Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centre Ireland? Addiction plus mental health issue treatment

LegacyUser

Does anyone know if such a place exists?

I posted here about my brother before
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057589106

Things are still totally out of hand in the house. Still as abusive as ever. He spent the last week doctor shopping for prescription painkillers. He has now moved on to saying his has a slipped disk but can run up and down the stairs faster than I ever could. I have had to come home both evenings this bank holiday weekend to him rampaging after having my phone bombarded with abusive texts and calls. My parents were out last night and he was locked out of the house. I was told he needed 'medication' in the house and to come home and give it to him. Of course when I got back he was in the drive and followed me into the house. This person has a protection order out against him and I let him into the house, I must be a total fool. I text my parents to say tell him to stay in a friend's house and I don't feel safe letting him in and was told he needed his 'medication' and if necessary to go in the house and throw it out the window for him - as if he'd not barge through the door with me. I then spent 2.5 hours locked in my room waiting for them to come home.

At this point I'm now home alone with him and I'm locked in my room. Afraid to cross the landing to go to the bathroom tbh. I myself can't cope with this anymore. I had exams this week for my PhD that thankfully went ok considering I couldn't properly sleep or study the past month and I was hoping to celebrate this weekend but it's the same rubbish.

At this point he either needs to enter the criminal system or some type of residential dual-diagnosis place that can treat him. We've had him arrested under the mental health act and he behaved beautifully when he was assessed by their doctor so wasn't taken in. We could have his protection order activated against him and have him taken in but my parents still don't want him to get a record. At this point I'm afraid of him and I think he deserves a record. Other psychiatrists and doctors have said to him will you voluntarily come in and his answer is no.

Does anyone know if such a place exists here? The website I found looks like it's more of a consciousness raising thing for combined mental health and drug abuse, not a bricks and mortar operation.

Dravokivich

You'll need to speak with a gp for proper advice on what can be done. But it'll most likely require your brother to go to such a facility of his own intent.

If he's making you scared and in anyway you felt threatened on the back of him breaking the protection order you mentioned, contact the gardai.

LegacyUser

Thanks Dravokivich, the gp, a few of them actually are aware that he has some sort of mental health problem and can't get him to go in voluntarily but continue to give the painkillers.

One weekend he went to the gp on a Friday afternoon and she actually told my mother afterwards that if there was any problems call the guards. That ended up with the guards being called, an ambulance and another paramedic jeep and he was taken off but released from hospital the following day with a fresh script for painkillers. My Mum rang the hospital the morning after he was taken in and they were unaware of any mental health issue. He's so manipulative and the GPs are no help at all. That same day an out of hours doctor was here and gave him yet another script for opiates.

zef

Hi, I had a friend with Dual Diagnosis of addiction and bipolar disorder. He spent literally a few years in 2 mental hospitals in Dublin, and then was moved into a residential treatment house with staff on site. When he was doing well, they moved him to a regular shared house with just 1 staff member, then onto to independent living in a nice 1 bed apartment in his chosen area . He's pretty lucky to be paying 30e a week for a decent 1 bed, but he has now started hoarding and drinking again, plus doing daft stuff like using a wall paper stripper to make a 'sauna in the bathroom' for a few hours, then wonders why his clothes collapsed the wardrobe, all damp and full of mould.
I let used let him stay years ago in the spare room as he was occasionally between homes/ hospitals, and have had to call the Gardai on him a couple of times, for shouting at the radio in the garden at 5am or bringing a kitchen knife out the back and doing samurai moves with it. Took 14 Gardai to take him out of the garden on one occasion..
As he is not family, I have since asked him not to call after another incident 2 years ago when he was waiting for me as I was not in when he called, and decided to go to the local shop and buy drink and drink it in the green area beside my home. The local children thought he was dead , and an ambulance/ fire brigade arrived up.
I would recommend covertly filming/recording your brother. If the psychs in the public system are offering him a bed he must need it. They are not easy to get these days. The more 'evidence' you can get against your brothers anti-social and drug - seeking behaviour the easier it will be to get him to enter a treatment facility involuntarily. I had to 'sign in' that friend a few times also as his family didn't want to know, I had to contact community psychiatric nurses, drs and the guards to make a situation where they could get access to him. It's not a nice thing to do, but is often the right and only thing to do, as one has ones own sanity to consider, and that of the other family members & community in general.
As for your query re: a dual diagnosis place taking people in crisis who may be addicted to a substance (your brother may have developed an opioid addiction at this stage) I do not know of any residential beds for this purpose specifically- i.e. Dual Diagnosis.. It is shocking as one only has to look on the streets of Dublin to see many dual diagnosis who fell through the cracks and are now homeless.

The Drug Treatment Board in Pearse St does del with Dual dx clients, but mostly counselling and prescribing of methadone, not in-patient. Perhaps give them a ring tommorrow morning- they are a nationwide service and should be able to advise .
I am familiar with the "There seems to be a misunderstanding Dr." crap, and underplaying incidents etc. It's so frustrating.
I also wonder if your GP is a bit intimidated by your brother- it's unusual for a dr. to prescribe opiates to a person even suspected of suffering from DD. Best of luck Op. I agree you need the to call the guards any time he kicks off, he needs to be somewhere safe, even if it is a cell for his own and everyone else health.

Wesser

Hi there

Sorry to hear that things have not settled for you.
I don't think any such facility exists. But even if it did, you could only be admitted to it voluntarily, ie the patient wants to go in.

If he does not want to go in, the he is an involuntary patient. In Ireland it is illegal to ' section' someone , ie involuntarily admit someone to a mental health facility if the illness is due to any substances drugs alcohol or other. You have to have a non drug related mental illness.

So even if such facility did exist, it would only be an option for you if he was happy to go.

Suggest as before.... Calling the guards.

intheclouds

Why is he being facilitated by being allowed to stay in the family home?

CorkFenian

To be honest reading the last thread, you've all the information there. I realise its one thing realising this and actually using it though heres what I would do

1.Talk to the Guards or someone who you trust GP etc
2. This will really have an impact on your brothers relationship with you, there is no way to avoid making "mistakes" you will just have to learn by doing
3.There will never be a best time for this-Have you close friends to talk to about it who can help?

Do something, act soon or else it won't be on boards we're reading about it, it will be on the national news. With him harming you and\or your parents Your brother needs tough love immediately. Get some friends together, (ignore his if you want but there may be a few who want to help him , they don't sound like friends from your description)

It may escalate, he may be homeless etc, but the other way he is going to drag your entire family down....Trust me when I say this he has to want to do it for himself, otherwise it will never happen...Facilitation will get you nowhere however much you want to help him that way.Don't wait for those in government, authority etc or anyone else to change it. Do it now....Give ultimatums to him with friends present. Protect yourself and your family at all costs.