You may have heard about dual diagnosis. What is dual diagnosis treatment? Could it help you? If you are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction and have a mental health disorder, you may benefit from this type of therapy. It is a course of care that addresses both of your needs at the same time, giving you the ability to work through it safely and effectively. This type of care is provided in a dual diagnosis treatment center, one that specializes in both areas.
So, What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Then?
If you’re asking, “What is dual diagnosis treatment?” it’s likely that your doctor or therapist has recommended it to you. Within a qualified mental health treatment center, treatment is provided for both drug and alcohol addiction right at the same time as mental health disorder treatment. This may include treatment for conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or bipolar disorder. When you have these types of conditions at the same time, treating one without treating the other leads to complications.
Consider PTSD, for example. A person who needs a PTSD treatment program needs help working through their past trauma. This is a mental health disorder need. Yet, they may have used drugs or alcohol to help control their symptoms over the last few years. That may mean they still have PTSD, but they also have a drug or alcohol addiction.
If the addiction is treated, but the PTSD remains, a person is likely to use again because those symptoms will return. If a person has treatment for the PTSD, but there’s no treatment for addiction, they are likely to continue to use. What is a dual diagnosis treatment – it’s a way to work through both areas at the same time to give you the best chance at a healthy recovery.
How Do You Know You Need This Type of Treatment?
One of the challenges of having both conditions (which is called co-occurring disorders) is simply knowing they are both there. While alcohol and drug use are easier to spot, mental health disorders can easily be masked by addiction. Some of the signs that you may benefit from this type of treatment include:
- Using alcohol or drugs as a way to manage emotions
- Drinking or using drugs because of stress
- Not expressing yourself but hiding feelings
- Feeling intense emotions when you don’t use drugs or alcohol
- Feeling unable to stop using drugs or alcohol even if you tried
- Experiencing cravings and withdrawal if you don’t use
It may be important for you to invest in mental health disorder treatment and addiction treatment in these situations. The right treatment center will talk to you about what’s happening and what you are experiencing. A formal diagnosis of co-occurring disorders is necessary.
What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Able to Do for You?
A customized treatment plan is created for you. During this process, you will learn how to control your negative thoughts, recognize triggers, and monitor for symptoms. You may be given medication to help control your underlying mental health disorder, as well as medications to minimize the onset of withdrawal. Your therapy is likely to include both evidence-based and holistic therapy options. All of this, plus much more, allows you to work through both conditions and learn how to live your life with them. There may not be a cure, but there are opportunities for you to heal.
Take the Time to Reach Out for Help Today
What is dual diagnosis treatment to you? What could it mean for your future of your loved one? When you are ready to find out, reach out to a treatment program that can offer solutions to you. There are options to help you see improvement.
