I am a recovered alcoholic, nearing 23 years sober. Not dual-diagnosis, but in my time I have met many that are.
I have heard thousands of people "share" about the high incidence of depression. My sister has severe depression, but neither drinks or has used drugs.
Depression is a very serious problem. Many do attempt to self-medicate, but it rarely works out well, over time. It makes matters worse, and worse.
People with depression, attempting to get/stay sober, still need their depression meds. Sadly some tell them to stop taking the drugs. But that is bad advice. We call that "giving medical advice, without a license."
@truth_seeker Congratulations on your sobriety!!!
My ex-husband (and we are still friends today) is over 25 years sober and I went to many AA and Al-Anon meetings over the years.
Every once and a while I’d hear that sort of “bad advice” from one AA (or Al-Anon) member to another, to stop taking any and all medications that may be mind or mood altering including anti-depressants or medications for bi-polar disorders or even to refuse pain medication after a surgery. Usually though an “old-timer” would pipe up and clarify AA’s position and how “we” are not doctors. I seem to recall that AA has several pamphlets addressing this issue.
The best advice I heard was to be very frank and honest with any doctor prescribing medications about one’s past with alcoholism and or drug addiction, to work with said doctor(s) to find a good balance, one that doesn’t result in overmedication or even to find a primary doctor who he or she are themselves in recovery or has some background in addiction medicine and by continuing to work the AA program, particularly Step 10.
As to pain meds, some of which can be very addictive but also sometimes are very necessary, give the Rx bottle to a spouse or close friend and let them give the med to the recovered person but only as prescribed. And once the pain is bearable/manageable, flush any remaining pills.
It is also good to use good judgement. My ex had a herniated disc and also suffered from debilitating migraines on occasion so meds were sometimes needed but he put me in charge of giving them to him.
And after getting sober and working the Steps, he finally came to terms with his past childhood sexual abuse, but in doing so he suffered bouts of extreme depression and anxiety and panic attacks so bad that it sometimes made it difficult for him to function, and so on advice from his AA sponsor, he sought help from an outside professional and took an anti-depressant that also helped with the anxiety and panic attacks and he took those for about two years. He also found a support group for adult survivors of sexual abuse and found out that more than one person he knew in AA had a similar background.
But one time he had a very bad respiratory viral infection that he couldn’t shake and was coughing like crazy for weeks. His doc at the time, who knew he was in recovery wanted to prescribe Codeine for his cough. Although he didn’t have any narcotics abuse in his past he asked the doctor if there was something else he could prescribe that wasn’t a narcotic and his doctor did.