AguiLeon Health Tech

Substance abuse disorders (including alcohol and prescription drugs) frequently co-exist with depression. Substance abuse must be discontinued in order to clarify the diagnosis and maximize the effectiveness of psychiatric interventions. Additional treatment is necessary if the depression remains after the substance use and withdrawal effects have ended. Individuals or family members with concerns about the co-occurence of depression with another illness or chemical dependency, should discuss these issues with the physician. Many factors can contribute to depression. Some people become depressed for a combination of reasons. For others, a single factor appears to trigger depression. Some become depressed for no apparent reason. Regardless of the cause, depression needs to be diagnosed and rated. Check any symptoms experienced for more than 2 weeks. If four or more of the symptoms for depression or mania have been checked, physical and psychological evaluation by a physician and

How many legitimate definitions of addiction are there? There are hundreds-literally hundreds. Which one is the best? Actually, there are several good ones. Read on. Morse & Flavin's (RM Morse,DK Flavin JAMA, 1992 Am Med Assoc) definition of addiction represents the one traditionally utilized by treatment centers and substance abuse counselors. It is very good and touches all of the bases. Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 68, No.8, Morse & Flavin defined addiction thusly (paraphrased for simplicity): Addiction is a primary, progressive, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over use of the substance, preoccupation with the substance, use of the substance despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1994)