Substance Abuse and Mental Health Facilities in Christmas Valley, OR

If you live in Christmas Valley and you start abusing drugs and alcohol, there is a high risk that you might develop a co-occurring mental health disorder. On the other hand, if you have an undiagnosed mental illness, there is a likelihood that you might start abusing these substances to self-medicate the symptoms of your mental illness.

Research studies show that substance abuse and mental health disorders tend to have some underlying causes in common. These might include changes in the composition of the brain, early exposure to traumatic and stressful events, and genetic vulnerabilities.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder is often accompanied by repetitive mental rituals and physical behaviors that you engage in while believing that they will deflect any unwanted urges and thoughts. These rituals are not connected with the obsessions that you are looking to manage.

If you abuse drugs and alcohol, this action could become one of your common compulsions. This is why there is a high risk that you could develop a substance use disorder - or an addiction - much sooner than someone who is not living with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

In case you have been living with post-traumatic stress disorder, you might experience a wide variety of symptoms. These include repeated memories of the trauma you suffered, night terrors, vivid flashbacks, and extreme physical reactions when you are reminded of the traumatic event.

You might also try to avoid thinking and talking about the traumatic experiences as well as the activities, people, and places that trigger any memories of that event. Further, you could suffer emotional numbness, memory lapses, negative feelings about yourself and others, difficulties keeping relationships, and being incapable of experiencing positive emotions.

It is recommended that you seek dual diagnosis treatment to manage all of the disorders that you have been struggling with simultaneously so that one does not cause the other to recur in the future.

This is especially true if you have been diagnosed with both substances abuse as well as another co-occurring mental health or medical disorders. Although these disorders tend to occur at the same time in many cases, it is possible to overcome them. To be able to do so, you will have to go through a highly integrated dual diagnosis treatment program.