Statistics are "all over the board", so to speak as to the extent of drug abuse among the spectrum of mental illnesses. Almost all clinicians, counsellors, and health professionals who are aware of the phenomenon seem to agree that the individual with, especially chronic, mental illness has a strong tendency to substance abuse, addiction, self-medication.

Dual Diagnosed? Nit picking to death--LITERALLY!!

Article by James Rist

www.blessedtobebonkers.com

Dear Forum Members,

In a previous thread on the MDJ Bipolar Forum, you will see evidence of a misunderstanding as to the use of the term "dual diagnosis", "dual diagnosed" or "dually diagnosed."

Just so that we may end the debate--opinions over what "should be" versus "what is...."

Dual Diagnosis IS officially mental illness combined with substance abuse/alcoholism/addiction. Substitute your own choice of mood or mind altering substance use, whether you choose to call it self-medication, substance abuse, alchoholism, or addiction.

http://www.psychosocial.com/dualdx/dualdx2.html

http://www.enotes.com/mental-disorders-encyclopedia/dual-diagnosis

Whatever opinion you may have, "mincing words" (semantics) is just another way to dodge the truth and a way to avoid dealing with the issue.

http://www.schizophrenia.com/family/dualdiag.html

Statistics are "all over the board", so to speak as to the extent of drug abuse among the spectrum of mental illnesses. Almost all clinicians, counsellors, and health professionals who are aware of the phenomenon seem to agree that the individual with, especially chronic, mental illness has a strong tendency to substance abuse, addiction, self-medication.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V9F-4MM29T8-3&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=cf6ca83efa5970d22893ef525a0528bc

In that spectrum of mental illness, bipolar disease is now the number one form of mental illness world wide and particularly in the United States.

The bipolar individual appears to have a disposition which resides at any given moment on a scale of emotions which ranges from euphoric pleasure to intolerable anguish. Pleasure is preferable to pain, therefore, pleasurable indulgence becomes the obsession of the manic disposition, and the lack of pleasure, on the other hand becomes the nemesis of the depressive disposition.

It is not so difficult to see a connection between bipolar disease, particularly in its chronic phase, and pleasure seeking, or merely relief seeking, through substance abuse. It is also natural for chronic substance abuse to become addiction, and all mind or mood altering chemicals tend to foster dependence if not out-and-out addiction.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Bipolar-Medicine---How-Do-You-Know-If-You-Need-It?&id=827168

The combination of bipolar disease and chronic addiction/alcoholism has a bleak prognosis--insanity, institutionalization, jail, death.

This forum is here to offer support in order to help those who are dually diagnosed bipolar addict/alcoholic to escape their bleak prognosis.

So, while you may be arguing as to what "dual diagnosis" SHOULD be, someone is dying from it.

So I suggest y'all get past the nit picking.

Okay?

With great respect for life,

Jim