Dual diagnosis, also known as comorbidity, co-occurrence, or co-occurring disorders, is the formal diagnosis of concurrent mental health and substance use disorders. It is a condition in which either disease can develop first, but drug and alcohol use can aggravate symptoms of mental health problems. The joint treatment of both disorders is crucial for a lasting recovery. At the North Jersey Recovery Center, we understand that a one-size-fits-all program simply won't work for someone with a dual diagnosis.
Your story is yours and your recovery process should be too. We adapt our innovative addiction recovery programs to address your dual diagnosis and facilitate healing. Many treatment centers will serve a large number of clients seeking help for an alcohol addiction, but have also been diagnosed with depression. Very often they started drinking to help overcome the symptoms of depression, and it helped, for a while, but then alcohol consumption increased because it stopped calming the symptoms of depression.
This led to an addiction to alcohol, as well as to the original problem of just depression. Others may have drunk for a long time and became depressed because they acquired an alcohol dependence. Alcohol is a known depressant, and consuming too much alcohol at a time, or relying on it for a long period of time, will greatly aggravate depression. Either way, treatment should address both addiction and depression at the same time.
If the patient only has signs of depression, that condition can be treated more easily than if the same person is also struggling with depression and PTSD or panic disorder at the same time. This complicates treatment, as both conditions need to be identified and treated, along with substance use addiction. For others, they may only have a single mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, even though they are addicted to alcohol and opioids. The treatment protocol may be different for each of the substances because they affect different and separate regions of the brain.
TMS therapy for depression could also treat addiction. Mental illness can result from drugs, alcohol, gambling, or sex addiction, which can be used as unhealthy methods of coping with the painful symptoms of mental conditions, as well as counterproductive behaviors. The effects of substance abuse often overlap with psychological disorders, including anxiety and personality disorders, as well as schizophrenia. Co-occurring disorders such as depression, anxiety, and mental illness are more common in people with a family history of depression and anxiety. People with first-degree relatives are more likely to suffer from mental disorders such as desperation, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive dysfunction than anyone else, suggesting that these conditions may be inherited. In many cases, people abuse substances to feel joy or pleasure even if artificially or to numb themselves to their emotional pain. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide and affects millions of people worldwide.
But substance-induced depression also recognized as drug-induced happiness also occurs with alcohol and other drugs after the first euphoria has disappeared. Substance abuse increases then since the individual desires both euphoria and avoid contradictory emotions. Therefore a bad series occurs where depression intensifies dependence and vice versa. Many people with anxiety and mental illness turn to substance abuse to ease or ease the burden every day. There are many types of anxiety and it is one of the most common mental health disorders. In social situations drinking alcohol can reduce anxiety and prescription medications can eliminate anxiety.
As people with anxiety and mental illness use substances to cope with their symptoms their dependence on those substances increases making them more vulnerable to addiction and worsening their anxiety. Those suffering from bipolar disorders and mental illness experience excessive and undisciplined scenes of sadness and obsession due to an imbalance in brain chemicals. The cruelty of these incidents is typically reduced through drug abuse ultimately leading to increasingly irregular brain activity. Some studies suggest that bipolar depression and mental illness may be associated with substance use disorders compared to conditions not diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Many different symptoms can indicate PTSD such as memories intrusive thoughts horrors and hypervigilance. In addition medication and liquor are temporary remedies for PTSD Signs of PTSD may occur sooner create more severe contradictory emotions or disrupt sleep schedules As PTSD symptoms can be debilitating some victims lose control and abuse drugs or alcohol to cope with. People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more inclined to substance abuse as a way to cope with their symptoms Many people are prescribed stimulants to treat ADHD which can be habit-forming and cause a toxic pattern of substance abuse. About half of people with bipolar disorder also struggle with addiction As with any other disorder it can be tempting to self-medicate Drugs and alcohol provide a source of temporary relief from emotional situations and manic episodes for people with bipolar disorder. Studies have shown that addiction and borderline personality disorder (BPD) often occur together More than two-thirds of people with BPD have abused substances at some point in their lives Dual diagnosis is the combination of having a mental illness and an addiction that occur at the same time.
The 8 Most Common Dual Diagnosis Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Depression
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Schizophrenia
Treatment for Dual Diagnosis
Many people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction have an underlying mental health problem that is not getting proper medication. See our infographic for the 8 most common dual diagnosis disorders.While there are many types of anxiety disorders generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is perhaps the most common dual diagnosis disorder. Treatment for dual diagnosis should address both conditions simultaneously in order to achieve lasting recovery. At North Jersey Recovery Center we understand this need for specialized care. We provide comprehensive treatment plans tailored specifically for each individual's needs.
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