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Dual diagnosis treatment is a treatment that supports individuals struggling with a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. It is detrimental for individuals to receive the proper treatment they need for these conditions.
But, what is a mental health disorder? And what is a substance use disorder? Before going more into what dual diagnosis treatment centers in PA offer, it is important to first understand mental health, mental disorders, and substance abuse.
Keep reading to find out more about what makes an effective dual diagnosis treatment program, and how to get top options for treatment in Pennslyvania!
Mental health, just like our physical health, is a core aspect of our daily lives. Keeping our mental health in good shape can allow us to experience a higher quality of life. Our mental health directly relates to how we think, feel, and behave.
Because of this, it also affects the ways in which we process emotion, react to situations, and make decisions. Our mental health is the main reason as to why we may feel off when we are otherwise physically fine.
Mental health is often overlooked and mistreated despite being just as important as physical health. Ignoring mental health can greatly impact many aspects of our daily experience such as performance, or cognitive function.
The factors of our mental health weigh on our bodies more than we can usually realize. These aspects are especially true in individuals struggling with mental illness.
Mental illness is a very difficult issue for individuals to manage without receiving proper treatment. It is also something that the general public knows very little about due to the poor education surrounding it.
Mental illness, mental health disorders, and mental health conditions are all different names for the same condition. Mental illness is a very stigmatized name for this condition and often leads individuals to avoid receiving the help they very much need out of fear of being diagnosed with a disorder.
As mental health relates to thinking, feeling, and behavior, a mental health disorder is a type of psychiatric condition in which an individual’s thinking, feeling, and behavior is altered. This condition can make it immensely difficult for an individual to manage their experience.
Sadly, this also leads to a lowered quality of life among these individuals, especially in those that have not received treatment for these issues. Some of the many mental health disorders include:
These disorders are life-long conditions in which an individual must learn to manage otherwise they will continue to have a lowered experience in their daily life. Properly understanding and managing a disorder is important to the health of an individual.
Thankfully, there is mental health treatment available to individuals so that they can properly manage their experience. Medications are one form of treatment to support the functions of these individuals.
These medications are able to make up for many of the deficiencies an individual is experiencing such as lower levels of certain cells that are important for daily functions.
Individuals struggling with mental disorders are likely to experience a lowered quality of life and so therapy can also support helping these individuals process many of their lowered experiences.
Mental health disorders can arise for a variety of reasons but there aren’t any set ways for them to develop. With that being said, there are some distinguished ways that they are understood to develop including:
Every individual is different and these factors can arise or present in different ways. There can also be many causes for these signs, some of which may be temporary. A mental health disorder is more likely to be present in an individual who experiences these signs daily.
According to the National Institute of Medicine, some of the signs of mental health disorders include:
It is important to receive a proper diagnosis when worried about having a mental health disorder. Ask your doctor for a referral to receive a proper evaluation and get the diagnosis you need.
Your medical history can assist with determining a diagnosis. A diagnosis will typically be determined after a psychological evaluation or mental health screening. During this, you will be asked questions about behaviors, thoughts, and feelings in your daily experience.
You may also be given a physical examination to rule out other possible conditions and properly determine a diagnosis.
Mental health and substance abuse are very closely related. One negative way of coping with poor mental health is self-medicating. Self-medicating is a method of determining a dosage of a substance for oneself without a doctor’s approval.
This is a dangerous way to manage a lowered mental health experience. Using substances can worsen an individual’s mental health rather than help it. Many of the drawbacks of substances hinder and lower an individual’s mental health greatly.
The withdrawal from substance abuse can leave an individual worse off. As an individual’s experience continues to lower, they are left to either return to their substance abuse or try to manage their lowered experience. A substance use disorder makes this experience even harder to manage.
A substance use disorder is a form of mental disorder in which an individual is unable to properly inhibit their substance use. An individual struggling with substance abuse will often continue to use substances despite negative consequences.
The most severe case of a substance use disorder is an addiction. An addiction is classified as a complex relapsing disorder. These conditions can cause harmful experiences within an individual’s life.
It is important for an individual to be properly treated for these conditions in order to recover and return to their lives. This condition can have a negative impact on an individual’s life if left untreated for too long. Having a co-occurring disorder alongside a substance use disorder can also impact an individual’s experience.
A co-occurring disorder is another underlying mental disorder when a substance use disorder is present within an individual. This is the only situation when a mental disorder would be referred to as a co-occurring disorder.
Not every individual with a substance use disorder has a co-occurring mental health disorder nor does every individual with a mental disorder have a substance use disorder.
With substance use, an individual is likely to experience withdrawals from that substance, especially in the case of constant use of harmful substances. Many of the withdrawal symptoms that are experienced will lead to lowered mental health.
Individuals often relapse from the intense mental health battle they must face in order to stop using. Some of the withdrawal symptoms include:
When experiencing these symptoms, it may be beneficial for an individual to undergo a drug detoxification program to stop using.
Dual diagnosis treatment is a form of co-occurring disorder treatment. Co-occurring disorders refer to a disorder on top of a substance use disorder and so, treatment for co-occurring disorders is treating all of the issues of an individual.
An individual will work with a treatment provider to create a plan that meets their individual needs. As an individual is struggling with a substance use disorder and co-occurring disorder, they require that both of these issues are properly treated.
Leaving these issues untreated can cause an individual to relapse or face other harmful consequences. To allow an individual to recover and maintain recovery, it is important to address every need of an individual.
Dual diagnosis treatment typically incorporates both behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy as forms of treatment.
Addiction strongly affects the behavioral health of individuals and requires rehabilitation to properly recover. There are many different forms of treatment for an individual to undergo dual diagnosis treatment.
As these individuals have a mental disorder, it is likely that they will benefit from receiving medication as a form of treatment. This allows them to receive the support they need to properly function throughout their experience.
Dual diagnosis can provide drug and alcohol addiction treatment services and may include medication as well. There are some substances that have approved medications to assist greatly with the withdrawal experience.
This can help individuals with properly taking on addiction treatment as medication often reduces cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. Individuals are then able to be more engaged during treatment and retain many of the learned skills and techniques.
Like all other addiction treatments, detoxification is the first phase of the recovery journey. There are various detoxification services with two main forms of detoxification being medical detox and ambulatory detox.
The detoxification can take 3-5 days or up to 2 weeks in more severe cases of addiction. After detoxification, an individual is prepared to take on dual diagnosis treatment. An individual will follow their individualized treatment plan and work with the treatment providers to receive treatment.
Medical detox is one of the first phases of addiction treatment. This is done to cleanse an individual of a substance or substances before beginning addiction treatment. The reason for this is to allow an individual to recover without the substance in their system.
A medical detox program is the safest way for an individual to detoxify from substance use. Medical staff is able to provide surveillance to individuals and assist individuals through uncomfortable or intense experiences.
This can be done by administering medications to individuals and alleviating some of their symptoms. This form of detox is best fit for individuals struggling with severe to moderate withdrawals.
Partial hospitalization programs are another form of detox in which an individual is not required to live on-site at a treatment center. Another name for this program is called ambulatory detox which is a form of intensive outpatient treatment.
Outpatient treatment is a form of treatment that can vary in intensity and is one of the most flexible forms of treatment. An ambulatory detox allows for an individual with moderate to mild withdrawals from a substance to return home after treatment.
Inpatient treatment, as it was mentioned under medical detox, is a form of treatment which requires an individual to live on-site at a treatment facility to receive treatment. This allows an individual to leave their familiar environment which may be relapse provoking and live at a safe location.
As an individual lives on-site, they are likely to undergo many different forms of treatment which can include individualized therapy, group therapy, and drug abuse education. This form of treatment often can include resocialization methods as a way to allow an individual to rebuild their social skills.
Outpatient treatment is a form of treatment in which an individual is able to receive treatment during the day and leave after receiving treatment. This allows an individual to continue their outside responsibilities while still receiving treatment.
Despite it being not as intensive as inpatient treatment, an individual can benefit from undergoing many of the different treatments provided. These treatments can include:
Behavior therapy is a form of therapy that is very beneficial both to individuals struggling with addiction as well as individuals struggling with mental health disorders. Behavior therapy allows individuals to properly learn how to manage their experience on their own.
Two forms of behavior therapy include cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. These therapies are able to enable individuals to overcome and get through the many issues they may face.
Paying for dual diagnosis treatment centers among rehabs in Pennslyvania may cause you to avoid searching for treatment despite needing treatment for recovery. Mental and behavioral health services are an essential part of every plan and although this may vary from plan to plan, it is an essential part.
Some of the commonly accepted insurances within dual diagnosis treatment centers in PA include:
Just because your insurance is not listed does not mean that your insurance will not cover treatment. It is important to check with your provider or use this free insurance verification to see how you are covered.
Comorbidity and dual diagnosis are very similar but slightly different. Dual diagnosis is when an individual is struggling with both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental disorder. It is also referring specifically to treatment for those conditions.
Comorbidity is the presence of two or more diseases, disorders, or medical conditions at the same time. This means that comorbidity can be referred to as dual diagnosis, but dual diagnosis cannot be referred to as all comorbidity.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the percentage of people with any mental disorder in America was about 27% of people which amounts to 67.1 million in 2020. In the same year, the percentage of people with a substance use disorder was about 15% of people which amounts to 40.3 million people. As dual diagnosis is a combination of these two conditions, the percentage of people with a dual diagnosis was about 9% of people which amounts to 22.7 million people.
Mental health disorders and substance abuse are two difficult experiences to manage, especially when they are occurring at the same time. Here at Rehabs Of Armerica, we can help make finding treatment easy.
Whether finding a treatment center in your part of PA 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.
Every day we place clients in top facilities nationwide and can help assist you in finding the right options for dual diagnosis in Pennslyvania with a quick and confidential call.
It can be overwhelming to try and find addiction treatment or even to know where to start. Call us today and we can help find the right options for you!
Eric R. hails from Maine and does extensive work in the field of behavioral health as both a professional writer and passionate advocate for those suffering. From his own personal encounters with mental illness, he speaks to those seeking healthy relief from depression and anxiety and embraces wellness both personally and professionally. After losing friends and family to the darkness of suicide, Eric aims to educate and inform about the nature of treatment and render it accessible for all those seeking a way out of darkness and despair.
