Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders often require specialized treatment to ensure that they are able to overcome all of these disorders. This form of treatment can also prove useful in ensuring that these disorders do not aggravate each other.
The type of specialized treatment that persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders require is commonly referred to as dual diagnosis treatment. it is designed to deal with substance use disorders involving drugs and alcohol as well as mental illnesses such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression, among many others.
Although the symptoms of one of these disorders might predate those of the other, all these disorders often exacerbate each other. This is why it is almost impossible to differentiate the symptoms that are caused by one condition from those arising from the other.
For instance, if you take prescription pain relief medications or use heroin in an attempt to self-medicate for the symptoms of anxiety associated with a personality or mood disorder, this could prove effective but only after some time. Eventually, you will find that you have started struggling with:
For the goals of dual diagnosis treatment, it is recommended that persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders receive intensive therapeutic intervention and medical care to deal with all of these disorders simultaneously.
This type of treatment will manage the signs and symptoms of your mental health disorder without allowing you to abuse alcohol and drugs - which could exacerbate these symptoms. It will also ensure that your untreated mental illness does not increase your urge to abuse these substances.
Unless all of these disorders are managed at the same time, there is a high risk that you will continue suffering from one or both at one point or the other. For this reason, it is recommended that you seek professional dual diagnosis treatment and rehabilitation services to ensure that all the disorders that you have been diagnosed with are properly managed.
Integrated treatment for persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders is highly comprehensive. It is designed to provide you with all the holistic, therapeutic, and medical resources that you need to heal spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
These programs will create a highly personalized and individualized treatment plan for you. This plan will often include the following recovery and rehabilitation options and services:
Overall, these services will be highly integrated to ensure that you are able to overcome all the disorders that you have been diagnosed with. It is for this reason that integrated treatment would work if you are among the persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.
Learning what treatment is best for you or your loved one is easy. Speak to one of our trained counselors and let them guide you to the best treatment options available for your specific needs.