A highly successful approach to addiction that involves both dealing with substance abuse and mental health, dual diagnosis treatment is increasingly the preferred treatment.
Till quite recently, substance abuse treatment would begin with the overcoming substance addiction before working to treat any psychological disorder.
Treating only substance abuse is like treating just the symptom and not the root cause. Even if the person somehow overcomes abuse, without treating the mental health issue, the patient is likely to relapse. So dual diagnosis treatment, or co-occurring disorder treatment, is now the preferred approach at leading rehabs, such as Pacific Bay Recovery in San Diego.
DO ALL ADDICTS HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Not always, but often emotional issues drive substance abuse. A 2013 study carried out by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration claimed that of the forty-four million Americans that had a mental health disorder, more than a quarter of those also suffered a drug or alcohol dependency.
People suffering from a mental health disorder try to seek refuge in the numbing effects of alcohol or drugs.At the same time, drug and alcohol abuse can often trigger mental health issues.
That is why dual diagnosis treatment is so important. An addiction and a mental health problem are not easy to separate so the best is to treat them together as dual diagnosis treatment.
HOW DOES DUAL DIAGNOSIS WORK
Each person’s with dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders has unique issues and needs to be treated with a customised treatment plan.
A treatment plan for dual diagnosis disorder is designed based on your family history, the psychological issues you are experiencing, the extent of abuse, the particular substance(s) you are addicted to, and the length of that addiction.
Treatment plans can include medication, behavioral therapy, counseling, group therapy and life skills training.
To learn more about how you or a loved one can benefit from dual diagnosis treatment, call Pacific Bay Recovery in San Diego at 858-263-9700.
