Understanding Dual Diagnosis Treatment and How to Find the Best Program
If you or someone you care about has been struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism or suffering from any other kind of substance use disorder, it is easy to see the situation as a single problem, one that must be addressed by professional detox, rehab, and other forms of treatment. While getting help for someone in the throes of addiction is undoubtedly important, not addressing the dual diagnosis issue may not be enough to put the person you care about on the road to a lasting recovery.
In many cases, the excess use of alcohol or the abuse of street and prescription drugs is as much a symptom as a consequence. The dual diagnosis treatment model recognizes this basic fact, seeking to address the root causes of addiction instead of merely focusing on their most obvious manifestations.
What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
It has often been said that the roots of addiction and alcoholism run deep, and anyone who has worked in the fields of dual diagnosis and addiction science knows that is true. If you have been struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism, there is a strong tendency to focus on drug or alcohol use alone, but doing so could mean missing the forest for the trees.
In all too many cases, the drug addiction and alcoholism in question is actually a symptom and not merely a disease. Dual diagnosis happens when drug addiction, alcoholism, and other forms of substance use disorder coexist with other physical or mental health challenges, including issues with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder.
If you or someone you care about has been battling addiction or alcoholism, it may be time to dig a little deeper, looking beyond their substance use disorder to uncover the root causes. Once those root causes have been discovered and addressed, any subsequent treatment will be more effective, long-lasting, and much more likely to succeed.
What Kinds of Co-Occurring Disorders Treated in Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Drug addiction and alcoholism can have many causes, and sometimes the roots of those dependencies run far more profound than even the individual suffering through the problem truly understands. Co-occurring disorders are commonplace among addicts and alcoholics, and any sound treatment plan must start with a thorough examination of those root causes.
Some of the most common co-occurring disorders seen among alcoholics and drug addicts include:
- Eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and body dimorphic syndrome
- Unresolved issues with childhood abuse
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, an issue that can occur as the result of combat, domestic violence, crime victimization, and a host of other issues
- Depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and other mental health challenges.
These co-occurring disorders may or may not have been formally diagnosed.
Why Treating Co-Occurring Disorders Matters
Your doctor would never try to treat your diabetes without first addressing your diet, and your oncologist would not treat a tumor while suggesting you keep on smoking. That is because managing the root causes of disease is an integral part of the healing process, and that is doubly true with addiction and a dual diagnosis situation.
Co-occurring disorders are common in the world of addiction, and just because those co-occurring disorders have not been formally diagnosed does not mean they are not there. From eating disorders that have roots in childhood and schoolyard taunts to underlying mental health challenges that have thus far gone unexamined, identifying and addressing these dual diagnosis characteristics is as important as sugar control for the person with diabetes.
How Are Co-Occurring Disorders Diagnosed
Co-occurring disorders are pervasive among men and women suffering from substance use disorder and struggling to overcome problems with drug addiction and alcoholism, but making a definitive dual diagnosis is not always as easy as it seems. You may think that your issues with substance abuse stem from an undiagnosed mental health challenge or the lingering effects of PTSD. Still, it is vital to confirm your diagnosis, as doing so can help you get the proper treatment, so you can take your life back and start addressing all of your health problems, including your drug addiction or alcoholism.
To receive a definitive diagnosis of coexisting disorders, you must first be confirmed to have an underlying mental health issue. That requires a thorough examination by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or another appropriate professional. Once the formal diagnosis of co-occurring disorders has been confirmed, treatment can proceed most effectively and speedily possible.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment at Muse in Los Angeles
Before you can get the proper treatment, you need first to get the right diagnosis. With co-occurring disorders so common among drug addicts and alcoholics, there is a good chance that an underlying mental health challenge is causing or contributing to the problems you are not experiencing.
Whether you suspect a dual diagnosis or not, it is crucial to reach out to find treatment programs, and we encourage you to do just that. By reaching out to Muse Treatment in Los Angeles at (800) 426-1818, you can get the help you need via a protocol that addresses not only your apparent drug addiction and alcoholism but also the root causes that made it possible.
