Many drug treatment programs claim to offer treatment for a dual diagnosis. However, most of them are not staffed to adequately address the needs of these clients. A true dual diagnosis program, like Nsight Psychology & Addiction, will assess the client and develop individualized plans that address all of the underlying issues which may be driving an addiction, such as depression, trauma, anxiety or PTSD. For a successful and long lasting recovery, both the underlying conditions and the addiction must be tackled from the start.
What is a dual diagnoses? Most of the time we do not see clients who don’t have a secondary mental health condition concurrent with the alcoholism, addiction, or an eating disorder. Anxiety disorders, trauma, depression, undiagnosed ADHD, and other psychological conditions may have often been present for many years. Many times the addictive behaviors have been in response to undiagnosed or mismanaged psychiatric or emotional disorders.
The importance of the proper treatment of a dual diagnoses can’t be over-stated. Issues such as bipolar disorder, depression, trauma, compulsive disorders, eating disorders, anxiety, and ADHD, are risk factors for continuing relapse. If a client returns home after treatment without addressing psychiatric disorders, they may be more inclined to self-medicate. Often, drug or alcohol abuse begins when those with psychological or mood disorders attempt to self-medicate to find a solution on their own. Often, they just want to change the way they feel, and in desperation, rely on drug and alcohol or compulsive behaviors that, for the short-term, seem to provide them with some relief. This form of self-medication does not provide any true relief from the way they are feeling. The result may be to temporarily blunt the symptoms troubling them, but the feelings will come back full force or worse soon after, and the person suffering finds that they require more drugs or alcohol, or compulsive behaviors, to get provie the same relief.
It’s not uncommon to find that people are dismissive of people with psychiatric disorders. Sometimes a family member may tell someone who is depressed to just get active and do something and it will help them feel better. Or, they may show disbelief toward panic attacks or moments of severe anxiety, saying to the person that it’s all in their head. These disorders are serious and are caused by chemical imbalances and they are usually medically treatable. If you or someone you love is abusing drugs or alcohol or otherwise acting out compulsively due to anxiety, depression, or other co-occurring disorders, intervention and treatment will provide them a chance to live a fulfilling and extraordinary life.
