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Before jumping into what dual diagnosis treatment is, it is important to first understand mental health and dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis within an individual is someone who is struggling with a substance abuse problem alongside mental health disorders. Because of the prevalence of mental health issues alongside addiction, dual diagnosis treatment centers in Arizona, as well as across the country, are more and more in demand.
Substance abuse issues can indicate within an individual that there is a substance use disorder (SUD). A substance use disorder is a type of mental disorder that inhibits an individual from properly controlling substance use.
An individual suffering from a substance use disorder and another type of mental disorder is what defines a dual diagnosis. The disorder that comes alongside a SUD is called a co-occurring disorder.
Keep reading to learn more about the details of what dual diagnosis is and how it is treated, as well as options for finding dual diagnosis treatment in Arizona!
Mental health is not something that is properly respected or understood within our society and produces unsupportive living styles for individuals. Mental health disorders are psychiatric conditions where an individual’s thinking, behavior, feeling, mood, and perception are affected.
These mental health conditions are life-long conditions that affect an individual’s daily life and experience. This can make it very difficult for them to properly manage their life, especially with the stigma against their experience.
As time has progressed, the names and understanding around these topics have changed and developed. A mental health disorder, mental illness, and mental conditions are all different names of the same type of psychiatric issue.
Mental illness is a more traditional or older name that has been the common label for these disorders. These disorders are more commonly known as mental health disorders. This helps improve the stigma and understanding around mental illness.
There are many different kinds of disorders that strongly affect individuals and bring them to have to properly manage their sufferings. Some of the common mental disorders include:
There currently isn’t a way to determine which developed first, the SUD or the disorder. There is no determining factor that can appropriately specify a leading cause for them. This can be a concerning question since they often happen together.
An individual who is living with undiagnosed mental health conditions may struggle as their needs are misunderstood and not provided in an unsupportive environment. It is important for an individual who suffers from mental issues to receive treatment.
It is unlikely for an individual to suddenly develop a mental disorder. Individuals struggling with mental disorders often have been managing or coping with their symptoms throughout their daily experience.
There can be a variety of factors that cause mental health issues to develop. Some of the ways in which someone may develop a mental disorder include:
Mental health and addiction are very closely related. Individuals struggling with mental health issues are more likely to become addicted towards a substance as a way to manage or cope with their affected daily experience.
As individuals with mental health conditions typically have a lowered quality of life, they develop and manage their symptoms through their own developed or learned coping mechanisms to manage their lives.
While these coping mechanisms can be healthy and properly beneficial to an individual, it can also be harmful to an individual. Substance abuse may be a one way an individual moves to manage their experience.
Individuals using harmful substances as a way of self-medicating and unhealthily coping with their reality can lead to substance abuse and addiction. Addiction itself affects the brain and behaviors as well.
Addiction is considered to be a complex relapsing disorder in which an individual is unable to inhibit drug seeking behaviors. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is the most severe version of substance abuse disorders.
Drug abuse and addiction can strongly affect and worsen the mental health of an individual as well as disorders within the individual. Some of the withdrawals of addiction and substance abuse can include:
Due to the lack of education and misunderstandings surrounding the accessibility to treatment, individuals struggling with mental health may be left undiagnosed. An individual will continue to struggle through their experience without receiving the help that will benefit their life.
According to BetterHealth, some of the signs of individuals struggling with mental health disorders include:
Experiencing these symptoms or signs does not immediately mean that there is an underlying disorder that an individual struggles with. It is likely for individuals to have undergone many of these symptoms infrequently in their lives.
An individual that experiences many of these symptoms very frequently, such as throughout the day, are the individuals likely to be struggling with an undiagnosed issue in their life. It is important for these individuals to receive a proper diagnosis to better manage themselves.
Receiving a proper diagnosis when an individual believes themselves to be struggling with mental health issues can lead to an increased quality of living. This can bring them a comfort in validating their altered experience.
It can also be very jarring for an individual to suddenly learn and understand that they are different from most others; however, every person has their own needs to be met to properly live a comfortable experience.
A medical professional, such as a psychiatrist, can give a proper psychiatric evaluation to determine any underlying conditions or mental health issues within an individual. This can consist of a variety of tests which include:
A dual diagnosis treatment is a plan that supports individuals through both or all conditions that are within an individual. Maintaining abstinence and recovery from substance abuse is unlikely to be achieved while managing unresolved issues within an individual.
Dual Diagnosis treatment is a method of treatment that focuses on creating an individualized treatment plan for each individual and allows them to properly work through their needs and issues.
Treatment that addresses every need of an individual allows an individual to better understand themselves and how to avoid falling back into dangerous or negative behaviors. Dual diagnosis treatment centers will have resources available to properly determine other issues individuals may not realize they are managing.
Leaving co-occurring disorders undiagnosed can lead to relapse or other personal issues within an individual arise. An individual is likely to struggle to remain substance free while managing other co-occurring mental issues.
Treating substance abuse for individuals with substance use disorders is important in addiction recovery. Many treatment centers offer dual diagnosis treatment as the treatment type for these individuals.
There is no one type of treatment that best fits dual diagnosis treatment. Individualized treatment plans are created to find the best treatment that works for an individual and their needs.
A dual diagnosis treatment typically begins with medical detox to remove substances from an individual’s body. After this drug detoxification, a dual diagnosis treatment program can incorporate many different forms of treatment to best fit an individual.
The treatment providers at a dual diagnosis recovery center assist individuals with individualized treatment planning to make a proper treatment plan. These many different treatment services can include:
The intention behind these varying options is to provide the proper life skills training for an individual and allow them to return to their lives. These treatments can be done in an inpatient or residential treatment or outpatient treatment.
The varying forms of delivery provide treatment options to all individuals seeking treatment at a treatment center. The main beneficial aspects of dual diagnosis treatment typically come after drug detoxification.
It is after the drug detox process that an individual undergoes specialized treatment methods to assist the mental health concerns. Treatment centers have various resources available to support the various needs of a patient.
Inpatient care is a form of a residential treatment program that requires individuals to live onsite at a treatment center. This option can be very beneficial for individuals that wish to be removed from their environment and comfortably limit their drug-seeking behaviors.
Inpatient treatment programs provide 24-hour care for individuals and are more often long-term forms of care. An inpatient addiction treatment center may offer a medical detox onsite and allow individuals to become integrated into that environment.
This can be a medication-assisted treatment depending on what mental health condition an individual is struggling with or the substance an individual was using.
Outpatient care is a form of treatment that allows individuals to receive treatment throughout the day and return home during the night. This type of treatment varies in intensity and can provide flexibility to individuals with other outside responsibilities such as work.
A primary form of treatment in outpatient care is group therapy. This can allow for individuals to succeed in the recovery process through the connecting and understanding of individuals all suffering from the same issues.
A medical detox is a form of inpatient treatment where an individual stays at a treatment center overnight to receive care. This is a drug detoxification process to allow an individual to safely stop substance use.
Medical professionals provide 24 hour to individuals undergoing this treatment program. This medical staff can provide medications and assistance that will better support the drug withdrawals.
Medications are provided most often to help an individual manage their experience. They can act as a substitute from the harmful substance and allow them to manage the cravings and other withdrawals more appropriately.
The unwanted side effects and withdrawals can be relapse provoking and even dangerous, placing individuals in life-threatening situations. As the body becomes reliant upon substances with continued use, an individual may lean more heavily on using substances to maintain proper bodily functions.
Some of these substances include tobacco, opioid, and alcohol. All of these substances have certain medications that can prevent the need to use those harmful substances and maintain bodily functions.
Some medications are also used to help support individuals struggling with mental health through their symptoms. This can help reinforce the abstinence from harmful substance use and allow for recovery of an individual.
A partial hospitalization program is one of many intensive outpatient programs which provide another type of medical detox which is called ambulatory detoxification. This detoxification process does not require an individual to live onsite.
As a medical detox is a residential form of detoxification, ambulatory detoxification is a more moderate form of detoxification that is able to be undergone for individuals with mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms.
An individual receives treatment during the day and returns home at night. This program takes place in a hospital setting which provides individuals with the proper resources they may require throughout this process.
As it is an intensive outpatient treatment, the intensity for this program is not much different from an inpatient program, while also still providing flexibility for the individual undergoing this process.
Dual diagnosis, as a long-term form of treatment, will focus on rebuilding lost social skills and communication to allow them to return to their lives. Dual diagnosis treatment centers have many resources to support this process.
Dual diagnosis programs may include specific therapies such as dialectical behavior therapy which helps an individual with key factors within their life. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are 5 factors which are:
The 5 factors allow for individuals struggling with mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, to learn and properly process core life functions. This can include processing emotions or understanding what causes dysfunctional behaviors.
This is one of many treatment programs which can help individuals struggling with mental health problems find stability within themselves. Treatments and therapies support individuals in better quality of living with mental health issues.
Financial difficulties can be one of the main factors that turn individuals away from finding treatment. Thankfully, mental and behavioral health services are essential parts of an insurance plan.
Although the coverage does vary depending on the type of plan an individual has, it is still an essential and can help cover treatment. Some of the commonly accepted insurance within dual diagnosis treatment in Arizona include:
Trying to find treatment can be a daunting and overwhelming task to manage on your own. It can be difficult to find dual diagnosis centers that match your needs. Here at Rehabs Of Armerica, we make that process easy.
Whether finding a treatment center in your location, or connecting you with recovery tools and resources, our hotline is available 24/7 to make sure you can get the help you need, anytime you need it.
Mental health, substance abuse, and addiction greatly affect your daily experience and can make getting help immensely difficult. Call us today and we will help find the right dual diagnosis treatment center for you or your loved one now!
Anna M. joined Find Addiction Rehabs with extensive experience in the field of addiction treatment. As a former Nurse Practitioner in Miami, she found her passion for addiction treatment when a family member was lost to his disease. With each article and resource, she hopes to save other families from experiencing the anguish of a loved one’s passing due to drinking or drugs.
