Lubbock Treatment for Dual Diagnosis (877) 804-1531
An estimated 7.9 million adults in America have a dual diagnosis, according to "Psychology Today." A dual diagnosis is when a person struggles with both a substance abuse addiction and a mental health disorder. Examples could include benzodiazepine abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorder or opiate abuse and depression. Sometimes a person with a dual diagnosis can have multiple mental health disorders as well as addictions to multiple substances. The existence of a dual diagnosis produces unique challenges and opportunities for a person wishing to detox and rehabilitate from substance abuse. For this reason, a person should seek dual diagnosis treatment in Lubbock.
Those with a dual diagnosis often have greater challenges in terms of managing medical, social, and emotional aspects of life. If they begin the drug detoxification process and relapse, their mental illness symptoms will often worsen, according to "Psychology Today." As a result, a person should seek dual diagnosis treatment in Lubbock that provides services that treat both aspects of a person's life, not just the substance abuse addiction. This is because those with a dual diagnosis face greater challenges in terms of their treatment. This can include that they often require longer treatment periods, may experience greater incidences of mental health crises, and may take slightly longer to progress through dual diagnosis treatment programs in Lubbock.
Dual Diagnosis and Addiction Correlation
There are several reasons a person may experience a dual diagnosis. Sometimes, the person may first have a mental health disorder and instead of seeking medical attention, start to use drugs and/or alcohol as a means of self-medication. However, these are very temporary solutions to what is often a longer-lasting problem. Also, substance abuse will most often cause a person's symptoms to worsen instead of getting better. Substance abuse isn't a treatment for a mental health disorder. Instead, it's a band-aid, and a very ineffective band-aid at that.
In other instances, a person may start to abuse drugs and/or alcohol, then begin to experience a mental health disorder. They may experience depression and anxiety because they feel hopeless and helpless about their condition.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an estimated one-third of all people who suffer from alcohol addiction in Lubbock have a mental illness while one-half of all drug abusers have a mental illness. While experts may know that a dual diagnosis is common, not all people seek specific dual diagnosis treatment in Lubbock.
Types of Mental Health Disorders
Some people may have a mental health disorder, yet never be diagnosed with it. They may struggle with substance abuse as well as emotions they don't understand are due to a specific medical reason that can benefit from dual diagnosis treatment programs. Examples of mental health disorders a person may experience include:
- Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder causes a person to alternate their moods between mania and depression. Another term for the condition is manic depression. This is a severe mental illness that can cause a person to contemplate suicide.
- Anxiety: This condition occurs when a person has high levels of worry, concern, and or apprehension that aren't equal to the actual threat. The person may suffer from panic attacks and exhibit compulsive behavior due to their overwhelming fears.
- Schizophrenia: This chronic mental illness can cause hallucinations that are both auditory (things a person hears) as well as visual (things a person sees). A person using drugs may pass these off as side effects of the particular drug.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Also known as OCD, this disorder causes a person to experience frequent, uncontrollable thoughts that may in turn affect their behavior. An example could be the thought that their hands aren't clean enough, causing them to wash their hands hundreds of times through the course of a day.
- Depression: Depression is a state where a person feels sad, hopeless, and sometimes that life isn't worth living. This condition is very serious as it affects a person's ability to enjoy daily life.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: This condition occurs after a person has gone through a traumatic experience. Examples include after military service or if a person has a history of abuse. Also known as PTSD, this disorder can cause a person to experience very real-feeling flashbacks that can cause them great emotional distress.
Through seeking dual diagnosis treatment in Lubbock, a person can start to receive the help they need to become a sober individual as well as reduce the symptoms associated with their dual diagnosis. While dual diagnosis treatment can take some time for a person to truly see results, the time is well-spent when they are drug-free and their mental illness symptoms are better-controlled. Call Lubbock Drug Rehab Centers at (877) 804-1531.