Without an accurate assessment, it is difficult to develop and follow through on an effective treatment plan for your substance abuse challenges. Effective diagnosis is the first step to effective treatment.

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Sorting out the factors at play can help map a path forward. For many people, alcohol or drug abuse may have started as a coping response to dampen or control an underlying mental health disorder. For other people, long term substance abuse tends to trigger or aggravate a mental illness. If you have a mental health challenge alongside your addiction, treating the mental health challenge is often key to long-term, sustainable recovery.

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Undiagnosed mental health conditions can drive erratic behavior, impulsive decisions, difficulty functioning in day-to-day life, and make recovery harder. Often, lacking a diagnosis, the person suffering from symptoms feels misunderstood, unheard, and alone. 

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Are underlying mental health challenges powering problematic drinking or substance abuse?

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For some people, the path to diagnosis is short and direct. If you have clear symptoms that unambiguously point to an underlying problem, it can be relatively easy to present your challenges to a mental health professional who can help you chart a path to recovery. For others, the journey is not as simple.

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The symptoms and diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) overlap with disorders characterized by major mood episodes (such as major depressive, bipolar. and schizoaffective disorder). This overlap complicates diagnosis (1). Differentiating between anxiety, depression, OCD, biploar disorder, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, and PTSD is difficult and should be done by a qualified psychiatrist (2). 

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Ten symptoms that you might indicate you need to get a diagnosis by a psychiatrist

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Do you feel that your mood changes are out of control or is your substance abuse is getting more difficult to manage? Monitoring your feelings and behaviors can be a powerful tool to determine if your challenges are sufficiently concerning that you should seek a diagnosis. Do you have one or more of the following?

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1. Manic episodes

2. Depression

3. Anxiety

4. Mood swings

5. Insomnia

6. Inability to concentrate

7. Impulsive decision making

8. Dangerous or risky behaviors

9. Frequent substance abuse

10. Substance abuse that damages your relationships or your health 

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If you have been struggling with any of these symptoms, please reach out for help. Effective help is available.

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Unhealthy decisions

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Struggling with a mental illness can drive you to take extreme measures in order to make yourself feel better. If you use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate, better understanding your underlying challenges is an important step in recovery. You don't need substance abuse, dangerous or impulsive behaviors, to get relief.

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Psychological support contributes to recovery

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Recovering from a substance abuse problem is so much more than just not using drugs. It's important to assess and understand your mental health, and to heal not only physically, but mentally from your situation.

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Effective treatment consists of the psychological support, physical support, and emotional support of the addict. Dr. Dhrymes is here to help you meet your goals, and start to live the life you deserve to lead.

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Dr. Dhrymes can help you implement lifestyle choices that will help you build sustained recovery. 

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Reach out today

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You are not alone and you don't need to go through this on your own. Asking for help is the first step towards living a healthier, brighter, more balanced life.

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Dr. Dhrymes offers substance abuse assessment and treatment via video meetings and, where needed, via home visits. You are not alone, and treatment is available. Reach out today.

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References

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(1) Cohen, L. J., Tanis, T., Ardalan, F., Yaseen, Z., & Galynker, I. (2016). Maladaptive interpersonal schemas as sensitive and specific markers of borderline personality disorder among psychiatric inpatients. Psychiatry research, 242, 395-403.

(2) Fowler, J. C., Madan, A., Allen, J. G., Oldham, J. M., & Frueh, B. C. (2019). Differentiating bipolar disorder from borderline personality disorder: Diagnostic accuracy of the difficulty in emotion regulation scale and personality inventory for DSM-5. Journal of Affective Disorders, 245, 856-860.