Cross Diagnosis and Addiction

First and foremost, I am not a doctor and this article is not making any medical claims about what is happening with a person.

Narconon is a drug-free program meaning they do not do drug replacement like suboxone or methadone and nor do they put people on anti-anxiety meds, antidepressants, sleep medication, or antipsychotics. If someone goes to Narconon, it is to get 100% sober and handle their issues.

I have observed person after person who came into drug treatment and who were at one point told they had depression, or that they needed antipsychotics. I personally was told I need Adderall for my ADHD.

After these individuals got off the drugs they had been abusing, I have seen many who no longer had the symptoms of what they had been previously diagnosed with. I am by no means saying that real depression or anxiety doesn’t exist. I am absolutely saying sometimes trained professionals can mistake the symptoms of drug abuse for a mental or emotional problem.

It can become like the chicken or the egg argument. Was the person depressed and is that why they self-medicated or are they depressed because of their drug abuse? The other big problem is addicts like taking drugs as a means to solve their problems, so being put on certain prescription medications when they are actively using can create a dangerous situation where the person abuses both their medication and street drugs at the same time.

Safety comes first. Be aware of the risks of what your loved one is using, and get them the addiction treatment they need.