co-occuring disorders

 have heard that co-occurring disorders are common in mental illness.  This is defined by one or more disorders running concurrently. Typically they are (but not limited to) substance abuse and mental illness.  The basic theory is that those with mental illness seem to self medicating.  Then again it can be the chicken and the egg theory too.   I personally believe it can go both ways.  There are certain times that the illness comes first and are biologically based and others I believe some can be drug induced.  I tend to weigh heavier on the biologically based for certain illnesses such as bipolar I can not see how it is drug induced.  I think that the withdrawal symptoms from drugs and other drug related symptoms can mimic the disease however they are not a true mental illness.  I believe also that Dr.s are too quick to diagnose those with withdrawal symptoms with mental illness before they let the withdrawal wear off first.  Sometimes it is true and other times people are misdiagnosed.  Diagnosis of mental illness is so difficult in the fist place, when you add in alcohol or substance abuse it becomes even harder. I am hoping that this article will help the understanding of that it is like to diagnose a mental illness with another disease. Doctors have a practice of medicine because nothing is ever perfected.  The time it takes to diagnose properly could take years or decades.  Lets take women for instance with bipolar disorder.  As a teenager it might just be said it is their emotional ups and downs at first then if you ad drugs and alcohol into the mix the sexually promiscuous behavior and other risk taking behavior is also typical of not only alcoholism but other similar disorders.  For myself I have been diagnosed from everything from bad mood swings due to puberty and depression to borderline personality disorder.  No one ever put two and two together for at least 35 years.  Lets admit it no one goes to the Dr. when they are feeling really well and to do to the Dr. in depression it simply looks like you are depressed.  Also the Dr.s are only as good as the information you give them since I was never really honest about everything they made the best guesstimate they could.  It is not fair for me to blame them for not giving them all the information.  The stuck me on antidepressant the will help those who are bipolar swing into mania is misdiagnosed with out a mood stabilizer.  My suggestion for a proper diagnosis with a co-occurring disorder is to be completely honest with you Dr. and to use a psychiatrist for a diagnosis of mental illness. Some physicians like to dive into that area and they are not always well equipped to handle such diagnosis.  Using a mood chart you can print off line will also help determine your patterns of behavior.  Sometimes with co-occurring disorders self medicating takes precedence over anything else.  Be smart and treat yourself well you deserve it!

The exact moment in time that things go awry is what I am trying to figure out.  In the past when I drank I figured out eventually that I could not get drunk if I did not drink.  It took about 15 years to figure that one out but I got it!  Where things go wrong in my brain is a little harder to pinpoint.  My adventures with Bipolar has taken me to places I would rather not admit to.  I am not talking about depression or mania specifically- well mania but the results of.  Sexual escapades, spending fiascoes, and other fucked up twisted situations I can not explain.  I keep trying to put up fail safes so I do not end up ion the messes that we do.  I have done everything from give my checkbook to a friend to ask the banker to protect my money from me.  The fact is that I can not protect me from me.  To stop drinking I stopped hanging out in bars and I got new friends and stopped buying liquor.  That was simple (HA) enough! (insert sarcasm here) My friends try to (God love them) to tell me to just make different choices, stop the behavior or calm down or what ever else they think helps.  My response is simply- change the chemicals in my body and remove my brain and I will be just fine.  They can not in any possible manner understand what I am talking about.  So I began my journey a few years ago to figure out the EXACT moment in time things go wrong.  I can say today I believe I am like a dog chasing my tail.  I keep ending up in the middle thinking I am at the beginning.  I have begun to outsmart myself. LMFAO!  The fail safes I have put up stopped working.  I have learned enough of my behaviors that I learned to counter most of them or at least become extremely good a rationalizing so I either believe my own bullshit or have others believing it!  Genius or stupidity I am not sure.  Fun is what I think it has become.  I learned a long time ago that alcoholism is cunning, baffling and powerful.  I say its got NOTHING on Bipolar Disorder!  Don't get me wrong I love myself today and appreciate the things and people in my life however I think that both alcoholism and Bipolar Disorder have me down for the count sometimes!  I can not see myself  EVER giving up on trying to figure out the exact moment in time thing switch over in my brain!  Please share with us your experience I wan to hear from others the things you go through in helping to figure out your own puzzle!!!!