Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Vineland, NJ

A dual diagnosis is made when someone who has an addiction is also diagnosed with a mental illness, or vice-versa. Dual diagnosis treatment in Vineland is essential for treating these co-occurring disorders effectively to help you maintain sobriety for the long-term.

The High Prevalence of Dual Diagnosis

Around a third of people with any mental illness and half of people with a severe mental illness also suffer from a substance use disorder. Conversely, a third of all people who abuse alcohol and over half of those who abuse drugs also have a mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

One reason for the high prevalence of dual diagnosis is that mental illness often leads to drug abuse as a form of self-medication. Someone may use alcohol to combat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or marijuana to reduce feelings of anxiety. Another reason is that although drugs or alcohol may seem to help initially, drug abuse almost always worsens symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses and requires more attention through programs like alcohol withdrawal treatment in Vineland.

Additionally, the risk factors for mental illness and substance abuse often overlap. These may include genetics, environmental factors, and brain activity.

Genetics: A large body of research shows that the genetic factors that can lead to addiction may also lead to mental illness.

Environment: A history of trauma, stress, family dysfunction, and other environmental factors can lead to both mental illness and addiction.

Brain activity: Several areas of the brain, including those related to reward and stress response, are involved in both addiction and mental illness. Brain changes that result from addiction can cause a mental illness, and vice-versa.

Dual diagnosis inpatient rehab in Vineland treats both the mental illness and the addiction.

Common Mental Illnesses that Co-Occur With Addiction

Any type of mental illness can co-occur with addiction, but some are more commonly associated with substance abuse than others.

Bipolar disorder: Nearly 61 percent of people with bipolar disorder suffer from addiction, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. People with bipolar disorder are twice as likely as those with major depression to develop an addiction to alcohol.

Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety are likely to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, and they're twice as likely as people without anxiety to develop an addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Depression: Up to 67 percent of people who seek treatment for alcohol addiction have a lifetime history of major depression, according to an article published in the journal Science & Practice Perspectives, and over 44 percent of people in treatment for cocaine addiction were currently suffering from depression, with 61 percent citing a lifetime history of depression.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs as the result of being the victim of or witness to a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, insomnia, nightmares, and anger. Self-medication is common among those suffering from PTSD. People in treatment for a substance use disorder are three times more likely than the general population to suffer from PTSD, according to a study published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.

Other mental illnesses that commonly co-occur with addiction include obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders. Dual diagnosis treatment programs are essential for successful treatment of both the mental illness and the substance use disorder, and it dramatically improves your chances of successful recovery from both.

How Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Vineland Works

Treating co-occurring disorders requires special treatment. Treating just a substance use disorder or just a mental illness has limited effectiveness in ending an addiction when it co-occurs with a mental disorder.

Dual diagnosis treatment in Vineland addresses the mental illness and the addiction at the same time. Addiction treatment programs in Vineland are collaborative and integrated so that the mental illness is treated in the context of the addiction, and the addiction is treated in the context of the mental illness.

High quality dual diagnosis treatment programs include a variety of traditional and complementary therapies that offer a holistic approach to treatment. Medication may be prescribed to relieve the symptoms of the mental illness, and cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you identify self-destructive ways of thinking and behaving and learn new, healthier thought and behavior patterns.

Complementary therapies, such as art, music, or nature therapy, help you work through difficult emotions and experiences, and they improve your self-awareness and self-confidence. Psychoeducational classes educate you about addiction and mental illness and offer a range of coping skills and strategies to help you address symptoms of the mental illness and curb cravings, stress, and other triggers for the substance use.

Dual diagnosis rehab can help you end an addiction and treat a mental illness for the long-term while improving your quality of life and sense of well-being. Call us now (877) 804-1531.