Reasons to Find a Dual Diagnosis Rehab in Fort Collins LineageOS

Are you familiar with the dual diagnosis concept? Alcohol and drug abuse rarely occur in the absence of underlying psychological problems.

In fact, many individuals diagnosed with drug/alcohol addiction also tend to suffer from a behavioral or mental condition. The term that best describes the co-occurrence of such issues is dual diagnosis. An integrated treatment plan is required for addressing both types of disorders.

Fortunately, there are dual diagnosis rehab clinics that specialize in such cases.

The information below explains the concept of dual diagnosis and explains when individuals should find such rehab.

Table of Contents

What is dual diagnosis?

It refers to the coexistence of drug/alcohol abuse and a mental health condition. Most individuals who are diagnosed with such a disorder believe that both conditions should be treated separately. Nevertheless, in practice, both treatments cannot be separated as a person moves forward with the process. This happens become addiction usually becomes a symptom of the underlying emotional imbalance instead of being considered a separate problem.

There is an array of challenges related to dual diagnosis treatments. The most important challenge is for the individual to accept that these conditions occur in conjunction with one another. In most cases, individuals focus on overcoming their addictions while ignoring their psychological trauma. Read here about the causes, signs, symptoms, and diagnosis of emotional trauma.

Afterward, they often end up disappointed when relapse takes place or continue struggling with their emotional imbalance. Therefore, these people should understand that treating addiction without treating their emotional trauma is pointless, and vice versa. Another vital thing to understand is that dual diagnosis treatment requires specialization.

Furthermore, some facilities provide addiction treatment while others offer treatment of emotional and psychological issues. However, just because a particular facility specializes in treating one of these conditions, it doesn’t prove that it’s capable of treating the other. The truth is that dual diagnosis requires specialized treatment, which isn’t delivered by all programs.

For instance, a rehab facility that treats addiction might uncover the psychological trauma that caused the drug/alcohol abuse, but it might not provide patients with the necessary tools to heal it. Consequently, dual diagnosis treatment should be handled by experts with enough experience in treating emotional imbalances that lead to addictive tendencies.

Another challenge that comes with dual diagnosis is the increased risk of relapse. Unless a person takes a holistic approach to his/her struggles, the likelihood of relapse is really high. Both conditions should be treated, as the person might eventually develop coping mechanisms that lead to another form of addiction.

The struggle with self-medication is real in dual diagnosis cases. In an attempt to stabilize their emotional health, these individuals might justify their addiction. For example, a person with a manic syndrome might justify marihuana use as a method of helping him/her stabilize his/her mood. Nevertheless, self-medication isn’t the best solution for this problem. Go to this site, https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/theory-self-medication-and-addiction, to see the theory of self-medication and addiction.

Mental health issues associated with addiction

There are several mental health disorders that appear alongside substance/alcohol abuse. These are often the cause of the addiction, which emphasizes the importance of not ignoring the symptoms of mental health conditions. Individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are likelier to abuse substances as a way of coping with their symptoms. Most of these people are prescribed stimulants for the treatment of ADHD, which might lead to forming bad habits and substance abuse.

The largest part of people with bipolar disorder struggles with addiction. Alcohol and drugs provide them with temporary relief from the manic episodes they experience. Additionally, individuals with a borderline personality disorder often abuse substances. People diagnosed with depression often turn to self-medicating themselves with alcohol and drugs, which only makes the condition worse.

Those suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder are likelier to abuse illegal substances and alcohol in the hope of managing their symptoms. Conversely, people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder struggle with unreasonable compulsions and obsessions, such as irrational fears. Their behavior often triggers anxiety and depression, which might eventually lead to the abuse of drugs.

Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often end up struggling with alcohol/drug addiction. Their brains produce fewer endorphins compared to healthy brains, which makes them likelier to turn towards drugs or alcohol to experience happiness. Fortunately, there are dual diagnosis rehab Fort Collins centers that address both addiction and mental health issues. Alcohol abuse is common among veterans or soldiers who experienced a traumatic event during combat.

People suffering from schizophrenia in Fort Collins often turn into addicts. Their condition is characterized by delusional thinking and hallucinations. Anyhow, dual diagnosis, in this case, can be hard to diagnose because both conditions have overlapping effects.

Reasons why co-occurring disorders require different treatment

Co-occurring disorders occur due to a number of causes. There are various overlapping factors that can aggravate both conditions. Regarding brain responses, drug abuse has the potential to trigger symptoms that resemble those of a mental illness. People who use marihuana excessively might experience psychosis, which makes them lose touch with reality.

Some individuals are genetically predisposed to developing mental disorders or addiction. Genes are responsible for forty to sixty percent of a person’s proneness to addictive behaviors. Also, individuals who experiment with alcohol and substances from an early age are more susceptible to developing such conditions later on. The reason behind this is the proneness of young people to brain damage in comparison to older adults.

Warning signs of dual diagnosis

The symptoms of co-occurring disorders vary a lot among individuals. In general, they include sudden behavior changes, neglecting hygiene and health, delusional thinking, difficulties in managing daily tasks, impulsive behaviors, poor work performance, refusal to accept treatment, avoiding social activities and events that were previously enjoyed, etc. The exact symptoms are dictated by the type of abused substance and the seriousness of the mental health condition.