The vast majority of men and women who suffer at the hands of a severe substance dependency are concurrently afflicted with a significant mental or psychological disorder. Believe it or not, dual diagnosis treatment is relatively new to the field of addiction recovery. Up until the early 1990s, chemical dependency and psychological disorders were treated entirely separately. Unfortunately, this frequently lead to an ability for those suffering from both afflictions to effectively recover, seeing as untreated symptoms of mental disorders frequently lead recovering addicts back to use, and continuous substance abuse lead those being treated for psychological disorders to neglect their treatment and skip out on medications or cease using prescriptions entirely. For those concurrently afflicted with a psychological disorder and a substance dependency issue, being treated for one at a time is essentially the equivalent of trying to row a boat with only one paddle. The boat will continue to travel in circles until two paddles are employed simultaneously.

Dual diagnosis treatment effectively blends components of thorough mental health care and proven methods of addiction recovery. It has been proven that well over half of addicted men and women suffer from either mild to moderate anxiety or depression. While these psychological disorders are the most prevalent amongst addicts, many addicted men and women also suffer from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, significant mood disorders, or PTSD – amongst a variety of others. Many current day inpatient treatment centers will provide clients with detailed psychiatric evaluations upon their admission. In many cases, clear signs and symptoms of common psychiatric disorders will be overlooked while an individual is active in his or her addiction, mistaken for the erratic behavior and emotional state frequently associated with drug use or alcoholic drinking patterns. Once an individual is clear-headed and daily use of chemical substances has been ceased for an extended period of time (a week or more, in most cases), a professional psychiatric evaluation will prove crucial in diagnosing any potential disorders or extraneous afflictions. Those who attend dal diagnosis inpatient treatment will meet up one-on-one with a licensed psychiatrist several times over the course of their stay. This will allow the psychiatrist to monitor symptoms over time and efficiently diagnose each individual appropriately while prescribing and adjusting medications accordingly.

Drug addiction is a severe and life-threatening disease, and quitting takes far more than strong will or simple good intentions. When an addicted individual is concurrently afflicted with a psychological disorder, quitting without professional help becomes significantly more difficult. If you or someone you love is battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol and simultaneously dealing with a mental disorder such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder, looking into a dual diagnosis facility is absolutely essential. We are proud to offer a comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment program, and would be happy to further explain the specifics of the program to anyone interested. Please feel free to contact one of our trained representatives today.