CONCURRENT DISORDERS
A I first heard about concurrent disorders a few months ago from my doctor when I went to see him because I couldn’t sleep and had basically no energy. All I wanted to do was stay in bed, because I didn’t see a point to getting up. My doctor asked me a bunch of questions about my appetite, my motivation, and my moods. It was tough for me to talk about…but when he diagnosed me with depression, even I had to admit it made sense. Concurrent Disorder is just a really medical way of explaining what happens when you are using drugs or drinking heavily AND have depression, anxiety, or some other type of concern. S A
Why do they use the term Concurrent Disorder?
My doctor knows that I recently quit using crystal meth. He is not sure if my sleeping problems, lack of energy, constant worrying, and depression are symptoms of withdrawal from crystal meth or signs of another issue that may be surfacing, like depression or anxiety. My doctor says the symptoms of withdrawal look very similar to the onset of a psychological issue, making it difficult to decide what behaviour is related to what cause – especially when they show-up together. That’s when I learned “not being able to sleep” could be a sign of something else, like depression.
E
Does this mean withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and other drug use, or signs of a mental health issues are connected?
A You can never really know unless you go see a counselor or a doctor. My doctor told me because I have a family background of addictions, I am more at-risk of developing a mental health issue. S
Really? What makes your doctor think you are at-risk of developing a mental health problem because of your family’s background?
A My doctor knows that 90% of the time the addiction problems show up first. See, many people who experience something like depression, anxiety, or delusions will try to cope with it by using drugs, because sometimes the effects of drug use help to hide some of its unpleasant symptoms. E
Maybe I should go and talk to someone…Sometimes I think about going, but the thought feels overwhelming… I’m scared to tell my parents. What do you think about being labeled as someone experiencing depression?
A Well, first of all, my doctor has reassured me I am normal and okay. Most people will be depressed at some time in their lives as a normal reaction to high levels of stress, disappointments, loss, changes in relationships or home situations, or withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs. S What are the signs of clinical depression? A It’s normal to feel bummed out once in a while, but when you feel really crappy and it won’t
pass after a couple of weeks, it becomes really hard to get through the day, let alone go to school, have fun with friends, and talk to your parents. Anything that requires energy becomes a real challenge. For me, I just wanted to stay in bed all day, and sometimes for no apparent reason I’d feel like crying. I knew it wasn’t just an average bad mood when I realized I had stopped getting enjoyment out of anything.
E I completely understand… 22
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