At Fairwinds Treatment Center, we know that people struggling with addiction are at an increased risk of suicide, because of the mental health issues that have often triggered or exacerbated their substance abuse problems. That's why we use our unique dual diagnosis methodology to treat patients' physical dependencies along with psychological and/or emotional conditions that may have previously gone undiagnosed, such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.
Unfortunately, too few addiction specialists actively address the profound connection between mental illness and addiction, so we were pleased to read a recent study identifying depression as a key factor in determining an addiction sufferer's risk of suicide. The research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, identified these four characteristics as predictors of self-harming behavior among those struggling with dependency:
- The first drug a subject used was alcohol or marijuana.
- The subject attempted suicide before becoming addicted.
- The subject was depressed before becoming addicted.
- The subject's family has a history of addiction.
Since Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef founded Fairwinds Treatment Center in 1989, he has employed our dual diagnosis methodology to address patients' mental, psychological and emotional issues as well as their physical addictions. Treating a chemical dependency without also examining its underlying cause is like giving a patient with pneumonia cough syrup and hoping that the bacterial infection in their lungs clears up on its own. We use a combination of clinical treatment and therapeutic counseling to encourage total recovery, inside and out.
If you or your family member needs help, there is no better place to find healing than Fairwinds Treatment Center in Clearwater, Florida. If you'd like more information, call (727) 449-0300 or (800) 226-0301 today.
