Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is the one of the most common conditions we treat at South Pacific Private. The DSM 5 recognises Substance Use Disorders (SUDS) are related to 10 separate classes of drugs; alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, opioids, sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, hypnotics/anxiolytics, stimulants and caffeine. SUDs are characterised by dependence, tolerance, withdrawal and the obsession and compulsion to continue use the substance despite the negative consequences.

Over the last decade, behavioural / process addictions have become more widely recognised and researched. Some common process addictions include gambling, internet gaming disorder (i.e. video game addiction), smartphone addiction, sex addiction and work addiction.

At South Pacific Private, we apply a transdiagnostic treatment model to treat addiction due to the overlapping feature common to all addictions: The failure to resist an impulse or urge, leading to persistent engagement in the substance or behaviour despite recurring harms (marked by dependence, tolerance, withdrawal and the obsession).

It has been reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2020) that depression is the most common diagnosis for a person who seeks admission into a psychiatric hospital. The co-occurrence of substance use disorders and mental health disorders such as depression also have a 35% prevalence rate in Australia.

South Pacific Private specialises in both single diagnosis and dual diagnosis treatment of addictions and mood disorders. Our dedicated team of experienced psychiatrists, GPs, nursing staff, counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists seek to stabilise current depressive symptoms and instill hope through evidence-based, best-practice medical (pharmacological) and therapeutic interventions and through our intensive inpatient pathway. Clients engage in daily intensive group psychotherapy and lectures. In addition, clients attend regular internal depression and anxiety support groups and gain support and connection through our therapeutic community.

South Pacific Private recognises the prevalence and impact of mood disorders such as Major Depression Disorder (MDD) within the Australian population. Approximately one in seven Australians will experience a depressive episode once in their lifetime. The World Health Organisation estimates that depression will be the number one health concern in both developed and developing nations by 2030.

Approximately 1% of Australians are impacted by bipolar disorder. Bipolar reflects a person who experiences radical shifts in mood. These ‘episodes’ typically can last for days or weeks at a time. Episodes may happen as often as several times a week, or as little as a few times a year or during the same day (rapid cycling). Bipolar also causes major changes in energy and concentration.

There is a correlation between the symptoms of bipolar and the symptoms of excessive use of drugs and alcohol. Someone going through a manic episode can look and act like someone using cocaine. Both can experience an elevation in mood and energy. Those having a major depressive episode can also have the same symptoms as someone in withdrawal.

It is also very common for people with bipolar to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol as it has the potential to ease their symptoms of mania and depression.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) refers to a set of symptoms that can emerge following a single traumatic event that involves exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. It is less prevalent than Complex PTSD, which South Pacific Private also specialises in.

In Australia, approximately 12% of people will develop PTSD. It no longer considered a disorder solely related to veterans. While a person with PTSD may have directly experienced trauma, PTSD can also occur when a person’s loved one experiences trauma or they witness a stranger experiencing a traumatic event. It can occur at any age including childhood.

Other disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse, often occur alongside PTSD.

Complex PTSD describes the impact of ongoing, longer-term forms of trauma which occur during developmentally important periods of life, such as childhood or young adulthood, or at other times of extreme vulnerability. Rather than a singular threatening event, this form of trauma is often inflicted by individuals intentionally and often involves a power imbalance such as older-younger, parent-child, teacher-child or boss-employee.

Examples of such trauma may include parental neglect, a parent’s drinking or substance addiction, witnessing or experiencing domestic violence, the death, imprisonment or separation of a loved one, or instances of physical abuse, sexual abuse or emotional abuse.

The descriptor recognises that many forms of interpersonal trauma, in particular psychological mistreatment, neglect, separation from caregivers, traumatic loss and inappropriate sexual behaviour, do not necessarily meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) ‘Criterion A’ definition for a traumatic event.

Because C-PTSD symptoms can persist for years after the trauma and can persist into adulthood, they can be mistaken for inherent personality characteristics or other mental health issues. Such symptoms may include an unhealthy relationship with shame, enduring sadness and loneliness, issues with body image and self-worth and/or an ongoing search for, or reliance upon a ‘saviour’. C-PTSD may occur alongside other mental health issues and individuals may seek to self-medicate, leading to behavioural or substance addictions.