What works for some doesn’t necessarily work for everyone

Running Head: WHAT WORKS FOR SOME DOESN’T NECESSARILY

What Works For Some Doesn’t Necessarily Work For Everyone

Elizabeth Wolf

Lynn University

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“The psychiatric disorder and the drug or alcohol problem may have common

causes, biological, psychological, or social. The drug or alcohol abuse itself may produce

psychiatric symptoms, and people with psychiatric disorders may develop a substance

abuse problem because the mental illness impairs their judgment, or because they try to

treat themselves with alcohol and illicit drugs” (Dual Diagnosis, 2003). The question is

why is it that 12-step meetings work for some people and not for others? What makes the

difference in needing to attend and not? My hypothesis is that dual diagnosis patients

with a primary diagnosis of a mental disorder who take their medications as prescribed,

are accurately diagnosed, and receive cognitive behavioral therapy; the urge and thought

to use dissipates because they don’t need to self medicate the chemical imbalances in

their brain anymore and are receiving coping tools in therapy just like they would if they

were attending meetings. For dual diagnosis patients whose primary diagnosis is

substance abuse meetings are where they find fellowship and in the long run these

patients might be able to stop taking their medications and still be able to stay sober and

clean.

“Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by

compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain

disease because drugs change the brain - they change its structure and how it works.

These brain changes can be long lasting, and can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in

people who abuse drugs” ("National institute on," 2010). There are many theoretical

models to addiction the medical model, the bio-psycho-social model, psychodynamic

model, social model, and moral model.

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“The disease model of addiction attempts to focus more on the biological causes

of addiction and the addict is considered to be a sick individual in need of

treatment. Biological explanations for addictive behavior have included genetic

predisposition to addiction, especially alcohol addiction, problems with brain

neurotransmitters including Dopamine and Serotonin as well as the carious

regions of the brain. Although addiction may have biological links, it is certain

that the use of addictive substances will definitely have physical ramifications and

require treatment of a sick body, which has been diseased as a result of drug

abuse. The bio-psycho-social model of addiction does consider addiction to be an

illness, but also includes perspectives of psychological, cognitive, social,

developmental, environmental and cultural nature related to substance addiction.

Hence, this model recognizes the fact that substance addiction is more then a mere

disease and that the use of drugs is induced as a result of factors existing in the

society, the peer group, a cultural tendency for substance abuse and has genetic

links. In this model of addiction, the degradation of the body as a result of

substance abuse causes disease which has to be treated along with the addiction”

(Article Editor, 2010).

Dual diagnosis is substance abuse addiction combined with a mental disorder that

is on axis I; adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, cognitive disorders, dissociative

disorders, eating disorders, impulse control disorders, factitious disorders, mood

disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders,

sleep disorders, and somatoform disorders. This excludes personality disorders and

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intellectual disabilities, which are classified on axis II. “Self-medication for a psychiatric

disorder leads to substance abuse” (Dual Diagnosis, 2003). How do you tell which one is

cause and effect? “Psychiatric disorders generally precede drug abuse and dependence”

(Dual Diagnosis, 2003). According to the The American Journal on Addictions people

suffering from a dual diagnosis 12-step involvement may causes serious issues because

they may be told that they are not clean and sober because they take medications and they

may feel they have little in common with the group. The key to dual diagnosis patients is

though to treat both the addiction and the mental illness, you cannot treat one and not the

other no matter what methodology you use, 12-step or non 12-step based, you must

address both issues for the patient to succeed and get well. Every individual has certain

methods that work best for them, so tailor treatments to work for the patient, one size

doesn’t fit all!

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References

Article Editor. (2010, August 09). Disease model of addiction versus biopsychosocial

model of addiction. . Retrieved from http://articlime.com/article091043-disease-

model-

Bogenschutz, M. P., Geppert, C. A., & George, J. (2006). The Role of Twelve-

Step Approaches in Dual Diagnosis Treatment and Recovery. American

Journal On Addictions, 15(1), 50-60. doi:10.1080/10550490500419060

Dual diagnosis:Part I. (2003). Harvard Mental Health Letter, 20(2), 1.

National institute on drug abuse. (2010, August). Retrieved from

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction/drug-abuse-addiction

Timko, C. (2005, December ). Dual diagnosis treatment in the psychiatric and substance

abuse systems. Retrieved from

http://www.chce.research.va.gov/docs/pdfs/pi_publications/timko/2005_timko_di

xon_moos_treatment_for_dual_diagnosis_patients.pdf

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Health & Medicine

What works for some doesn’t necessarily work for everyone