Double Trouble
When someone experiences both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, it is called this.
What are co-occurring disorders?
The main goal emphasized throughout Seeking Safety is found right in its name.
What is safety?
Constant worry, racing thoughts, and feeling on edge can be symptoms of this.
What is anxiety?
Slowly breathing in and out to calm yourself is an example of this.
What is deep breathing/a coping skill?
Your anxiety is increasing and you notice that cravings usually increase shortly afterward. What should you do?
What is use coping skills/reach out for support early?
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder are examples of these types of conditions.
What are mental health disorders?
Seeking Safety addresses both trauma/PTSD and this problem at the same time.
What is substance use?
Loss of interest, hopelessness, low motivation, and persistent sadness may be symptoms of this.
What is depression?
Naming five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste is this type of technique.
What is grounding?
You're having a difficult mental health day and someone offers you alcohol or drugs to “take the edge off.” What is the safer response?
What is refuse and use a healthy coping strategy/support?
Some people use alcohol or drugs in an attempt to reduce anxiety, depression, traumatic memories, or other uncomfortable symptoms. This is commonly called this.
What is self-medication?
Seeking Safety focuses on coping with trauma in the present rather than requiring clients to describe these in detail.
What are past traumatic experiences/memories?
Nightmares, intrusive memories, avoidance, and hypervigilance may occur with this disorder.
What is PTSD?
Calling a sober support instead of isolating when you're overwhelmed is an example of doing this.
What is reaching out/using support?
You haven't been sleeping, you're becoming increasingly irritable, and you're isolating. You haven't used, but you know something isn't right. What should you do?
What is tell someone on the treatment team and address the symptoms early?
Treating only the addiction while ignoring significant mental health symptoms can make maintaining this more difficult.
What is recovery/stability?
Emotional, physical, relationship, and environmental safety are examples showing that safety involves more than simply avoiding this.
What is physical harm/danger?
Someone becomes irritable, stops sleeping well, isolates, and begins thinking about using. Instead of assuming these symptoms mean only one thing, treatment should look at both these areas.
What are mental health and substance use/recovery?
Someone says, “Getting high is the only thing that shuts my brain off.” Instead of simply removing the substance, recovery requires developing these.
What are alternative/healthy coping skills?
You get into an argument and immediately think, “Screw it. I'm getting high.” What should you recognize before acting?
What is the thought/urge is a warning signal, not a command that has to be followed?
“My depression makes me want to use, but when I use, my depression eventually gets worse.” This describes this type of relationship between mental health and substance use.
What is a cycle?
A person says, “Talking about everything that happened to me right now makes me want to use.” Seeking Safety would prioritize developing this before deeper trauma processing.
What are safety and healthy coping skills?
A client thinks, “I'm having a terrible mental health day, so my recovery must be failing.” What important distinction should the client recognize?
What is struggling with symptoms does not automatically mean recovery is failing?
You're overwhelmed, angry, experiencing trauma reminders, and suddenly have a strong craving. Name THREE safe coping responses you could use before making any major decision.
What are grounding, breathing, contacting support, leaving a triggering environment, delaying action, attending a meeting, distraction, mindfulness, talking with staff, or another healthy coping strategy?
You are six months sober when a traumatic reminder causes intense emotions and cravings. You think, “After six months, I shouldn't still feel like this.” What would be a healthier recovery response?
What is recognize the trigger, practice safe coping, seek support, and understand that difficult symptoms can occur without requiring substance use?