Millions of people battle addiction every year. As chronic mental health, addiction is a serious disease that continues to worsen until professional help is sought. Unfortunately, more than a quarter of people suffering from substance abuse disorder also struggle with an underlying mental health disorder.
While there are many reasons behind this connection, the commonest by far is the use of drugs as a maladaptive way of coping with the negative symptoms of a mental illness. Known as dual diagnosis, this phenomenon is more common than you think and requires targeted therapy for both issues simultaneously for positive outcomes.
Fortunately, there are multiple dual diagnosis treatment facilities across the world offering dedicated support and help to people fighting on two battlegrounds at the same time. These centers specialize in providing programs that target both addiction and co-occurring mental health issues at the same time to make a recovery possible.
Addiction and Common Mental Health Issues
There are a few mental health issues that commonly present alongside addiction. In most cases, these disorders are the underlying trigger of the addiction and require proper management to make addiction recovery possible.
Examples of mental health issues commonly linked to substance abuse include:
Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
People with ADHD are more likely to use drugs to cope with their symptoms. Others start abusing stimulants prescribed to treat their condition, leading to a toxic pattern of addiction.
Bipolar Disorder
For individuals with bipolar disorder, drugs and alcohol serve as a source of temporary relief from emotional situations as well as manic episodes. Hence, a dual diagnosis treatment center becomes a must for them.
Depression
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses in the world and is often linked to self-medication with drugs and alcohol.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety can be extremely uncomfortable for the sufferer and can easily lead to the development of addictive behaviors to overcome the symptoms. For example, an anxious individual may rely on having a drink every time they engage in a conversation at a gathering.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder can significantly alter brain chemistry, reducing the production of endorphins. This may force the afflicted person to turn to drugs or alcohol to feel happy again. Repetitive alcohol abuse is particularly common in PTSD patients as a coping mechanism against traumatic thoughts and flashbacks.
Therapeutic Support at Dual Diagnosis Treatment Facility
A dual diagnosis center is a facility offering unique programs that aim at the recovery of clients by broadly catering to their mental health needs. The program involves psychiatric staff, therapists, nurses, and other team members to ensure that the primary substance abuse and all co-occurring issues get resolved in time for better treatment outcomes.
To successfully meet the treatment goals, a typical rehab for dual diagnosis offers the following therapies:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Family therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Individual and group counseling
- Relapse prevention planning and education
- Medication management
A dual diagnosis treatment center targets proper diagnosis and adequate treatment of all your mental health problems. It is designed individually and personalized to each client’s needs to ensure high success rates.
How do you Find the Best Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers?
While choosing a dual diagnosis rehab for yourself, it is important to consider some basics about treatment. This includes the following:
Privacy
Confidentiality is a priority for most clients, and most people seeking help for their dual diagnosis wish to receive treatment in complete privacy without any interruption. Hence, always choose a facility that pays attention to maintaining the privacy and patient confidentiality.
Type of Program
For each client, the path to recovery can differ; hence the treatment services for mental health and substance use disorders must be tailored to cater to a person’s needs. Depending on individual requirements and current situations, a variety of therapies can benefit an individual with a dual diagnosis. However, these may include:
- Specialty community behavioral health centers
- Rehab programs for substance use disorder
- Hospital-based treatment programs
- Tele-behavioral or home-based services
- Community health centers
- Inpatient service providers
Choose a rehab that curates an individualized and integrative approach with the best-suited therapies for you.
The Cost for Rehab
The cost of treatment can vary depending on the program you choose and may differ according to your insurance plan. If you have an insurance policy at the moment, check in with your provider to find out:
- If your plan covers dual diagnosis treatment
- How much can it contribute towards payment
- Which programs, in particular, are covered by insurance
Frequently asked questions
What is a dual diagnosis treatment center?
A dual diagnosis recovery program targets individuals that meet the criteria for substance abuse disorder along with at least one or more diagnosed mental health conditions. Such individuals often require professional help that focuses on recovery from addiction and treats all co-occurring disorders simultaneously. For example, people with alcohol addiction often have underlying depression and are highly likely to use the former to cope with the negative consequences of the latter.
How can I know if a dual diagnosis treatment program can benefit me?
Assessing the need to join a dual diagnosis rehab center can be tricky as the symptoms of addiction, and the co-occurring mental health issue can significantly overlap. Some drug withdrawal symptoms can also mimic the signs associated with certain mental illnesses. In such cases, getting a professional assessment is critical.
If you or a loved one fighting addiction develops one or more of the following symptoms simultaneously, chances are they can benefit from a dual diagnosis therapy:
- Frequent feelings of worry
- Strong feelings of irritability and anger
- Issues with concentration, focus, and attention
- Severe mood swings
- Dropping hobbies that were once important
- Altered sleep habits
- Increased or decreased libido
- Inability to handle daily tasks
- Suicidal tendencies/attempts
- Changes in eating habits
- Social isolation
- Loss of touch with reality in the form of delusions or hallucinations
- Lacking the insight to identify one’s own behaviors or feelings
- Development of physical symptoms, such as stomachache and headaches, with no apparent cause
How is the dual diagnosis confirmed?
Because dual diagnosis is fairly common in most people fighting substance abuse disorder, many dual diagnosis treatment centers offer initial assessments to screen for psychiatric issues before taking in any client. Similarly, individuals under treatment for a mental illness are also routinely screened for substance abuse. These assessments and screenings typically include lab tests, self-reporting, screening tolls, and questionnaires that sometimes involve the client’s family members and friends.