Does Drug Rehab Treat Dual Diagnosis?

Taking the first step toward sobriety into addiction treatment is a major accomplishment, marking the beginning of a plethora of transformations. While rehab plays an integral role in recovery, not every individual’s journey and goals will be the same. Alongside substance use treatment, some people may need to address mental health disorders that could dictate their recovery path, called dual diagnosis.

Rehab is a crucial resource for all looking to start their journey toward a healthy, sober future, and can set the groundwork to overcome one’s struggles with addiction and any underlying mental health disorders, leading to a healthier life ahead. So how do treatment centers help people with dual diagnoses?

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

A dual diagnosis is when someone experiences two or more co-occurring conditions — often a substance use disorder (SUD) accompanied by a mental health disorder, though dual diagnosis can take many different forms. While the exact combination of mental health disorders an individual may suffer from differs from person to person, some of the most common co-occurring disorders with SUD are:

• Depression

• Bipolar disorder

• Anxiety

• Panic disorder

• Borderline personality disorder

• Eating disorders

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Schizophrenia

Any kind of mental health disorder, coupled with an addiction to any kind of substance or behavior, can create a very delicate and complicated route to recovery. Rehab is a necessary step to begin tackling these concerns simultaneously to bring about a truly transformative experience.

Treating All Concerns Simultaneously

Mental health and substance use are intricately connected, and it can be difficult to separate one from the other. In cases of dual diagnosis, sometimes an individual who is suffering from a mental health disorder will attempt to self-medicate with addictive substances which evolves into an addiction.

Others may find that constant use of these addictive substances brings about or worsens feelings of anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Because addiction and mental health disorders inform each other, it is critical to address them simultaneously.

The use of these substances can also lead an individual to act against their own best interests, prompting traumatic experiences such as car accidents, legal repercussions or arrests, or other traumas resulting from high-risk behaviors.

Overcoming a dual diagnosis is complex, and addressing substance use without addressing the underlying mental health disorders can make one’s sobriety and health difficult to maintain. Creating a wholly transformative experience that addresses all of one’s concerns in tandem, all while exploring the unique ways one’s mental health and path with addiction inform each other is the best way to ensure long-lasting recovery from all conditions involved.

How Rehab Addresses Dual Diagnosis

Because of how complex dual diagnosis can be, treatment and recovery can be complicated, though never impossible. There may be many reasons behind the development of addiction or mental health disorders. One’s environments such as home life and workplace, upbringing, early-age exposures, traumatic events, and genetics all play a role in the development of both addictions and mental health disorders.

With so many different factors, coupled with the highly personal way one’s diagnoses may interact and inform each other, treatment is an incredibly powerful and necessary part of the recovery process.

Having trained professionals around at all times provides not only a sense of security but also a crucial source of information for working toward understanding the complex nature of one’s unique situation. With intertwining diagnoses, many of one’s emotions and thoughts can become confusing or unclear, especially as one tries to rationalize their thought patterns and actions. Professionals can provide the necessary education and perspective to address these concerns while promoting safe and personalized grounding strategies to cope with their effects.

The environment of a given rehab facility is also crucial. By removing oneself from potentially stressful, triggering, or enabling spaces, such as one’s home life or workplace, an individual can better understand how their environments may negatively impact their health. Dedicated treatment facilities can provide distance from otherwise negative influences while navigating the first crucial steps of one’s recovery, including detox and any withdrawal symptoms that may manifest.

Understanding the Spirit of Rehab

Rehab involves so much more than just learning to quell one’s urges or cravings to engage with addictive substances. Undergoing treatment means one must embrace a wholly transformative set of goals, not only in taking steps toward sobriety but also in addressing the mental health battles one faces along the way. 

Recovery from any kind of dual diagnosis is a complicated process, and because of the unique, interconnected nature that one's mental health and substance use share, rehab is not only a powerful option but often the best option. The education, recovery strategies, and atmosphere of rehab are all designed to help individuals take steps toward their goals and best lives.

Rehab champions this idea while helping each individual cope with their substance use and mental health concerns simultaneously in a safe, recovery-focused environment. 

Dual Diagnosis Requires a Unique and Complicated Recovery Journey

A healthy, sober future is always possible, and we at The Edge Treatment Center are prepared to help you take the first steps toward a transformed future today. We offer an array of different programs all designed to meet you with the level of personalized care you need for your unique situation.

From detox to outpatient treatment, we are ready to help you each step of the way, all while developing recovery strategies that are most effective for your continued sobriety and mental health.