Does Dual Diagnosis Treatment Work?

Does Dual Diagnosis Treatment Work?

When you start researching options for addiction recovery, one of your first questions is often, “Will this work?” You are committing time, energy and money. You are ready for addiction to be over.  You want the most effective, comprehensive care. This means you want dual diagnosis treatment. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shares, “Broad spectrum diagnosis and concurrent therapy will lead to more positive outcomes for patients with comorbid conditions.” Dual diagnosis treatment offers professional assessments, comprehensive care and positive results.

Who Needs Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis treatment offers support and healing for individuals struggling with both addiction and mental health issues. These concerns often overlap. Dualdiagnosis.org shares that “50% of people with severe mental health disorders also have a substance abuse problem. 29% of all individuals diagnosed with a mental illness abuse alcohol or drugs.” You are not alone in your struggles no matter what shape or form they take. Mental health issues do not have to be complex or preexisting to complicate addiction, and any substance abuse will complicate mental health.

As the National Alliance on Mental Illness explains, “Dual diagnosis is a very broad category. It can range from someone developing mild depression because of binge drinking, to someone’s symptoms of bipolar disorder becoming more severe when that person abuses heroin during periods of mania.” Your mental health symptoms may be clear or subtle. Your substance abuse may be obviously out of control to those around you, or you may manage to hide most of its symptoms. You do not have to wait to get treatment. It is also never too late to find recovery. Dual diagnosis treatment works at any stage of addiction and mental health. Dual diagnosis treatment is for everyone and anyone facing mental health and substance abuse concerns.

How Do You Treat a Dual Diagnosis?

You cannot separate mental health from addiction. In fact addiction is considered a mental health illness, as the NIDA explains: “Addiction changes the brain in fundamental ways, disturbing a person’s normal hierarchy of needs and desires and substituting new priorities connected with procuring and using the drug. The resulting compulsive behaviors that weaken the ability to control impulses, despite the negative consequences, are similar to hallmarks of other mental illnesses.” Addiction is a mental health issue. Co-occurring mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder interact with addiction. Symptoms overlap, change and exacerbate one another. You cannot treat one issue alone, as it is impossible to separate addiction from mental health. You need treatment that can both identify and address co-occurring disorders. You need dual diagnosis treatment. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration explains, “Freestanding substance abuse treatment facilities may or may not be equipped to provide adequate assessment and treatment of co-occurring psychiatric conditions and biopsychosocial problems, as the range of services varies considerably from one facility to another. Inpatient mental health facilities, on the other hand, are able generally to provide treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric conditions.”

The NIDA shares that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is, “effective for adult populations suffering from drug use disorders and a range of other psychiatric problems.” This is just one of many therapy methods we use to ensure healing on multiple levels. Our professionals understand co-occurring disorders. We understand the importance of addressing multiple concerns at once. We want you to find a healthy, drug-free future.