Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

Addiction falls under the umbrella of mental illness

• It requires adding an especially pronounced spiritual element to one’s “wellness package.”
• It is often accompanied by anxiety and depression and correlated with trauma and obsessive-compulsive thinking.
• Addicts and alcoholics must drastically shift their outlooks and attitudes by developing a spiritual connection that combats the separateness, loneliness, and victimhood inherent in any addict’s mindset.
• Particularly in early sobriety, addicts and alcoholics still need the clinical, psychiatric, medical, and physical elements to help them get on track initially – with spirituality being the tailwind that will carry them into long-term, sustained recovery.

Understand drug abuse and treatment

What Are Co-occurring Conditions?

Some of the co-occurring conditions most often seen in dual diagnosis patients include:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Major Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Conduct disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

The most commonly abused substances in dual diagnosis include:

• Opioids
• Alcohol
• Prescription Drugs
• Heroin

Dual Diagnosis Isn’t Just a Catchphrase

Far too many drug and alcohol treatment facilities pay only lip service to co-occurring conditions in our assessment because most rehab centers focus almost entirely on substance use disorders.

Perhaps these treatment providers will include a psychiatrist for 10 minutes or so who makes a hasty diagnosis and writes a prescription for an antidepressant. Then onto the next patient. That is not how The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center operates.

We are responsible for providing the best care possible to every patient in our dual-diagnosis treatment program. One of SBMHC’s key differentiators is right in our name. First and foremost, we are a Mental Health Center, which means we treat many mental health disorders, not just addiction. No one disorder is less important than another. Our attention to detail and focus on mental health are why we can provide more accurate and thoughtful dual diagnosis care.

A good dual diagnosis program identifies the disorder correctly and offers many levels of care. This can include:

• Outpatient programs
• Intensive outpatient programs
• Detoxification

A tremendous dual diagnosis program will also:

• Monitor the efficacy of treatment as time goes on
• Reevaluates the patient looking for signs they may have missed
• Listens to the patient’s observations
• Provides a multi-modal solution that may include pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy
• Empowers the patient with guidance and tools to ensure continued progress after treatment

Proper Dual Diagnosis Care Helps Prevent Relapse

Dual diagnosis treatment is essential not only to ensure healthy and complete recovery but because misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or untreated co-occurring disorders are one of the leading causes of relapse. It is no surprise to many that substance use often arises as a coping mechanism or an attempt to “self-medicate” among people with undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders.

Someone with PTSD might turn to alcohol or benzodiazepines to quell anxiety or battle insomnia, for example. However, patients are left vulnerable to relapse when a co-occurring disorder is not identified and treated effectively. They can receive excellent care for their substance use disorder. Still, when the symptoms of an unresolved secondary disorder return, they will find the temptation to seek relief in their drug of preference hard to resist. Not only does excellent dual diagnosis care improve quality of life, but it also markedly improves outcomes and the odds of maintaining sobriety.

Mental Health Treatment You Can Trust

Finding the proper treatment for mental health can be a challenge. The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center is an accredited mental health care provider because we specialize in mental health treatment and bring some of the best providers nationally under one roof.

Unlike substance abuse programs that treat mental illness as an afterthought, we provide careful, thorough evidence-based assessment and continuous evaluation.

We believe this is necessary for accurate diagnosis and truly effective treatment. Substance abuse is a mental health disorder, but it is only one of many, and we believe all must be treated effectively for complete recovery.

We Can Help

If you believe you or someone you love could benefit from top-tier dual-diagnosis addiction treatment or have questions about dual-diagnosis care, contact us.