Laura Zera

Depression as a Dinner Table Topic

This week, I’m using my airplane-exit-row hands to direct you over to Matthew Peter’s blog. A fellow mental health services consumer and wellness advocate, Matt has been an important voice in the conversation and education around dual diagnosis (which he wrote about on my website back in June). I’m grateful that he’s created space for me to highlight something I feel quite passionate about, and that is the need to extend the “depression conversation” to include your kids if you’ve got a case of it in your home. It may not sound like a good idea initially, but I explain my rationale here: Depression as a Dinner Table Topic.

Thank you for reading and sharing!

Travel: Marble Canyon, British Columbia

By Laura Zera 18 Comments

We often hear that the journey is as important as the destination. That adage proved itself truer than ever last week while driving from Calgary, Alberta to Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia and we killed the ignition for a spell at Marble Canyon. From the road, it’s as inauspicious as a regular rest stop, but walk a few feet down the path and it soon becomes clear there’s more to experience than a pit toilet.

Part of Kootenay National Park, Marble Canyon once lay under a kilometer (that’s 0.6 of a mile) of glacial ice. Thousands of years of melting and erosion have carved a narrow channel between the dramatic rock walls, a pipeline for the turquoise water of Tokkum Creek to barrel through and meet the Vermillion River at the bottom.

Not too far away, a new fossil find has paleontologists excited, and rightfully so. After the initial excavation, they estimated that 22 percent of the observed species were new to science, while others had only previously been seen in China’s multi-million-year-old Lagerstätte (how’s that for a cool word?).

On my walk, tree skeletons served as reminders of forest fires past, while new growth, shrubs and wildflowers peppered the landscape, reassurance of Earth’s regenerative powers. Giant slabs of petrified wood lined the path, their layers perfect and even, and the Canadian Rockies loomed. I couldn’t help but feel very, very small.

Have you ever found an unexpected gem like this in your travels?

Tips and Tools for the Sensory Defensive, Part I

By Laura Zera 11 Comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote about what it means to be sensory defensive. The basic definition, as provided by Dr. Sharon Heller in Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight, is this: “sensory defensiveness is a condition that encompasses a constellation of symptoms, including tension, anxiety, avoidance, stress, anger, and even violence, that result from aversive or defensive reactions to what most people consider nonirritating stimuli.”

As promised, this post is a summary of Dr. Heller’s recommendations for living well in an overstimulating world. Whether sensory defensive or not (I am in some areas, not in others), her tools are helpful for everybody, and I highly recommend the book. Dr. Heller has covered all the bases, and created a timeless guide for a healthy life.

Your Sensory Diet

The last part of the book is divided into two sections, “Your Sensory Diet,” and “Removing Treatment Obstacles.” These bullet points will highlight information from the first section. I’ll save the latter section for a future post.

Jot down (and rate from 1-3) the objects, people and/or situations that stress your senses and which you find yourself avoiding. Heller provides a list, but you could do just fine if you aim to be specific when you create this inventory.
Get used to body scanning for tension throughout the day. Start at the feet or head, and go up or down. Where do you feel tight, clenched, compressed, etc.? Are you frequently tense? Once you’ve found the tension, part of the exercise is to let go of it by allowing that part of your body soften.
If you have severe sensory defensiveness, seeing an occupational therapist (OT) could help. Seek one who is a specialist in sensory integration.
Engage in proprioceptive activities (“priming the pump,” as Heller calls it). Deep pressure on your body and heavy work that engages your body helps you feel grounded. This can be done in many ways, such as house work, exercise, standing in front of a wall and pushing into it with straight arms, or pushing your hands together in prayer position. What you are doing is stimulating the brain’s cerebellum, which communicates with the reticular activating system to inhibit arousal to a normal level. Our bodies were designed for movement and exercise. Heller points out how active our early ancestors were, and that exercise purges stress chemicals and helps organize the brain to do its job effectively.
Slow down the music and turn down the volume. Music that is fast and loud creates internal chaos for the sensory defensive. Perhaps even try baroque or New Age music, which shift brain consciousness toward alpha waves, enhancing overall well-being (I’ve been listening to alpha wave music for six months and it has made a giant difference for me!).
Chant, hum or sing. It creates vibration in the upper body that leads to deeper breathing, a more relaxed jaw and throat, and released tension.
Replace your lightbulbs with the full-spectrum variety. They’re available for fluorescents, too. (Heller includes a fascinating section on light therapy, e.g., the work of optometrist John Downing and the Lumatron phototherapy device.)
Carpets, paints, cleaning products, self-care products, etc. should all be as chemically free as possible. Besides the fact that chemicals are far from harmless, they can set off olfactory alarms for the sensory defensive which others are able to ignore. (I adore the smell of essential-oil-based stuff, but can’t tolerate perfume at all).
Pay attention to your physical environment. Feng shui your home to allow natural flow of energy (de-clutter!), and choose paint colors based on mood impacts (this information can be easily found online; green has the most restful effect). Also, escape to nature as often as you can, and bring nature into your home.

The important thing to remember is that there is science behind these tips. Brain waves, pulse, breath, etc. have been measured and compared when exposed to different sensory inputs, such as fast, drum-based music versus music with a slower (or no) beat, and different types of light. And while some of us might be painfully aware of our adverse reactions to some stimuli, others may have been living with the discomfort for so long that we have accepted it as “normal.” I invite you to play with this information: take a baseline of your body’s stimuli responses, incorporate some changes into your sensory diet, and see what happens.

Have you incorporated any of these types of changes into your daily life? What effects have you felt?

Travel: Leavenworth, Bavaria’s Cutesy American Cousin

By Laura Zera 15 Comments

When bored urban planning committees “seek to revitalize,” places like Leavenworth are born. What this means for the easily distracted is that all we have to do is drive two hours northeast of Seattle, and gesundheit, we’ve hit Bavaria-land, a place where beer and sausages reign supreme. It’s where even the banks, gas stations and fast food restaurants have to abide by the gingerbread-house building code. And where goats mow the grass (although they find the whole thing a bit much, too), and idiot tourists pet the goats (yes, that’s my hand in the photo; at least my fingers are tucked in).

Lamenting our historical lack of local road trips, I planned a two-night mid-week stay for the height of the hot in Leavenworth, when hiking, rafting and inner tubing are the activities du jour. In the week leading up to it, forest fires broke out in several surrounding areas, and a stretch of Highway 2 into town was closed. We took the alternate, equally easy, and beautiful route through Blewett Pass, and arrived just as the only storm front the area will probably see for the summer moved in.

Screw gingerbread house, how about gingerbread Academy Awards? — Screw gingerbread house, how about Academy Awards?

Unenthused by the rain, we didn’t hike, but the helpful woman in the tourist information office gave us a good map of the trail options, and knew enough about inclines and durations to help us pick what would have been an appropriate route for our criteria. Nor did we inner tube down the Wenatchee River; I was all ready to go had there not been thunder and lightning. The intel on tubing, however, is that some companies want you to drive 10 miles to Cashmere, then float to Leavenworth, at which point they’ll shuttle you back to Cashmere, but there are outfits who start by shuttling you upriver, so you float right into home base. We were going to go with Leavenworth Outdoor Center, who also seem to offer a longer float if you start before 2 pm than some of the other places.

We didn’t mind that our visit lost all structure as soon as the skies opened up; a sleep-in and slow breakfast are never a bad thing. In between rain showers, we walked the streets and supported the local economy by purchasing consumables (divine creations from Schocolat, and our new favorite soap from The Bubblery). If you’re a trinket collector, Leavenworth is loaded. It has a nutcracker shop, with the Nutcracker Museum upstairs, and between all the boutiques, you can easily find the words “man cave” on any object you desire: Mug? BBQ apron? Golf bag? Check, check, check. Vessel in which you put the blood of your best hunting buddy to hold sacred the time you shot your first squirrels together? I have no doubt it’s there on the shelves, too.

Leavenworth goat 1a — Which way to the Alps?

All in all, the town is novel and the setting scenic. It’s an accessible location for anyone coming from Seattle or B.C., and would make a fabulous spot for a family reunion or trip with the kids. (We heard it’s jam-packed on weekends, so were glad to be there mid-week. It also gets extremely busy for Oktoberfest, of course.) But for the same reasons I can’t stomach the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas—or Vegas itself, to be honest—I found myself more drawn to the mountains around it than the town itself. In that sense, I guess, Leavenworth has something for everyone, whether made by man, or Mother Earth.

Have you ever been to a theme town? Or a place that was unique in its consistency of character? Please share!

PNWA 2014 Writers’ Conference: When Zen Sets In

By Laura Zera 17 Comments

This July’s PNWA Writers’ Conference marked my third go, and while I learned six cups of coffee, three glasses of wine, a gallon of water, two Advil and a 90-minute “recovery” massage worth of stuff, the most important bit of enlightenment from it all was this: I’m still in it. What I mean by those four trite words is that for the first time, I recognized, and congratulated myself on, my commitment to writing this book. Persistence. Thick-skin building. Dedication to honing my craft. Call it whatever, but in and of itself, Year Three was a gorgeous accomplishment.

In 2012, I was a conference newbie, excited by other people’s excitement (that includes writers, speakers, agents and editors), but feeling uncertain with regard to my ability to write a really good memoir. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I still had five months to go before I would even complete the first draft, and it lived up to Anne Lamott’s expectations in every way, shape and form.

In Year Two, mild embarrassment took hold: “Yeaaah, I’m still not done, but soon, I hope!” I told myself I should have had the book completed by then, and doggone it, 2013 was the last time I’d be pitching that sucker. As always, the conference was fantastic, and then I went home and promptly developed writer’s block from all of my self-imposed conditional thinking (my writer friend Molly Greene picked up on this in an email, immediately called me, and imparted this wisdom: “Since when does how you feel have anything to do with what you need to do? Get writing.”). Tough love works; back to it, I hustled.

This year was different, starting from about February, when I really began to study mindfulness, and even practice it sometimes. Bestest thing ever, after pugs. By the time the writers’ conference rolled around, I had both supinating feet on the ground, and my head neither lived in the clouds, nor hid in my ass. I was comfortable in the knowledge that I have now written a good manuscript—it’s not really good yet, but with the right help, I can get it there. I also have the experience of “being in the biz” (sort of) long enough to more easily navigate the terrain, and am realistic with regard to what I can expect. And happily, I’m finally enjoying the writing journey. What stops a large number of book writers in their early days is pure, high-grade neuroses. But Year Three, people! I’ve waded through. I’m still in it.

Enough about me, let’s get to conference highlights. I attended a number of workshops, and this is my chance to give a shout-out to some of the presenters, and share some bits.

The Many Ways to Be a Writer – Laurel Saville

Writers can get stuck thinking that the only path is to earn an MFA degree, get published in a few lit journals, write a book, and get on Oprah. There are other ways to practice the craft, and earn money, including work-for-hire books, specialty publications (niche topics), corporate communications, and blogging. Also, volunteering to write for non-profit organizations can be a win-win, because you gain both clips and networking opportunities with board members.

From Slush Pile to Printed Page: Giving Your Poems, Short Stories, and Essays the Best Chance for Publication – Tanya Chernov

A former editor at the Los Angeles Review, Tanya emphasized the importance of taking a fresh approach to old topics, and building familiarity with a publication before you submit to it. You don’t need to subscribe to everything, but in 30 minutes on their site, you can usually read enough of what they’ve put up digitally to know what it’s about. Be wary of publications that charge reading fees. Finally, two good website tools for researching publications and tracking submissions are Duotrope.com and Newpages.com.

Moment-by-Moment Character Development – Terry Persun

Consider character development in a three-level fashion. Level 1 is “the police report,” e.g., height, weight, eye color, location, clothing, etc. Level 2 is “the military report,” e.g., what are the character’s skills and talents, quirks, beliefs? Finally, Level 3 is “the psychological report,” e.g., the character’s feelings, motivations, dreams. Know your character before you start to write so you understand how they would respond in a given situation.

Clean Up Your Manuscript Before You Submit – Cherie Tucker

The definitive grammar resource is the Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin, 10^th or 11^th edition, Cherie says. An ellipsis is for a partial quote or a trail off, THAT’S IT! For an interruption, use a dash. There is no “alright;” it’s “all right,” TRUST HER. “Further” is deeper, “farther” is distance, “exact same” is redundant, and if you “feel badly,” it means you have Novocaine in your fingertips and can’t read Braille (“feel bad” is the correct usage).

Takin’ It to the Street… Team – Sabrina York

In the book world, street teams are marketing volunteers, made up of fans, other authors, reviewers, etc. Set up a secret Facebook group, only invite as many people as you can effectively manage, make it fun, ask them specifically for what you want, and give them things (blurbs, tweets, etc.) they can cut and paste. Use your street team to spread out your efforts. Members can go lots of places you can’t, like libraries and bookstores in Omaha (unless you actually live in Omaha). Finally, start them out with a welcome packet that lists the benefits of being a team member, e.g., using their names in books (as character names, or in the acknowledgments), prize drawings, swag, first look at ARCs, etc.

My last words (not!): As writers, we tend to be incredibly hard on ourselves. My advice to those who are in Year One or Two (or Three, or Seven, because really, nobody is counting except you), and still working on their book manuscript, is the same advice my dad ripped off from Winston Churchill: Never, never, never give up. The Boston Tunnel Project wasn’t completed in a year or two (or three, or seven). Go to conferences, learn, write, learn, write, learn and write. And if you’re in the Northwest, or have a desire to visit, make sure to hit PNWA’s 2015 Writers’ Conference, which will celebrate the organization’s 60^th anniversary. I’ll be there with bells on. Very soothing, mindfulness-inducing, zen-like bells.

Were you at PNWA 2014? What did you think? Or have you been to any other writers’ conferences recently? I’d love it if you shared your experiences in the comments.

Mental Health: What Is Sensory Defensiveness?

By Laura Zera 25 Comments

I’m currently reading a book called Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight by Sharon Heller. Sounds like erotica, I know, but it’s actually about what it’s like to be a sensory defensive person in the world, and how to cope. My coach recommended it a few weeks ago after I told her how spending a half day in a noisy, busy hair academy (chosen because it was cheap), getting my gray colored over AND foils AND a haircut, left me completely shattered. My plan had been to go to my office afterward and work for the rest of the day, but when I got there, I lay curled in fetal position on my beanbag chair for 30 minutes before I could even attempt to look at words on a page. I considered shaving my head and getting a nice wig, rather than ever go through that kind of torture again (I have way too much hair; the foils pushed me over the edge).

A surge of books and articles have been written recently about what it means to be an introvert; as it turns out, the concept has historically been rather misunderstood, so the material filled an information need. It helped a lot of people, me included, understand why we have no problem engaging with groups of people—leading meetings, facilitating workshops, public speaking, etc.—but then require anywhere between hours and days of quiet time to restore our energy balance. Many of us have also heard of highly sensitive people (HSPs), a term introduced by Dr. Elaine Aron in 1996. But sensory defensive? That’s a term we don’t see kicked around as much, even though it has been around since the 1960s (although called “tactile defensive” until the 1980s).

As defined by Dr. Heller, “sensory defensiveness is a condition that encompasses a constellation of symptoms, including tension, anxiety, avoidance, stress, anger, and even violence, that result from aversive or defensive reactions to what most people consider nonirritating stimuli.” The stimuli can include anything from irritation to tags in clothing, to touching dirt, to an aversion to cutting your nails, to getting carsick.

There’s some science behind why some people can find themselves with this condition. Three particularly important senses are involved, and those are the “proximal,” which tell you what’s going on inside your own body: 1) the tactile system, responsible for information on touch, pain, temperature and pressure, 2) the vestibular system, which involves inner ear structures and is used to detect movement and changes in the position of your head and 3) the proprioceptive system, which provides feedback from your muscles, joints, and tendons that enables you to know your body’s position in space. Then, these three sensory systems send messages to the three parts of your brain: 1) the brain stem, or primitive brain, 2) the limbic system, or emotional brain, and 3) the neocortex, or thinking brain.

When integration is lacking between the proximal systems, and/or connectivity blips in the three brain parts make it difficult for the brain to organize the inputs from the proximal systems, you find people who are sensory defensive. This isn’t to say that the other senses – touch, vision, hearing, smell and taste – aren’t also involved. Oh yes, throw them all into the sensory defensive stew!

From the reading I’ve done about introverts, HSPs, empaths, people with anxiety disorder, and the sensory defensive condition, there is an unsurprising amount of overlap in symptoms and traits. In fact, sensory defensiveness is often misdiagnosed as anxiety, Heller writes. And, it largely boils down to one core concept: our brains receive and process signals differently, then tell our bodies how to respond. For whatever reason—biological, environmental, psychological—some people’s brains and bodies respond in a more dramatic way than others. That could range from having physiological reactions of nausea, headaches, etc. to stimuli such as light, smells, and touch, all the way to a fight-or-flight cortisol spree, which, while unpleasant at the moment of occurrence, also has long-term health implications.

Having read about a third of the book so far, I’m not convinced either way yet as to whether I’m sensory defensive or not, and while I may be, I’d certainly fall in the “mild” category in terms of symptoms (some with this condition find things such as the sound of a bag of potato chips being opened excruciating!). However, I’m about to get into the tips and tricks section for how to cope as a sensory defensive in a stimulating world, and given that I do know I’m an introverted empath who has had anxiety disorder, something tells me the information will be useful in some capacity or another! I will be sure to share the highlights in a future blog post.

Have you had experience with sensory defensiveness, or any of the other conditions I’ve listed? Whether diagnosis-driven or anecdotal, I’m interested to hear stories of your experience in a world that can feel too loud, too bright, too fast, too tight.

Female Solo Travel in the Digital Age: Just Flipping Go

By Laura Zera 18 Comments

While the Internet can be given credit for revolutionizing oh-so-many things, one of the biggies is travel. How the heck did we do it, back in the old days? When we relied on outdated, five-pound printed guide books? And made international calls from telephone booth pay phones? (Or, maybe like me, you just “disappeared” for six or eight weeks at a time.) What about before the age of smart phones, when we had to wait for seats in “stinky internet cafés with sticky keyboards?” (wait, that’s a line from my book.) Note to the World Wide Web generation: Travel used to be even harder than walking up the hill both ways to go to school.

Arguably, the demographic which has benefited the most from technology is that of the female solo traveler. A recent report-slash-marketing-release by Booking.com (in PDF download format) cites that half of the women asked said they’re more likely to travel alone than they were five years ago. And a 2011 study done by CAP Strategic Research found that women represent the fastest-growing segment of both the business and leisure travel market.

When you consider the process involved just to agree on a restaurant or movie with your best friend and/or partner, the fact that female solo travel is on the rise is very good news. From my own personal research, whenever a woman has said, “I’d love to go to X,” and I then ask, “Why don’t you?” the answer that usually follows is that they have no one with whom to go. Skipping the prom that is your life because you don’t have a date is pure tragedy. Carpe diem. Or YOLO, if you’re part of the Web gen. Whatever your age, just flipping go.

Another heartening piece of information that emerged from Booking.com’s survey is that the women involved said they feel more empowered and confident from traveling alone. You only have to do it once, and then you know you can do it again (except if it’s a zip line over the Nam Song river in Vang Vieng, Laos, your hands are wet, and you’ve had beer, then, unless you desire a purple thigh, you should stop after the first time). Plus, think of the mental doors that solo travel opens. Go ahead, finish this sentence (in the comments below): “If I can handle a trip by myself, then I know for sure that I can totally slay ___________.”

On the more serious side (only for a second), before a woman hits that “Book” button, security considerations will come to mind. Of course, the market is already responding accordingly. You can now purchase a lightweight, packable door security device from DoorJammer.com (but must everything be compared to an iPhone for scale nowadays?! What happened to using a pencil sharpener?). Some hotels have even dedicated entire floors as “ladies only,” complete with restricted access and cotton-candy-colored décor. This move has already been deemed discriminatory by a court in Denmark, however, with the CEO of the hotel involved, Bella Sky, now deciding to open the floor to all guests, saying, “If for some reason a male guest should find it interesting to stay there in the pink environment, they are welcome to do so.”

Friends with Fallopian tubes, have you traveled alone? Or would you? And what are your reasons?

Mental Health: Dual Diagnosis and Effective Treatment

By Laura Zera 22 Comments

The comorbid existence of a mental illness and a substance abuse problem is called “dual diagnosis.” Until recently, I hadn’t read or heard too much about it, beyond its basic definition, but was interested to learn that the condition brings about its own set of treatment considerations. Today, Matthew Peters is here to share his personal experience and insights with regard to dual diagnosis. I’m grateful for both his courage and willingness, because sharing our stories is the fastest path to reducing stigma and shame. I hope you’ll join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Dual Diagnosis Guest Post by Matthew Peters

My deepest thanks to Laura Zera for having me as a guest on her blog to share my experience with dual diagnosis. It is truly an honor to be here.

There are some variations in definitions of dual diagnosis, but the term generally describes a person who has a mood disorder and some form of chemical dependency. For example, I have depression (Major Depressive Disorder) and I’m an alcoholic. There are genetic links associated with each disorder. My mom was an alcoholic and suffered from depression and generalized anxiety disorder. There was a long line of depression and alcoholism on her side of the family: her father was an alcoholic and committed suicide when she was ten.

I drank regularly by the time I was thirteen. I sought help at a local substance abuse clinic when I was fifteen. Despite being dual diagnosed from an early age, the diagnosis didn’t stick. Over the years, as I made my way through countless detoxes and rehabs, and a few psychiatric wards, the standard course of treatment was to deal with one disorder without addressing the other, or the combined effect of both. It was more than twenty years before I received the help I needed.

The most effective treatment program I’ve found is the cognitive behavioral therapy approach used by places such as ASAP (Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. ASAP takes a comprehensive approach to substance abuse that involves education and group therapy as well as one-on-one sessions with therapists. Crucially, there is a strong psychiatric component built into the program because of the recognition that mental illness and substance abuse are often comorbid. I feel that recovery is limited for the dual-diagnosed unless both conditions are treated concurrently.

In terms of recovery, having a dual diagnosis differs from a single diagnosis in that it is not just about refraining from alcohol, or taking anti-depressants. It is a synergistic condition where one illness exacerbates the other. For example, major bouts of depression are often accompanied by the desire to self-medicate. It might sound counter-intuitive to want to drink alcohol, which is a depressant, when you are depressed, but the mind and brain chemistry of the alcoholic differ from that of the non-alcoholic. Drinking may actually alleviate depression in the short-term, lifting your spirits, so to speak, and quickly, too. That makes drinking very enticing to a person going through a depressive episode; the solution to feeling bad seems just an arm’s length away. Of course, what happens is that you might feel better after taking a few drinks, but when the effect wears off you are at a lower mood baseline than before you drank.

The thing I would change about the way dual diagnose is treated today is that in the presence of one of these conditions, an aggressive effort be made to determine whether the other is present. I would also often make it so that in regard to treating substance use disorder, Twelve Step Programs (TSPs) such as Alcoholics Anonymous are not the sole recourse. There needs to be a much more comprehensive method of treating dual diagnosis, one that allows a large role for education and cognitive behavioral therapy, and is inclusive with regard to people with little or no faith in a higher power. TSPs, in their Higher Power-based philosophy, often deter the latter. Also, when it comes to the dual-diagnosed, especially those who need medication to treat their condition, I would proceed with great caution when it comes to Twelve Step Programs (TSPs). Some groups tend to be anti-medication, and some people really need to be on medicine to help control their mental health symptoms.

Fortunately, dual diagnosis has not gotten in the way of achieving my goals, though it did play a large part in how things have played out in my life. But right now I couldn’t be happier. Though I dropped out of high school, I went on to get my B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. I taught college for a while, and now I write full-time. The point is that there is treatment out there if you are willing. You need to be your own best advocate when it comes to getting well and keeping the symptoms of dual diagnosis from taking control of your life. My journey has not been a linear progression, where over time I have gotten better and better. At times it has been a “one step forward, two steps back” process, and I think acknowledging that is crucial in going forward and getting on with your life.

My website, www.matthewpetersbooks.com, includes resources for helping those dealing with dual diagnosis and related issues. My blog also discusses my own experiences with dual diagnosis. Since writing has been a crucial part of my recovery, I also talk a lot about writing. I encourage you to come by and check it out. Always remember that however low you feel, there is help out there.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Here are some interesting facts about dual diagnosis and related issues from a book called Addiction and Mood Disorders: A Guide for Clients and Families, by Dennis C. Daley, with Antoine Douaihy (Oxford University Press, 2006). I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in the subject of dual diagnosis.

“Mood disorders are higher among people with alcohol and drug dependence than among the general population. For example, the risk of having a substance abuse disorder is four times higher if you have depression and up to 14 times higher if you have a bipolar disorder.” (pp. 8-9)
“Over 16% of adults in the United States will have a problem with alcohol or drug abuse or dependence at some point in their lives.” (p. 18)
“Depressive disorders affect about 20% of women and 12% of men at some time in their lives, and bipolar disorders affect a little more than 1% of the population, with men and women being affected equally.” (p. 40)
“Almost 1 out of 3 people with depressive disorders will also have problems with alcohol or drug abuse or dependence. About 1 in 10 people with major depression will also experience a bipolar disorder. Others will have an anxiety, eating, or personality disorder. Hence, people with clinical depression often have other psychiatric or substance abuse disorders as well.” (pp. 42-43)
“Up to 60% of people with bipolar illness also have a problem with alcohol and drug abuse or dependency.” (p. 47)

About Matthew Peters

Dual diagnosed from an early age, Matthew Peters dropped out of high school at sixteen. He went on to obtain a B.A. from Vassar College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University. He has taught various courses in a variety of disciplines throughout North Carolina.

Matthew is committed to increasing the awareness and understanding of the dual-diagnosed. Conversations Among Ruins (forthcoming through All Things That Matter Press) is his first novel, and includes a dual-diagnosed character. His second novel, The Brothers’ Keepers (forthcoming through MuseItUp Publishing in summer/fall 2014), is a political-religious thriller that capitalizes on his love for history and research. Currently, he is working on a sequel to The Brothers’ Keepers. Learn more at http://matthewpetersbooks, or follow Matt on Twitter.

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