Dual Diagnosis Treatment

When you have a dual diagnosis, you have both a substance abuse or addiction diagnosis and a mental health diagnosis simultaneously. It can be challenging for medical professionals to know how to treat because both conditions are often significantly intertwined and share similar or often the same root causes. Dual diagnosis conditions often share overlapping symptoms, which make treating one disease without acknowledging the other very difficult and less than beneficial. The best option for someone with a dual diagnosis is to complete a program at a treatment facility where treatment professionals are trained to address co-occurring disorders. 

Dual diagnosis treatment allows the individual and the treatment team to focus on all areas of the problem providing the most comprehensive opportunity for recovery. 

Dual diagnosis programs help identify and address particular mental health conditions that you might struggle with and the emotional and psychological factors that may have led to maladaptive and addictive behaviors. Often, substance abuse develops out of using drugs or alcohol as a form of self-medication. Dual diagnosis therapy can help you learn more about how substances are used to self-medicate and then learn healthier, safer coping strategies to use throughout treatment and recovery. Another significant benefit of dual diagnosis treatment is learning how to identify and address potential triggers (including people, events, and places) that impact your behaviors. During treatment, your therapist will help you create a plan to address these triggers, helping reduce the possibility of relapse. 

Dual diagnosis treatment programs utilize evidence-based, holistic treatment such as yoga, massage therapy, meditation, and nutritional counseling in conjunction with traditional therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, to ensure the most comprehensive treatment program possible. During counseling, you will participate in individual, group, and family support sessions that address both your addiction and mental health treatment needs. Groups with family and like-minded individuals who share similar struggles can be instrumental in healing and recovery in a dual diagnosis setting. 

Historically, there was a strong belief that someone with a dual diagnosis should address each issue separately, in separate treatment programs. The challenge with this train of thought lies in how intertwined the issues are. Although one does not necessarily cause the other, they share many symptoms. Also, the desire to alleviate mental health symptoms frequently leads to substance use and abuse, and attempting to achieve sobriety often results in some mental health symptoms. It is a vicious circle that is often difficult to conquer without comprehensive addiction treatment. Fortunately, the medical and mental health communities now understand that addiction and mental health are not separate or discrete struggles. They are quite the opposite in that they are deeply connected psychologically, behaviorally, and often physically. Consequently, the best outcomes are achieved with comprehensive, integrated mental health and addiction treatment. The benefits of dual diagnosis treatment are many, but the most common include the following (some of which have been previously referenced above):