It is common for addiction and mental health challenges to go hand in hand. However, this does not always mean that you are struggling with a dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis treatment is only necessary when you have a mental health disorder and issues with addiction. The distinction between the two can be difficult. Understanding more about what a dual diagnosis is can help you to understand if you need dual diagnosis treatment and if it is a path of treatment that you want to explore on your way to finding a way forward after addiction.
What Is a Dual Diagnosis?
A dual diagnosis is the combination of substance use disorder (SUD) or addiction and a mental health disorder. When you have this co-occurrence of both, you are considered an individual who struggles with a dual diagnosis.
Many mental health disorders occur as part of a dual diagnosis. However, some are more prevalent than others. Common mental health disorders that occur with addiction include:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Depressive and anxiety disorders are among the most common. However, the prevalence of a dual diagnosis is high. About 44% of individuals who struggle with addiction also have had mental health challenges. As a dual diagnosis changes effective treatment techniques, it is important that you explore the option of a dual diagnosis and get help from a treatment center like Rancho Recovery that can help.
Signs of Dual Diagnosis
When you are struggling with a dual diagnosis, you will show signs of both addiction and a mental health disorder. Signs of addiction include:
- Drive to use drugs or alcohol
- Physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms
- Change in your friend group
- New priorities
- Lack of focus or care about work or school
- Change in sleep or eating habits
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
In addition, you will also show significant and unique signs of a mental health disorder. Many of these symptoms can overlap, so it is important to work with a mental health professional. However, common signs of a mental health disorder separate from addiction include:
- Mental health issues that began before drug or alcohol use
- Mood changes separate from lack of substance use
- Continued mental health challenges that have been eased by substance use
- Symptoms that continue after addiction treatment
Mental Health Challenges Due to Addiction
Addiction is a disease that impacts the brain. Therefore, it affects how you think, your sleep partners, your mood, and more. These mental health challenges vary and are unique to you, your current situation, and your past history.
Common mental health challenges that are due to addiction include:
- Changes in mood due to using or not using a substance
- Irritability
- Changes in your normal sleep patterns
- Lack of or decreased focus
- Losing interest in relationships or tasks that you enjoyed historically
While these symptoms can also occur due to a mental health disorder, when they are related to addiction, they commonly correlate with substance use. This means that they can start when you begin using a substance. However, it can also mean that they exist around your substance use. For example, feeling anxiety when you are craving a substance.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
If you believe that you have a dual diagnosis, getting treatment is important. Dual diagnosis treatment is individualized, as it will treat your specific symptoms. Therefore, if your dual diagnosis includes a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), your treatment will be different than if you are struggling with ADHD.
However, dual diagnosis treatment needs to incorporate treatment that addresses both the mental health disorder at hand and addiction. This looks like psychotherapy that helps you understand the symptoms that are related to each other and how they impact each other. However, it also includes helping you to learn skills that will give you the ability to manage your mental health and challenges with substances in recovery.
Benefits of Getting Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Addiction impacts your mental health. In addition, your mental health plays a role in your challenges with addiction. It is a cross-over that is well known. This is why if you are struggling with a dual diagnosis, treatment can make a real difference in your life.
When you receive dual diagnosis treatment, you learn how you can keep yourself on track in recovery. This includes caring for your mental health disorder through a combination of medications and changes in your thoughts, actions, and feelings. However, it also involves addressing the physical ramifications of addiction and building resilience that helps you to stay sober long-term.
The true benefit of dual diagnosis treatment is that it is effective and helps you to truly make changes that will assist you in finding freedom from addiction. Treatment at Rancho Recovery can help make this a reality in your life.
Many individuals with addiction have mental health challenges. However, not all need a dual diagnosis as some mental health issues are a direct result of addiction and will, therefore, heal through addiction treatment. At Rancho Recovery, we can help you to distinguish between the two. Our individualized treatment provides you with focused attention to our care team. Over time, we will help you to understand what aspects of your mental health challenges are a direct result of addiction and what ones need to be addressed separately. If you are in need of care and support for addiction, don’t wait to take the first step in changing your life. Call us today at (877) 484-1447 to learn more.