Many people that deal with addiction have co-occurring disorders. This means that, in addition to dealing with their addiction, they are also dealing with an underlying cause, which is usually some form of mental illness. The mental illness may have caused the disorder, the addiction may have caused the mental illness, or there may be a vicious cycle at play with each condition making the other worse.
If a person doesn’t get treatment for both disorders, neither will go away. The person will continue having an urge to ‘treat’ the symptoms of their illness with their drug of choice, causing relapse. That’s why it’s so important to get treatment at co-occurring disorder treatment centers.
This article will look at the benefits of co-occurring disorder treatment centers and what you can do if you or a loved one needs help.
What are Co-Occurring Disorders?
Co-occurring disorders are defined as two or more mental health disorders that occur at once. Combinations include depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and addiction, and more.
It is not unusual for people with mental health disorders to form an addiction to illicit substances. Addiction usually occurs because the person affected with the condition is reluctant to get help.
They may not want to come forward about their issues because they are afraid of what people will think of them or because they feel their problem is not that bad. In some cases, they may feel like they don’t have the time or money to deal with their issues.
Instead of getting professional help, they self-medicate, taking drugs and drinking to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety—eventually, an addiction forms leading them on a downward spiral.
In other cases, the addiction may cause a mental health disorder. It may cause the person to develop feelings of paranoia that may be classified as General Anxiety Disorder. They may begin hallucinating as a result of drug use, leading to a personality disorder.
In most instances, it’s a combination of the two. A person typically uses drugs to calm the symptoms of a mental illness. While the drug may seem to relieve symptoms, it will become worse over time. If they don’t get help, they will increase dosages which can lead to a dangerous situation.
Why You Should Look into Co-Occurring Treatment Centers
Now, let’s look at an instance where co-occurring treatment is not used on someone dealing with a mental illness and addiction.
The person goes through treatment and detox and comes out of rehab sober. As soon as they go back to real life, they are faced with stressors that trigger the symptoms of their disorder. They were never given tools to help them deal with their stressors in a healthy manner, so they go back to using.
If that same person had gone to a co-occurring treatment center, their therapist would have suggested healthy coping mechanisms that replace the urge to use. They would have been able to deal with their stressors in a way that didn’t require drug and alcohol use, and they would not have relapsed.
How Atlanta Recovery Place Can Help
There are many co-occurring treatment centers out there, but Atlanta Recovery Place takes an approach that sets us apart.
We start by analyzing each of our patients and working out a customized plan that is best suited for them. We use dual diagnosis that treats addiction and co-occurring disorders at their root. We offer a variety of outpatient treatments so you can attend rehab while going about your everyday life. Co-occurring disorders can be challenging to deal with. Atlanta Recovery will help you get back on track. Call us today to find out what treatment entails, and look forward to enjoying the things you love again.
