Concurrent Disorders

CONCURRENT D I S O R D E R S

AI 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 Why do they use the term Concurrent Disorder? A 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…

SWhat are you doing to help with your depression? A My doctor has prescribed an anti-depressant for the short-term to stabilize me emotionally, since I was feeling so depressed I was becoming suicidal.

SYou didn’t tell us about that before. A I know. Feeling suicidal is not easy to talk about. S I’m glad you told us. Are the antidepressants helping you to feel better? A Taking anti-depressants has been an important first step for my healing. I know taking medication is not necessarily right for everyone, but it is for me right now. I hope that one day I am able to feel okay and manage stress without them. I see a counselor once a week to talk things out and work on how I cope with stress. I am also drinking lots of water, eating healthy, exercising, learning relaxation techniques, and have reduced my school work load. E Do your teachers know you have a Concurrent Disorder? How are they responding? A Yes, my teachers know I have a Concurrent Disorder. My doctor has given me some information on Concurrent Disorders to share with them. This has helped my teachers to understand that when someone has been using alcohol and other drugs, it may be difficult to determine what has caused the depression a person is experiencing. They now realize symptoms of depression can last from 6 months to 2 years, depending on how long a person has used the drugs, and how much stress is in his or her life. E Is there a different type of treatment for depression depending on the cause? A No, treatment for depression is the same whether it is caused by withdrawal symptoms, related to alcohol, or other drug use or a mental health issue. E I guess when you’re going through withdrawal, it’s tough to tell whether the symptoms you’re experiencing are because of the drugs or because of the depression. How do you know? A You don’t know until you see your doctor. Be on the lookout for some of the symptoms we’ve been talking about, especially if you come from a family with mental health or addiction concerns. S I wonder how many people out there using drugs know about concurrent disorders? A I bet not that many. It’s hard enough to be honest about drug use, let alone things like depression and anxiety. It seems like we need to have conversations like this more often, and with more people. Depression: an emotional state characterized by feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy and sadness that persist for longer than two weeks

Anxiety: a state of feeling uneasy, apprehensive or worried about what might happen, often to an excessive and irrational degree

Delusion: a false, persistent, belief that is not confirmed by fact or reality Insomnia: a chronic inability to sleep

Anti-depressant: prescription medication used to treat depression by effecting neurotransmitters in the brain

Dopamine: thought to be the main chemical messenger in the reward centres of the brain, which promotes the experience of pleasure; dopamine production in the brain is increased by various drugs

Serotonin: a neurotransmitter than can be produced naturally by the brain, or synthetically through drugs, that regulates mood and produces feelings of well-being

Schizophrenia: a mental illness characterized by various symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behaviour, or paranoia

Substance-induced psychosis: hallucinations or delusions that occur during withdrawal or acute intoxication; usually it is brief, but early recognition is very important