, p. 32). As reported by SAMSHA, 2017, about 3.3 percent of all adults in 2014 had both any mental illness (AMI) and an SUD in the past year, and 1.0