At first, the term dual diagnosis might appear to describe a condition associated with multiple mental health illnesses. But that’s often a misconception. Dual diagnosis means having a mental health issue along with a substance use disorder. It is the diagnosis of these two conditions. The co-occurrence of both mental health issues and substance use disorder can also be referred to as co-occurring disorders.
Now you might think how rare this condition would be. Well, that’s not true either. Dual diagnosis is a commonly occurring condition in about 8 million people out of those 21 million who suffer from addiction.
Can One Affect the Other?
The answer is, yes. If you already are suffering from a mental health illness and choose to self-medicate using addictive substances. Within a short period, you will likely develop addiction issues. Depending on addictive substances for better mental health is not the cure, it just temporarily subsides the negative feeling.
Now, this is just one aspect of the situation. This can also happen the other way around. If you are already abusing substances, you can develop mental illnesses as a side effect of overconsumption. The moment the effects of the substances wear off, you might begin to feel depressed and anxious.
This is how both of these can become the reason behind developing a co-occurring disorder.
Treatment Options
Substance abuse and mental health illnesses are themselves challenging to overcome individually. But that doesn’t mean it is impossible. Professionals at Taylor Recovery can help you by providing these treatment options:
- Psychotherapy
- Inpatient rehab program
- Supportive housing
It will be wise of you to go for a treatment plan which caters to both the conditions. This is known as dual diagnosis treatment. You might already be seeing a mental health therapist, but it will be better if you tell them about your substance abuse disorder and the will to treat them both. In such cases, they will recommend you to visit a professional at a rehab center.
A rehab center is just not about overcoming addiction. It also helps patients overcome their mental and physical health issues that were a result of substance abuse.
It isn’t difficult to find a rehab center that can treat your co-occurring disorders. You can come to Taylor Recovery in Katy, Texas. We have professionals trained in this field and are happy to help people like you. Contact our center now to get more details about the treatment program.