If you want to know why it is more difficult to achieve success in the rehabilitation of persons who have more than one problem, then you are in the right place.
Millions of people are using rehabilitation services every year with the purpose of recovering their lives. However, what most people don’t understand is that:
Most of the people who are using the rehabilitation services do not have only one disorder.
They have at least two. 50% of people with substance use disorder have some kind of mental health disorder as well. That is called dual diagnosis, and this concept has the ability to completely change everything regarding the rehabilitation process.
The issue with it all is:
Traditional rehabilitation methods treat both conditions separately. If one has only one disorder, that would be fine, but unfortunately, when two or more conditions are present, traditional rehabilitation simply cannot work.
The reason why is that these conditions fuel one another. Your depression will force you to drink, and your drinking will cause your depression to rise. So, this pattern will feed on itself and that is when the problem starts to arise.
But there is great news. Finally, the addiction recovery services have discovered how to deal with the dual diagnosis. By simply visiting https://redribbonrecoveryindiana.com/ you can see what dual diagnosis rehabilitation is all about.
Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- What Is Dual Diagnosis?
- The Hidden Challenges That Make Recovery Even Harder
- Breakthrough Treatment Approaches That Work
- Success Stories That Give Hope
What Is Dual Diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis is when someone has a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time.
Well, that is an easy explanation to a complex problem.
Not at all.
Dual diagnosis has countless combinations in it. You could have:
- Depression and alcoholism
- Anxiety and prescription drug abuse
- ADHD and cocaine addiction
- PTSD and opioid dependency
- Bipolar disorder and marijuana abuse
…and the list can go on and on. But what is the most important thing here is that 17 million U.S. adults are suffering from both conditions these days. That is a wide-spread public health issue that most people are not aware of.
The combinations can vary from one person to another. Therefore, the cookie-cutter treatment programs are failing with the dual diagnosis patients.
The Hidden Challenges That Make Recovery Even Harder
Why is dual diagnosis much more difficult to treat than only one disorder?
Let’s explain it to you:
The Symptoms Overlap
The symptoms of addiction and mental health intermingle with one another. Is your patient anxious because they are withdrawing from drugs? Or, are they using drugs because they are anxious?
In some cases, it can take weeks and sometimes even months to finally figure out what’s happening.
One Problem Triggers the Other
The mental health condition can trigger the substance use, and the substance use can also trigger the mental health symptoms.
For example:
A depressed person will try to drink in order to feel better. However, alcohol is a depressant, so in fact, the drinking habit will only make their depression worse. Which, in return, will only make them want to drink even more.
See how it works, right?
The Traditional Treatment Falls Short
Most of the rehabilitation programs treat either addiction OR mental health, not both.
But when the dual diagnosis is present, if one of the conditions is treated, it is like trying to fix a car when only working on half of the engine. You can make some progress, but the car is never going to run as it should.
Higher Risk of Relapse
Dual diagnosis patients have a much higher risk of relapse compared to the ones with just one disorder. Why? Because if one of the problems is treated, the other one will drive the person back into using again.
It’s not a matter of not having willpower. It’s simply an incomplete treatment.
Breakthrough Treatment Approaches That Work
The good news is that modern rehabilitation finally discovered how to treat people who have a dual diagnosis.
Here’s what works:
Integrated Treatment
Treating addiction and mental health separately does not cut it. The integrated treatment tackles both conditions at the same time with the same team of people.
It means that your therapist is aware of how your depression affects your drinking. Your psychiatrist knows how the medications will interact with your recovery process. And everyone is in the loop.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
For some of the dual diagnosis patients, medications can be a life-changer. You can now use the medications that will help with both addiction and mental health symptoms.
However, in order for that to work, careful monitoring by the professionals that understand both conditions is required.
Specialized Therapy Approaches
Standard talk therapy simply does not work when a dual diagnosis is involved. The specialized approaches are a must, and some of them include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Identifies and changes the thought patterns
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Teaches emotional regulation skills
- Trauma-Informed Care – Addresses the underlying trauma that’s fueling both conditions
Longer Treatment Programs
Treating a single condition can be accomplished within 30 days. Dual diagnosis almost always requires more time.
The most successful programs are the ones that offer the extended care options, meaning that people are given the opportunity to work on both of their conditions at their own pace.
Success Stories That Give Hope
Does dual diagnosis mean that you are fated to fail when it comes to the recovery process? Absolutely not.
Recent studies have shown that people who are using dual diagnosis treatment programs had a 39% abstinence rate at the follow-up period, and that is compared to only 2% at the time of intake. That is almost a 2000% increase.
Even more impressive, some of the specialized programs have shown abstinence rates of 75-78% up to eighteen months after the treatment.
But the benefits do not stop at staying sober:
People that complete the integrated dual diagnosis treatment also improve their:
- Employment rates (from 20% to 29%)
- Being free from psychiatric symptoms (improving from 60% to 68%)
- Overall quality of life
- Relationships with family and friends
The most important thing to understand is that the proper treatment program that treats both conditions together can make miracles.
The Future of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Dual diagnosis treatment is rapidly developing, and with new approaches come better results:
- Personalized Medicine – Genetic testing for the right medications faster
- Technology Integration – Apps and devices that offer 24/7 support
- Peer Support Programs – Helping people with similar combinations to connect
- Family Involvement – Training the family members to support both conditions
The most exciting thing? Treatment providers are, at last, understanding that dual diagnosis is not twice as hard to treat – it is just a different ballgame.
Finding the Right Help
The fact of the matter is that not all rehabilitation programs are equipped to treat people with a dual diagnosis.
When searching for the right treatment, make sure that the program offers:
- Licensed professionals that are trained both in addiction and mental health
- Integrated treatment (not separate programs for each condition)
- Medication management that is done by the qualified psychiatrists
- Extended care options
- Aftercare planning that addresses both conditions
Don’t settle for a program that is going to treat these conditions separately. Your life and your recovery depend on you finding the comprehensive care that is going to help you with your whole being.
Wrapping It Up
Dual diagnosis brings a lot of unique challenges, but modern rehabilitation has all the tools to overcome it.
The old “treating addiction and mental health conditions separately” approach simply does not work. But the integrated treatment that is handling both of the conditions at the same time shows astonishing success rates.
If you or someone you love is struggling with the dual diagnosis – do not give up hope. You are encouraged to find a program that specializes in comprehensive treatment.
Keep in mind:
Having two conditions does not make you twice as broken. It only means that you are someone who needs twice as much support – and with the right help, you will be able to create a recovery that is twice as strong.