Co-Occurring Disorders: Anxiety Disorders and Chemical Dependency (6 RCH/CEU)

This is another in our ongoing Co-occuring Disorders series. Arguably, anxiety is the most common coexisting symptom in recovering individuals. Anxiety disorders of one type or another are the most common coexisting condition with chemical dependency. Estimates of the prevalence of anxiety disorders in CD clients range from 10% to 44%. When is the anxiety that occurs during the active stage of the illness or during recovery something other than the natural predictable anxiety that occurs as a function of change? In this workshop participants will: review the several clinical presentations of anxiety disorders and CD, address the perennial question of which came first and which caused which problem, identify at least 4 methods for assessing this problem, and identify at least 4 strategies for addressing the anxiety disordered CD client. The anxiety disorders that will be focused on include; the social phobias, simple phobias, generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Problems that this population may have with connecting with sources of self help will be reviewed as well as strategies for helping them to do so.