Many people who struggle with alcoholism or drug addictions also struggle with mental health disorders. Sometimes it is not clear which came first – the addiction or the depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, it is critical to treat both at the same time. A dual diagnosis treatment center can help you do that. When you find a dual diagnosis treatment center, you can begin to work on both therapies at the same time, improving your health and future.
Why Is a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center So Important?
For a person with substance use disorder alongside another mental health condition, treating one without the other is ineffective. If you receive medications for your depression but don’t treat the addiction, you’ll continue to use. If you get help for addiction without dealing with the underlying cause of it, such as previous trauma, you are likely to relapse. You may benefit from turning to a dual diagnosis treatment center in situations such as:
- Using drugs or alcohol to deal with stress
- You want to hide or stop your thoughts
- Alcohol or drug use is impossible to stop on your own
- Anxiety creeps up so bad you need substances to control it
- You need more of that same drug to get the relief you need
What Happens in a Treatment Program Like This?
When you enter a treatment program like this, you work one-on-one with specialists who can help you to stop using through a series of therapies and treatment methods. This may include:
- Detox support
- Residential treatment programs
- https://www.atlmentalhealth.com/mental-health-therapies-ga/individual-therapy-program/
- Group therapy program
- Outpatient treatment programs
Our goal is to give you the tools and resources you need to start healing. That means stripping the substances from your body as a starting point. That gives you more control over your thoughts. From there, doctors can provide medications and supportive treatment strategies to help you to gain stability. This may include medications to treat withdrawal symptoms as well as medications to help manage mental health needs. A dual diagnosis treatment center can do this for you.
What Happens When You Get Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
Your therapists will work with you to create a plan that’s specific to your needs. This will give you the tools you need to thrive. It may include detox as an initial step and medications to help you to control any chemical imbalances causing your mental health disorders.
You’ll learn how to better manage stress if that’s a key component of your addiction. For many, past trauma has to be dealt with (and that does not mean you have to relive those experiences). You will need to learn how to control your negative thoughts and disassociate those memories from your day-to-day life. This empowers you to heal.
When you work through this type of therapy, you gain more control over your thoughts and your future. You can then work through outpatient therapy to rebuild your confidence on a day-by-day basis, slowly getting back to your health and future. It’s always important for you to choose a program that’s designed to specifically treat both conditions as some addiction therapy programs do not provide care for mental health disorders.
How to Start on the Path Towards Healing
Are you ready to start to gain control and feel better mentally and physically? Turn to a dual diagnosis treatment center to get started. After an initial assessment, an individualized treatment program is designed to meet your needs. You can then count on your therapists to help you navigate what’s happening to you and why allowing you to gain the support you need in various therapy programs. All you have to do is call.
