If you or someone you care about is struggling with both substance abuse and a mental health condition, you may be uncertain about whether or not dual diagnosis treatment is the most effective course of action. This type of treatment, which aims to treat both addiction and mental health issues, is quite effective at helping people overcome their dependency on drugs or alcohol.
Dual Diagnosis: What Is It?
When a person has both a mental health illness and an addiction, it is referred to as having a dual diagnosis, also known as co-occurring disorders. One disorder can make the other worse if it is not treated.
How do the two conditions interact, and what exactly is a dual diagnosis? Because substance use can momentarily alleviate the symptoms of mental illness, it is not uncommon for someone with a mental health issue to turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their symptoms. However, using drugs or alcohol to treat a mental illness can swiftly develop into or worsen an addiction.
The Importance Of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
It is essential to look for assistance as soon as possible if you or a loved one is coping with the effects of a dual diagnosis. Because addiction is a degenerative illness, its symptoms will only get worse over time, and if they are not treated, the disease could prove fatal.
Advantages Of Dual Diagnosis Therapy
The following are only a few advantages of dual diagnosis therapy:
1. Greater Recovery Success
When treatment is given for both mental illness and addiction, the chances of making a full recovery are significantly increased. This is because treatment is being provided for both the underlying causes of the addiction as well as the symptoms of the mental health problem.
2. Enhancement Of Mental Health
Patients with dual diagnoses may try to hide the state of their mental health from others; however, this does not make their pain any less real. If you are receiving treatment for a dual diagnosis rather than just individual treatment for your mental health or substance use disorder, therapy can help you break negative patterns and develop healthy coping mechanisms so that you can move on with your life.
3. A Better Physical Condition
It is well known that having a substance use disorder is bad for your physical health, whether through an overdose or from the body’s continued exposure to pollutants. But much like substance abuse, psychiatric illnesses can harm your physical well-being. Individuals suffering from anxiety and mood problems may feel exhausted, lost, and unable to focus on enhancing their physical health. To help you get better, dual diagnosis treatment focuses on both your physical and mental needs, ensuring that you get the diet, rest, and exercise you require.
4. Better Life Quality
Simply by being more knowledgeable about their disease, patients with dual diagnosis disorders frequently see an improvement in their quality of life. Patients frequently feel more in control of their lives and prepared to face future obstacles after learning more about their body, mind, and the interactions between mental diseases and substance use, respectively.
5. Greater Willingness To Get Better
If an individual is driven to overcome both their addiction and their mental health issue, then they have a greater chance of being successful in the recovery process. They have a greater propensity to finish their treatment and put into practice the necessary changes for recovery.
What To Expect From Treatment For Dual Diagnoses
You or your loved one will collaborate with a group of mental health and addiction specialists while in treatment. You will first be informed of your dual diagnosis. After that, we’ll create a strategy to deal with both the addiction and the mental health condition. Treatment typically entails:
- Cognitive-behavioral treatment
- Family counseling
- Therapeutic wilderness
- Recreational therapy
