Affordable Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Co-Occurring Conditions

Sometimes it’s hard to remember what came first, the anxiety or the benzodiazepine dependency.  In other cases, someone struggling with PTSD first may later develop an alcohol use disorder.  For those with a dual diagnosis, it can feel like both disorders melted together into one big blur.  The vicious cycle that developed can continue to feed each problem—such as how, when an anxiety disorder ramps up, you reach for the Xanax, and on and on it goes.

Dual diagnosis, also referred to as co-occurring conditions or comorbidity, is when a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder coexist.  Dual diagnosis is very common, with 5 million American adults struggling with this challenge, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association.  When seeking help for a dual diagnosis there can be concern about the cost of a specialized treatment program such as this, but, thankfully, affordable dual diagnosis treatment centers are available.

Dual Diagnosis Defined

About twenty years ago, the concept of an individual suffering from both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder was formally defined in the mental health community.  These two conditions are found to be coexisting in about 25% of cases of drug or alcohol addiction, and can take many different forms depending on which two specific conditions exist.  For example, the person struggling with anxiety and abuse of sedatives will probably have a different profile that the individual struggling with depression and alcoholism or someone with bipolar disorder addicted to heroin.

In many cases, the difficult symptoms of a mental health disorder will prompt the use of drugs or alcohol to help alleviate those uncomfortable symptoms.  If the mental health disorder is not treated, a chemical dependency to the substance can result, only adding to the misery and negative consequences.  Of those who suffer from a substance use disorder, the ones with a dual diagnosis incur the highest degree of suffering.

Causes of Dual Diagnosis

Although it can be difficult to discern which disorder came first, the bottom line is that something sparked the dual diagnosis.  A range of issues can lead to the development of a dual diagnosis.  These factors might include:

• History of trauma. When a traumatic event occurs, such as sudden death of a loved one, physical or sexual assault, combat distress, or a serious accident, a co-occurring substance abuse can develop as a coping mechanism.
• Family history. There are some mental health disorders that have a biological component and run in families.  This can be found in multi-generational depression or bipolar disorder, combined with abuse of a substance to subdue the symptoms.  Or, a family history of alcoholism might lead some to develop depression as a result.
• Environmental factors. Events or episodes can spur a dual diagnosis, such as when a disordered family dynamic or ongoing abuse leads to abnormal attachments and subsequent addiction issues.

Affordable Treatment for Dual Diagnosis

When an individual suffering from a dual diagnosis is ready to get help, it is important to locate a specialized program that treats dual diagnosis through an integrated treatment program that addresses both disorders at once.  There is a wide range of dual diagnosis treatment programs available, including affordable dual diagnosis centers.

Treatment for dual diagnosis will encompass a tailored plan according to the particular mental illness that accompanies the addiction.  In many cases cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very effected in treating both disorders.  CBT is a proactive short-term therapy that challenges the patient to confront their disordered thought and behavior patterns and create goals to replace them with new, productive ones that will help them respond to any trigger in a healthier way.

Affordable Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

The Treatment Specialist will connect you to a treatment center that can expedite the process of admitting into an Affordable Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers.  If you are seeking an affordable inpatient dual diagnosis center, call to learn about the available treatment options in California. You will speak to a Treatment Specialist at a top rated program near me (you) that offer dual diagnosis treatment. Get help today at (866) 644-7911.