Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs

Dual Diagnosis Treatment at Nsight Psychology & Addiction

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.

9 Things You Should Know About Dual Diagnosis Treatment

1. Having a dual diagnosis is not a rare. Studies show that as many as half of those seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction also have co-occurring disorders.

2. There are many forms of dual diagnosis. A combination of mental illness or mood disorder (including anxiety disorder, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, etc.) and addiction (alcohol, drugs, internet, sex, gambling, etc.) can qualify an individual as someone with a co-occurring disorder. As one can imagine, the possibilities are almost endless.

3. A dual diagnosis can be difficult to treat effectively. One of the things that make co-occurring disorders so difficult to treat is that it may be difficult to determine where certain symptoms are coming from. For example, if a dual diagnosis patient is suffering from anxiety, it takes a skilled therapist to assess the client to initially know whether the drug addiction or the individual’s underlying condition is causing the problem. Anxiety is caused by many things, so the challenge is on the treatment staff to find the root cause and treat it effectively.

4. Those with a dual diagnosis can be higher-risk patients. Coping with a co-occurring disorder is difficult enough; add to that the complications from addiction and it becomes easier to understand the higher relapse and suicide rate of those with a dual diagnosis when they do not receive effective treatment.

5. Those with a dual diagnoses are more susceptible to addiction. Those who suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other conditions will likely see their casual drug use or drinking quickly get out of hand and escalate to an addiction.

6. Most drug and alcohol rehab facilities are not equipped to effectively treat dual diagnosis clients. Dual diagnosis are a complicated issues. Only facilities with a psychiatric staff, seasoned therapists, and a significant focus on dual diagnosis issues are truly equipped to treat these individuals and help with their recovery.

7. Leading dual diagnosis programs provide integrated and individualized treatment. They treat both the underlying condition and the addiction at the same time. This method has been a very successful in the treatment of those with a dual diagnoses.

8. Treatment of someone with a dual diagnosis may take longer to complete. Beware! There is no “quick fix” for those with a co-occurring disorder. When you consider the care necessary and patience required to treat a dual diagnoses, effective treatment may have to be extended by months.

9. A true dual diagnosis program will take into account the mental health component and move at a speed that is individualized and comfortable for the client.