Dual Diagnosis Treatment in South Florida

Dual Diagnosis Treatment in South Florida

What Is A Mental Health Disorder?

Mental health disorders are defined as health conditions that involve changes in thinking, behavior, or emotion. And though a significant amount of stigma still surrounds mental health issues, they are actually fairly common— mental health disorders affect almost in one in five American adults. The most common mental health issues include anxiety disorders and depression, but the category of mental illnesses also covers more complex issues like bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders. Treatment services for these psychiatric disorders can vary, but will customarily involve therapy, medication, or some kind of combination of the two. Unfortunately, this treatment process is not infrequently complicated by a co-occurring substance abuse disorder, which will be discussed in more detail below. That’s why dual diagnosis treatment like ours in South Florida is important in addiction recovery.

Understanding The Connection Between Mental Health Disorders And Substance Abuse Disorders

Substance use disorder is a complex mental health condition characterized by compulsive substance abuse problems that persist despite profound negative consequences. Also colloquially referred to as drug and alcohol addiction, substance use disorders quite commonly present as co-occurring disorders with other mental health issues. In fact, co-occurring mental disorders affect around fifty percent of people who suffer from substance use disorder, and the opposite is also thought to be true.

There are many complicated reasons for this, including the fact that a history of trauma can increase the risk of both substance abuse and mental illness. Additionally, some people with mental disorders find that substance use can temporarily alleviate symptoms of their co-occurring disorder, a phenomenon known as self-medication. However, self-medication tends to worsen mental health issues in the long run, as the substance abuse distracts from the underlying mental health issue while being detrimental to a person’s overall life.

Substance use disorders that also involve co-occurring mental health problems are also sometimes referred to as dual diagnoses. Dual diagnosis can be harder to treat than a substance abuse problem or mental disorder alone, often requiring a specialized treatment program and a treatment team that has expertise in both areas.

What To Expect In Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs

Once a patient with co-occurring mental health problems and drug addiction recognizes that they need help, finding a drug rehab that offers a dual diagnosis treatment program will typically be the first step. Inpatient treatment services, which require patients to live full-time in their treatment centers, may be necessary to treat dual-diagnosis patients who are at high medical risk due to the physical symptoms of withdrawal they are likely to experience during detox.

Inpatient dual diagnosis treatment centers may also be the best fit for patients whose co-occurring disorders are severe enough that they may pose a danger to themselves or others if they are not hospitalized. They may also be the best fit for patients whose substance abuse problem is severe enough that only hospitalization can ensure relapse prevention.

However, for other patients, it may be possible to treat dual diagnosis in intensive outpatient programs rather than inpatient treatment programs, allowing the patient significantly more freedom.

After the patient enrolls in a dual diagnosis rehab, their treatment team will likely conduct an assessment focused on identifying any mental illnesses the patient may suffer from and understanding the reasons for their substance use.

From there, many dual diagnosis treatment programs will develop individualized treatment plans for their patients, incorporating treatment methods tailored to their specific mental health diagnosis. Depending on which mental illnesses are involved, dual diagnosis treatment may involve medication, but the core of the substance abuse treatment plan will likely involve intensive therapy.

In therapy, patients will be taught important life skills that they can use both to cope with the symptoms of their mental illness and to be able to resist substance abuse. For instance, in dialectical behavior therapy, one of the most common forms of therapy used in addiction rehabilitation, patients will be taught important emotional regulation and communication skills that they can use to maintain a more stable state of mind.

Other forms of dual diagnosis treatment, like accelerated resolution therapy, focus on helping patients with co occurring disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder to move past their traumatic histories by physically reprogramming their brains.

Dual diagnosis treatment programs will also usually involve some form of group therapy, which may be tailored to their specific mental health disorder as well as focusing on substance abuse. In group therapy, patients gain an important chance to connect with others seeking treatment for similar behavioral health issues, which gives them a chance to process traumatic histories and can ease the loneliness often associated with mental illness.

A dual diagnosis treatment center may also offer family therapy, which can play an important part in treating addiction and eating disorders, since unhealthy family dynamics can play a part in the perpetuation of both. Family therapy will focus on identifying these dynamics and replacing destructive patterns of relating with healthier ones and preparing families to aid in relapse prevention by serving as a dependable support system.

Get Treatment For A Mental Health Disorder At Reco Intensive’s Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center

Reco Intensive is a Florida addiction treatment center located in scenic small town Delray Beach and is also known as one of the top dual diagnosis treatment centers in the area. We offer dual diagnosis treatment catering to patients suffering from substance abuse of all kinds as well as a variety of co-occurring disorders, including anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.

Our dual diagnosis treatment center provides a uniquely empathetic treatment environment to patients struggling with substance abuse and mental illness and provides a comprehensive outpatient treatment plan incorporating therapies backed by extensive research and behavioral health experts.

Our treatment programs also incorporate more holistic mental health treatment options, including weekly yoga sessions, equine-facilitated psychotherapy, and creative and express arts therapy.

To learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment center in South Florida, and how you or a loved one can start the journey of getting help with co-occurring disorders today, feel free to call us anytime at 844.955.3042 or to contact us online anytime here. There’s no time like the present to get back on the road to a life free of substance abuse and a brighter future!