Lithium and Heroin
Coping with Dual Diagnosis
by
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I wake up flat on my back, strapped to a bed. I turn my head to the left and see my arm tied down with two metal-buckled restraints. The same is so for my right arm and legs. I think to myself, “Not even Harry Houdini could escape this predicament!” These leather restraints have a kind of sado-masochistic air to them. They’re often one of the first things you see upon admittance to a psychiatric ward. I should know. I have made over a dozen pilgrimages to these facilities over the course of my life. I don’t intend on returning, but one never knows. I have no medical degree in psychiatric medicine. I have no master’s degree or PhD. in psychology. However, I do have copious amounts of practical knowledge about mental illness and addiction. It was earned the hard way: 16 hospitalizations, 1 near fatal overdose, and doses upon doses of psychotropic medication and narcotics. The scars that these experiences left on my soul are my diploma in human growth and development. Dual diagnosis refers to someone who has a mental illness and self medicates with drugs and alcohol. It is sometimes called a “co-occurring disorder.” As early as I can remember, I suffered from depression and anxiety. When I became a teen, I discovered that experimenting with illegal drugs seemed to make me feel better than all of the psych meds that I had ever been prescribed. Narcotics gave me a “rush,” a sense of euphoria. They quieted my racing thoughts. Psych meds did nothing to make me feel happier. Rather, they supposedly controlled my thoughts and moods in order to prevent me from having manic episodes. It took many years for me to realize that narcotics, in the long run, are destructive and that being compliant with taking psychiatric medication is the best solution for staying well. I am a believer in naturopathy. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and taking nutritional supplements are smart ways to stay well. However, sometimes using integrative medicine is the best route to stay well. Integrative medicine refers to combining “traditional” medical techniques with more holistic approaches. “Traditional” medicine refers to allopathy -treating symptoms and not really exploring the cause of an illness. This generally means taking drugs, which can cause side effects. For example, most anti-psychotic meds cause weight gain. Yes, these medicines can control symptoms associated with mental illness, but at the cost of causing insulin resistance, where the body converts sugar into fat, instead of using it for energy. The natural, holistic model tries to treat the underlying cause of the problem. It is the naturopathic belief that no one has a Prozac or Zoloft deficiency, which is causing depression. Rather, we would try to treat the body as a whole to find out what is depressing us. Natural supplements often have “side benefits.” So, that vitamin C you take to boost your immune system may also heal your gums, so that you don’t suffer from gingivitis any more. Believe me, I always try to go the natural route. Drugs are dangerous. However, my psychiatrist that I’ve been seeing for the last 31 years always stresses to me that I have a chronic mental illness which requires medication. “You need that Zyprexa like you need oxygen,” he tells me. I’ve tried natural supplements, detoxification, acupuncture, and massage therapy to help relax me. One example that comes to mind was when I tried the herb Kava Kava to help alleviate my anxiety. It worked really well. I felt calm and relaxed. I didn’t think I needed my medication anymore. I was taking Risperdal at the time. It didn’t take long before I had a manic episode, while I was still calm and relaxed on the Kava Kava. As my doctor reminded me, manic episodes come on with me like dominoes falling. One goes down. The next thing you know, they’ve all fallen. A manic episode can come on like a spark and quickly turn into an inferno. I’ve also tried SAM-e, 5-HTP, B vitamins, St. John’s Wort, and valerian. Unfortunately, I haven’t felt any soothing, calming, or well being effects from them. It’s a shame. Who wants to take drugs that cause unpleasant side effects? Life is not black and white. There’s a lot of gray. I’ve found that the best way to treat my mental illness is to live a healthy life and take my allopathic medication.
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About the Book
“Understanding mental illness and recovery is often a challenge, but Phillip Graph allows us to simultaneously explore how this occurs while also moving our hearts. Through the author's effective use of storytelling, the reader is taken on a journey to a more complete picture of various disorders and ways of coping. Through his personal disclosures and vivid descriptions, the book helps readers to explore questions that are difficult to grasp, such as how mental illness is a brain disorder, possible causes, pros and cons of various treatment approaches, underlying reasons for behaviors and reactions and even addresses the ways our culture and treatment systems help and harm. The book will be of benefit to students, practitioners, educators and the public alike. Using it as a guide, students may be more empowered to enter into the uncertain areas of their own questions. Practitioners will no doubt be encouraged to further build their awareness. Educators can employ the book as they teach basic theories and applications. Advocates, too, will find the book useful as it raises essential questions about the cultural norms and systems that impact mental health treatment in our country. The author succeeds in establishing an accessible framework that fosters thinking about essential questions regarding mental health care. As a teacher, I have read many books, and this one kept me spellbound and learning from beginning to end. I am already thinking about ways to incorporate it into my classes.” Sincerely, Dana Elmendorf, MA, ATR-BC, LPC Assistant Professor Seton Hill University Greensburg, PA 15601
About the Author
Phillip Graph lives in Pennsylvania. He has been in recovery from mental illness and addiction since 2005. He currently works for a local mental health organization. His last psychiatric hospitalization was in 1999, and he has stayed well by taking the medication Zyprexa and abstaining from opiates. He regularly shares his recovery story at local colleges, universities, and mental health facilities. His message is that dual diagnosis is not an irrevocable fate and can be overcome. Mr. Graph enjoys running, photography, and filmmaking.