Substance Abuse and Mental Health Facilities in Ellicott City, MD

In case you abusing substances like alcohol and drugs in Ellicott City, they can prove effective at managing - albeit in the short term - the symptoms of your mental health disorder. This form of self-medication, however, can be dangerous because it can lead to addiction.

The temporary relief that you derive from these substances could soon be overtaken by other negative physical and psychological effects. Eventually, you may even find that you have started struggling with more of the common mental health problems that are linked with drug and alcohol addiction.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

If you have been living with post-traumatic stress disorder, it could be because of the traumatic events that you witnessed and experienced in the past. This condition might arise due to military combat, serious injuries and accidents, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, physical or sexual assault, and the death of loved ones.

It can be difficult to manage this condition. For instance, you might turn to alcohol and drugs to deal with the symptoms of your post-traumatic stress disorder. However, this would lead to more problems - including but not limited to the development of another co-occurring substance use disorder.

Psychosis

Although taking drugs might not suddenly trigger the development of psychosis unless it existed before, having this type of mental illness could cause you to start abusing drugs and drinking alcohol excessively. If you are prone to this condition, you might also become overly intoxicated if you abuse these substances.

That said, having psychosis could cause you to suffer from addiction. This is because you may turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate the symptoms of this mental health disorder. Over time, however, this could lead to addiction.

A dual diagnosis treatment program can help you understand the reasons behind your substance abuse and addiction as well as how this disorder is affected and continues to affect the other co-occurring behavioral and mental health disorders that you have also been diagnosed with.

This type of treatment would most likely be highly specialized and integrated. This is because it has to manage all the disorders that you have been struggling with at the same time - or simultaneously. It is recommended that you go through dual diagnosis treatment if you have been living with both addiction as well as any other co-occurring medical or mental health disorders.