Millions of people receive a diagnosis of dual diagnosis (having a mental health condition along with a substance use disorder – SUD). Those who have a dual diagnosis do need an integrated, individualized treatment plan that addresses both these issues at the same time. According to many studies, nearly ½ of those who have an addiction to drugs or alcohol also have a mental health condition. By getting dual diagnosis treatment with our team here at Transformations Care, you can start working on attaining, sober and fulfilling the healthy lifestyle you want and deserve.
Common Mental Health Issues Linked to Addiction
There are some mental health disorders that are commonly linked to addiction. Oftentimes, the disorders mentioned below are the cause of the addiction. This is one reason it is so important not to ignore any mental health or behavioral health symptoms, especially while someone is already in recovery, but before they develop an addiction, too.
Some of the common mental health issues linked to addiction include:
- ADHD or Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (often abuse stimulants or other drugs to cope with symptoms of ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder (nearly ½ of those with this condition have an addiction due to self-medicating issues)
- BPD or Borderline personality disorder (around â…” of those with BPD have abused drugs at some time in their life)
- Depression (around 1 in every 10 adults throughout the United States who have depression do abuse alcohol or drugs)
- Eating disorders (many will abuse drugs that suppress appetite)
- GAD or Generalized anxiety disorder (more likely to abuse benzodiazepines which are often prescribed to treat anxiety in the first place)
- OCD or Obsessive-compulsive disorder (due to dealing with obsessions, depression, and anxiety people often abuse drugs or alcohol)
- PTSD or Post-traumatic stress disorder (around ¾ of those who have PTSD do repetitively abuse alcohol or drugs)
- Schizophrenia (people with this condition often feel ashamed of their condition, so they don’t seek help, but are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol and/or drugs)
Do you or someone you know struggle with any of these mental health issues? Are you self-medicating with drugs or alcohol? Do you abuse the prescription drugs you are on to cope with mental health issues? Did an addiction cause any of these issues? No matter what the case may be, our Transformations Care team is here to help you overcome any dual diagnosis issues.
Why Are There Different Treatments for Co-Occurring Disorders
According to research, nearly ½ of teenagers and adults throughout the United States have a dual diagnosis disorder. Those who receive a mental health disorder diagnosis are almost 2 times as likely as those without this type of disorder to develop some level of substance abuse issues.
While people widely accept that mental health issues can cause substance abuse and vice versa, there is still research being done to uncover why these conditions happen together so often. Some of the factors that have been found to aggravate both substance abuse disorders and mental health issues include:
- Brain responses (abusing alcohol and/or drugs can cause psychosis)
- Genetics (being genetically predisposed to addiction or mental health disorders can increase a person’s chances of developing these issues by around 50%)
- Environmental triggers (persistent anxiety, chronic stress, traumatic events, and other environmental issues can cause someone to start abusing substances or experience further mental health issues)
- Early-age exposure to substance abuse or mental health issues (people who are exposed early to alcohol, drugs, or mental health issues are more likely to carry these into their adulthood)
Do you or someone you know relate to any of these factors? If so, and you need help to treat a dual diagnosis, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Transformations Care team today. Our team would be happy to help you get your life back together starting right away.
Warning Signs of a Dual Diagnosis
Not everyone is affected the same by a dual diagnosis. With this being said, there are generally some symptoms that are the same from one individual to the next. Some of the common dual diagnosis warning signs or symptoms include:
- Difficulty handling everyday responsibilities and/or tasks
- Sudden general behavior changes
- Avoiding social activities or events that you once enjoyed
- Neglecting hygiene and/or health
- Cognitive impairments and/or delusional thinking
- Not seeking or complying with mental health or addiction treatment
- Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs to treat mental health issues
- Thoughts or mentions of suicide
- Acting out suicidal thoughts
- Impulsive/erratic behaviors
- Trouble with financial management
- Poor work or school performance
- Relationship issues due to mental health and/or addiction-related issues
These are just some of the common symptoms or warning signs that someone has a co-occurring or dual diagnosis disorder. If you or someone you know relates to these symptoms/signs, please reach out to our Transformations Care treatment team today. We have resources and treatments that can help you starting right away.
What Are Dangers of Self-Medicating with Alcohol or Drugs
There are many different ways that people handle mental health issues – unfortunately, one of those ways is through self-medicating. Self-medicating is when someone uses alcohol or drugs to cover up or treat mental health symptoms. However, when someone does this, it often only worsens the mental health issues and then, the substance abuse worsens, too.
Do you find yourself consuming alcohol to handle anxiety in social circumstances? Have you taken a lot of benzodiazepines such as Valium or Xanax to curb a panic attack? Do you smoke marijuana to combat PTSD or grief? Have you been injecting cocaine or heroin to escape reality? If you find yourself doing these things or anything similar, you are likely self-medicating.
The truth is that millions of people struggle with mental health disorders and many of those people self-medicate with alcohol and/or drugs. If you are doing this, it is vital to get treatment for the dual diagnosis disorder here at Transformations Care. Our team is on their toes ready to help anyone who is self-medicating or dealing with addiction and mental health issues.
Treatment Options for Dual Diagnosis Disorders
Here at Transformations Care, we have a wide range of treatment options for dual diagnosis disorders. Some of these options include:
- Drug and alcohol detox services
- Residential addiction treatment programs
- Partial-hospitalization programs (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOP)
- Outpatient treatment program (OP)
- Alumni program (aftercare)
If you or someone you know is ready to overcome your substance abuse and mental health disorders, reach out to our team today. Here at Transformations Care, we have a team of professionals who can help you to get clean and sober, identify underlying mental health issues, learn more about self-medicating, overcome mental health and addiction issues and much more.
Get Help For A Dual Diagnosis
Do you or someone you know have or believe you might have a dual diagnosis disorder? Even if you aren’t sure, but you know there are mental health issues or substance abuse problems present, our team would like to speak with you about your situation.
Contact us today, here at Transformations Care, to get help for any type of dual diagnosis.