Treatment Options for Dual Diagnosis
Dual diagnosis refers to when a person struggling with substance abuse and addiction also suffers from a co-occurring mental disorder, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and clinical and major depression.
These co-occurring disorders often play a role in stimulating a person’s addiction to a given drug or alcohol as they attempt to treat the negative effects of their specific disorder. At the same time, certain forms of substance abuse can increase a person’s likelihood of developing specific mental health disorders.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, roughly 7.7 million American adults suffer from co-occurring mental health and addiction issues. That means nearly 38% of American adults with a substance use disorder also suffer from some form of mental illness.
Because mental health and addiction can often form a vicious cycle, it’s important to address both during the recovery process. Depending on the nature of your addiction and the mental health disorders you’re struggling with, treatment options will vary.
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How Are Comorbid Disorders Treated?
The most effective treatment plans for comorbid disorders focus on addressing both the substance use disorder and the mental health disorder. Dual diagnosis treatment can help a person overcome their mental health and addiction issues by carefully addressing the effects of their co-occurring disorders.
In general, dual diagnosis treatment might take advantage of one-on-one or group therapy, inpatient rehabilitation, support groups, or other forms of counseling designed to improve a person’s coping and interpersonal skills. More specifically, treatments often associated with a dual diagnosis include:
- Cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy focused on helping you see the world and how you behave in it clearly and accurately, through a combination of cognitive restructuring and coping skills.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic technique designed around the idea that specific eye movements can decrease the effect of negative thought patterns. It’s often used to treat patients with trauma, including PTSD, and EMDR is shown to be effective in substance abuse and addiction treatment.
- Neurotherapy: Neurotherapy involves gathering data about brain activity to help treatment providers better understand what could be leading to behaviors or symptoms. Because it’s based on biofeedback, it’s sometimes called neurofeedback (NFB).
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) treats drug and alcohol dependency by reversing negative, irrational thoughts and emotions that lead to addictive behaviors. REBT works to help individuals unlearn conditioned habits, including using drugs and alcohol.
- Solution-focused therapy: With solution-focused therapy, individuals focus on their personal strengths and develop sustainable strategies to accomplish goals. This therapy can lead to patients finding resolutions and making positive changes more quickly than other treatments based on pathology and past life events.
- Motivational interviewing: Motivational interviewing (MI) empowers a person suffering from addiction or substance abuse to accept recovery and regain control over their lives. MI helps individuals determine which behaviors they need to change to succeed with a treatment plan.
The Link Between Mental Health and Addiction
As we’ve seen, mental health and addiction often go hand in hand. When a person is suffering from a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder, this is known as a dual diagnosis.
How these co-occurring conditions interact is different for each individual. A person’s mental health disorder may cause them to seek out a substance to alleviate the symptoms of their mental illness, or the addiction itself may increase their likelihood of developing a mental illness.
Consequently, a personalized dual diagnosis treatment plan is critical for increasing your chances of a successful recovery. Treatment options that address your specific mental health disorder are invaluable, while care that’s tailored to your specific substance use disorder is just as important. At Beachway, we provide world-class treatment plans for substance use disorders including:
Florida Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center
Rehab programs that focus solely on addiction while neglecting mental health can lead to a relapse when the deeper issues driving a person’s addiction recur. At Beachway, we know that mental health issues are often found at the heart of drug and alcohol addiction. We aim to address the root causes of addiction through dual diagnosis treatment plans that simultaneously address mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and more.
Our Florida dual diagnosis treatment center in West Palm Beach offers a beautifully calm and safe environment where patients can focus on their mental health recovery fully. We create fully customized dual diagnosis treatment plans to meet the specific needs of the individual, combining traditional therapeutic modalities with a holistic wellness approach. Intensive treatment is paired with relaxing, healing therapies, including massage, chiropractic care, and other relaxation services, as well as such healthy activities as kayaking, yoga, art therapy, and more.
Learn More about Dual Diagnosis Treatment at Beachway
For individuals suffering from both addiction and a mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression, dual diagnosis treatment can be key to a successful recovery. A personalized treatment plan is just as important because there are a variety of treatment options, including cognitive behavior therapy, that can help address comorbid disorders.
The journey to recovery can be extremely challenging, but it shouldn’t have to be conquered alone. At Beachway’s Florida dual diagnosis treatment center, we provide the setting and support you’ll need for a lasting recovery. If you or a loved one is ready to begin their journey towards recovery, contact us today.