Dual Diagnosis: Body Dysmorphic Disorder & Addiction

Few of us are 100% satisfied with what we see in the mirror, but those with body dysmorphic disorder fixate on what they perceive as “flaws” in their appearance. Finding these traits hideous, disgusting, and even unforgivable, those with body dysmorphia become desperate to change their appearance or hide their body from others. In some cases, men with BDD become addicted to anabolic steroids that they use to bulk up and enhance their physique. Women with BDD may depend on stimulant medications or appetite suppressants that they believe will deliver a perfect body. At times, individuals with BDD drink or use drugs simply to escape the devastating pain caused by feelings of fear and inadequacy.

At Complete Harmony, we specialize in dual-diagnosis treatment for men and women suffering from mental illness and drug or alcohol addiction. Co-occurring disorders go hand-in-hand, and must be treated together to be treated successfully.

Symptoms of a Body Dysmorphic Disorder Dual Diagnosis 

While it can occur in anyone, BDD is typically an early-onset disease with most clients presenting in their 20s. Soon, they become obsessed with minor or imagined body image issues—which eventually take over their lives. Symptoms include:

• Preoccupation with perceived flaws in breasts, face, hair, veins, or other body parts
• Belief that their body is misshapen and even “monstrous”
• Obsession with looking in the mirror
• Scratching skin or picking at scars & scabs
• Compulsive diet & exercise
• Social withdrawal
• Severe anxiety or depression
• Becoming addicted to plastic surgery
• Drinking or using drugs to escape negative feelings
• Suicidal thoughts

Experience Dual-Diagnosis Therapy at Complete Harmony 

If you or someone you love is battling body dysmorphia and addiction, it is critical to seek knowledgeable support and begin a recovery program. Treatment may include behavioral modification therapy, antidepressants, self-help groups, holistic treatment, and group or individual counseling. At Complete Harmony, our multi-modal program is tailored to the unique needs of clients caught in the grip of BDD or other illnesses beyond their control. Using traditional and alternative therapies, we care for patients from detox through relapse prevention planning—and beyond.

Learn to love yourself again. At Complete Harmony, you’ll experience non-judgmental, compassionate dual-diagnosis treatment with a proven addiction recovery success rate. Dial 866.930.4673 to begin the admissions process or share your confidential concern today.

Turning a Post-Rehab Slip Into a Learning Opportunity

At some point in your addiction treatment program, you probably felt invincible: ready to take on the world, grab life by the horns, and sing the praises of your newfound sobriety. Then you blinked. While it may sound trite, it’s true: Successful addiction recovery requires daily, second-to-second work. Let your guard down for a moment, and you could find yourself consuming the very substances you’ve been swearing off for months—or even years.

Over 60 percent of recovering drug and alcohol users will experience a relapse within the first 90 days after completing rehab, and many more relapse once or multiple times after this. The key to preventing your “slip” from becoming a full-fledged return to addiction lies in quickly recommitting to your sober life before you have time to give in to the feeling of failure. Tricks to achieving this include:

• Avoiding panic. When you make a poor choice, your first temptation may be to throw your new identity out the window and conclude that you weren’t cut out for life as a sober person. This is a lie. Remove yourself from the risky situation, find a place to think clearly, and speed-dial a therapist or sober companion.
• Making a list of the reasons you went to recovery in the first place. In the midst of temptation, it is easy to forget why you chose to get clean. Write down, in black and white, a comprehensive list of valued relationships, life goals, spiritual goals, and personal objectives. Keep this list handy today—and for future weak moments, as well.
• Being grateful for a learning opportunity. Few of us would disagree that mistakes and wrong-turns help us grow into the people we are longing to become. Without life’s difficulties, there is no opportunity for refining. When you take a sip of that drink or are tempted to use, tell yourself that this is merely a chance to look adversity in the eye—and walk away a better person.
• Keeping emotions in check. Studies show that people often relapse because they have allowed depression, sadness, anger, or stress to get out of control. Now is a good time to sit down with your counselor and determine whether anger management, holistic therapies, couples counseling, or other treatment options might be a wise and healthy addition to your sober journey and your relapse prevention plan. 
• Considering a return to treatment. If slips are becoming all-too-routine, you may simply not be ready for life after rehab. Consider re-enrolling in a residential program, committing to an intensive outpatient program, or moving into a sober house where you have accountability from therapists and colleagues.

At Complete Harmony, we offer non-12-step recovery programs and traditional treatment options for men and women of all ages. During holistic aftercare planning and therapy sessions, you will learn to identify and avoid potential triggers and prepare yourself for post-rehab success. To begin a journey to mindful empowerment, call 866.930.4673 today. Don’t allow one poor decision to derail your recovery. If you find yourself in a place of temptation and need immediate assistance, our compassionate team is here to help, 24/7!

OCD & Addiction: How Self-Medication Increases Risk

Like other mental health conditions like bipolar disorder and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can significantly increase the risk of drug or alcohol addiction. This is, in large part, because people with OCD frequently turn to self-medication to deal with the symptoms, which can lead to a dangerous pattern of substance abuse.

OCD is characterized by a repetitive cycle of obsessive thoughts that spur afflicted individuals to engage in compulsive behaviors. These obsessive thoughts can become so intrusive and overwhelming that the person feels powerless and out of control, and the compulsive behaviors represent attempts to relieve them. While the condition can be managed with professional guidance and treatments including therapy and medication, those who do not have their OCD under control often turn to alcohol or drugs in an effort to chase their obsessions away.

The OCD-Addiction Cycle

Drugs and alcohol can provide a temporary, though unhealthy, escape from the afflicted person's overpowering obsessions. This can lead to addiction, since the patient may turn to substance abuse more and more frequently in an effort to compensate for the increasingly ephemeral relief drugs or alcohol may provide. Research has also conclusively shown that while alcohol and drugs may offer short-term relief from anxiety, depression and other OCD symptoms, they actually make these underlying problems worse over time.

Get Help for OCD & Addiction 

The caring addiction counselors at Complete Harmony have extensive experience treating OCD-related cycles of substance abuse. Using cutting-edge holistic and alternative therapies, the Complete Harmony team helps OCD patients take control of their condition and more effectively manage its root causes using healthy, reliable strategies. Combining OCD therapy with addiction treatment, our program is highly successful.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with OCD-related substance abuse problems, we can help. Please contact our intake specialists to learn more or request information about our dual-diagnosis treatment programs.

Substance Abuse Becomes an Issue in 2016 Election Campaign

Drug addiction and substance abuse emerged as a hot-button issue in the 2016 election campaign after Republican candidate Jeb Bush met with hospital staff, police personnel, and recovering addicts during a stop in New Hampshire. Reacting to alarming recent statistics, Bush was quoted as saying, "It is all over the place; it is something extraordinary; it's heartbreaking."

Bush was reacting to sobering stats compiled in the New Hampshire city of Manchester, where drug abuse has become a significant problem. In the 30-day period prior to Bush's appearance, there were 102 confirmed drug overdoses in the city alone, leading to 10 deaths. New Hampshire has also seen a statewide spike in drug overdoses compared to last year, with data suggesting that emergency room visits related to drug abuse climbed more than 75 percent year-over-year.

On the Democratic campaign trail, presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first candidate to forward a substantial pledge on the issue. She is proposing a $10 billion strategy that will seek to help addicts rather than punish them with jail time, while providing frontline law enforcement personnel with more immediate access to potentially life-saving medications that can reverse overdoses.

Political perception of drug abuse and addiction is showing signs of change. In years and decades past, lawmakers tended to revert to a punitive approach: cracking down hard on offenders without paying much mind to recovery or alternatives. According to Linda Paquette, executive director of a New Hampshire nonprofit drug prevention center, "In the past, addiction was often viewed by policymakers as a moral failing." But with social media providing new tools for recovering addicts to share their stories, politicians have been taking a new view. "Minds are being changed," Paquette said.

While it will take time for top-level policy changes to have a tangible effect in the social sphere, progressive treatment facilities like Complete Harmony offer understanding insight and compassionate care that can help people slay the demons of drug and alcohol addition. If you or someone you care about is suffering, we can help. Please contact us today to discuss insurance coverage, inquire about medical detox and holistic treatment, or speak confidentially with one of our admissions counselors.