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Dual-Diagnosis Treatment

  • Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC
  • Modified:
  • Reading Time: 9 minutes
  • Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC
  • Last Update:
  • Reading Time: 9 minutes

Learn about dual-diagnosis treatment, which addresses both substance use and mental health issues.

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Understanding Co-occurring Disorders in Addiction Treatment

What is a Dual-Diagnosis?

Many persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) also have mental or behavioral issues. A dual diagnosis is a term commonly used to describe this situation. Individuals with dual diagnoses need a treatment approach that treats both ailments simultaneously as interrelated issues.

The dual diagnosis problem in the US is alarming. Forty-five percent of persons with addiction have a co-occurring mental health issue, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This means that we all need to work together to combat this issue, as it affects most of us directly or indirectly. In reality, nowadays, it is difficult not to have a sister, brother, cousin, friend, or colleague facing one or both of these challenges at any point in their lives.

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Families & Addiction

Exploring the Intersection

Mental Illness and Drug Abuse

The connections between mental illness and drug abuse are intricate. Persons with mental illnesses may use alcohol and other substances for the same reasons that other people do — to relax or feel good. 

Sometimes mental illness occurs first, and drug abuse develops as a mechanism to manage or self-medicate. In other instances, drug abuse and mental health problems co-occur and are caused by the same factor, such as trauma, stress, or heredity.

Substance abuse may alter the chemical equilibrium in the brain, resulting in mental health problems or exacerbating an existing mental disorder.

A mental condition, however, typically leads to drug misuse in a variety of ways, including:

  • Self-Medication

A person grappling with a mental illness may misuse the drugs to self-medicate and manage their symptoms. Someone suffering from depression, for example, may use euphoric narcotics such as heroin to feel better.

  • Untreated Mental Issues

Certain mental illnesses might increase a person’s risk of being a drug addict. For example, the development of conduct disorders, ODDs (oppositional defiant diseases), and ADHDS (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders) in the kindergarten years, as continuous through the young peoples’ developmental phases, have been linked to eventual drug usage in adulthood.

  • Drug Experimentation

People with impulse control issues may be more prone to experimenting with various drugs.

  • Biological Issues

Addictive substances may alter the brain’s chemical equilibrium, causing, exacerbating, or uncovering various mental problems over time. Cocaine usage, for example, may cause episodes of panic and anxiety.

  • Effects on the Environment

Substance addiction may raise stress levels and lead to a lack of emotional support, making it easier to develop a mental condition.

Dual Diagnosis

Identifying Co-occurring Disorders

Dual Diagnosis Signs and Symptoms

To be identified adequately with Dual Diagnosis, you need to see a psychiatrist or an addiction expert and get a proper analysis. Because many combinations of multiple illnesses might arise, symptoms can vary greatly. Some treatment centers use drug assessments, mental health, and alcohol screening methods to identify persons at risk for dual diagnosis.

Here are typical signs and symptoms of dual diagnoses:

  • The tendency to separate from others, including friends/family, and refusal to join other social groupings and activities.

  • Difficulty sustaining excellent grades or job performance.

  • Lying or stealing. 

  • Sleeping throughout the day (which is often preceded by a time of staying up late at night).

  • Trying to avoid drinking, doing drugs, or gambling yet relapsing regularly.

  • Recurring feelings of guilt about your illness.

  • Greater dosages of drugs or taking more potent liquor to get a more significant “high.”

These symptoms may appear in psychologically troubled people:

  • They are isolating themselves from others skillfully, such as by tactfully rejecting offers of friendship and assistance from loved ones.

  • Delusions (occurring when you believe in things that are not true or have sensory experiences that others don’t have, i.e., hallucinations).

  • You may experience despair, hopelessness, or uselessness as time goes on.

  • To cope with your anxiety, especially for anxious achievers, you may feel driven to accomplish complex physical and mental tasks while adhering to elaborate routines and trying to maintain high standards unnecessarily.

  • Due to behavioral disorders or mood swings, you may have difficulty keeping a job, managing a house, or sustaining friendships.

  • Emotional states and energy levels are often rapidly shifting.

  • You may use a drink, drugs, or obsessive behaviors to deal with stress or regulate your mood.

All of these symptoms describe someone who has a dual diagnosis. An addiction treatment facility (rehab) or a practicing medical professional with psychiatric training is the proper place to visit for a dual diagnosis. In a dual diagnosis rehabilitation facility, intake counselors and assessment experts assess your mental health and drug use problems before providing a tailored treatment program to meet your needs.

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Care Strategies for Patients

Treatment Options for Dual Diagnosis

If you (or a person you care about) have a co-occurring problem, such as depression and opiate addiction, you’ll need a treatment regimen that can address both issues simultaneously. You’re more prone to relapse if you solely treat one problem.

Here are some standard dual diagnosis treatment methods which may be used for managing both SUD and mental health issues that co-occur:

Detoxification

Whether inpatient or outpatient, detoxification is often the first step toward recovery. Inpatient detoxification is typically more successful, as medical experts will closely monitor you 24/7 until you are stable.

To assist you in starting tapering off the drug and reducing withdrawal symptoms, rehab specialists may use the drug itself or as a medicinal replacement. The drug will be administered in reducing quantities until you no longer need them to function normally.

The aim is to help your body gradually get used to the reduced amount of the drug in your bloodstream until you stop using it entirely without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Medications

Approved drugs are sometimes used to treat patients suffering from severe addiction withdrawal symptoms and mental health issues.

Medications used to treat mental illness in a dual diagnosis plan include:

Antidepressants: These drugs are often used to treat depressive disorders. SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), and bupropion are examples of these medications.

Anti-anxiety medicine: This is a kind of drug that aids in the reduction of anxiety symptoms. Benzos (benzodiazepines) are the most often prescribed anxiety drugs.

Stimulants: Are generally used to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Antipsychotics: These drugs treat psychosis in people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Stabilizers of moods: These drugs are primarily used to relieve symptoms of bipolar and other mental illnesses that cause mood fluctuations as they help stabilize the patient’s perspective.

After that, you’ll be sent to our residential facility and get medical and mental health treatment. We provide a multifaceted, personalized approach with evidence-based therapies to match your unique requirements.

Individual Therapy

Rolling Hills Recovery Centers’ program for mental disorders starts with several one-on-one talk sessions with a psychotherapist or any other rehab specialist. Individual talk therapy meetings provide the ideal setting for a client to address personal difficulties such as:

  • Traumatic emotional or physical events in the past.

  • Current issues are troubling your mental health.

  • Outlining the program’s objectives and the importance of the patient’s participation in their recovery.

  • Self-exploitation, including how to deal with personal triggers.

  • How to make the individual more aware.

  • Boundaries are defined.

  • What one can do to enhance their communication abilities.

Aftercare Programs

A dual diagnosis treatment strategy often includes group therapy. Group therapy involves attending therapy sessions with other people who have been in your shoes. You may relearn your interpersonal communication skills in a group therapy session, discover how others deal with their triggers, and prevent relapse. Your psychotherapist may include the following groups in your dual diagnosis program:

  • 12-step groups or SMART Recovery plans.

  • Focused support groups for certain aspects of your disorder, e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous if you suffer from an alcohol use disorder.

  • It is also common for patients with similar co-occurring disorders to be clustered together in these groups.

  • Self-help groups: These groups help people deal with everyday issues in their lives. These include things like education, parenting, unemployment, and legal matters.

Did You Know Rolling Hills Recovery Center Has A Dual-Diagnosis Program?

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Integrating Family Support in Recovery Processes

Getting Help for Everyone in the Family

Maintaining sobriety means you need people in your life to keep you on your toes and help you avoid triggers. These people should make you feel at ease.

In family therapies, you, your family, and other loved ones you live with participate in counseling together. Its goal is to help mend broken relationships and equip everyone in the family with the right skills to help you fight your illnesses.

Other components of a solid dual-diagnosis therapy are:

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The Bottom Line

Approach to Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment

Treatment for co-occurring problems is most successful when substance addiction and mental health concerns are addressed together in an integrated manner. It is ideal for getting therapy for all your cognitive difficulties at the same institution, as long as all you require is accessible.

Medication, individual, family, or group therapy, self-help techniques, dietary adjustments, and social support may all be part of your psychiatric care plan.

Detoxification, withdrawal management, psychosocial interventions, and support networks may be part of your treatment for drug addiction.

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Written By:

Geoffrey Andaria

Geoffrey Andaria mental health writer at rolling hills recovery center
Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Mental Health Writer

About Author:

Geoffrey Andaria is an experienced mental health content writer and editor. With a B.A. in English and Journalism, Geoffrey is highly educated in freelance articles and research. Having taken courses on social work, Geoffrey is adamant about providing valuable and educational information to individuals affected by mental health and the disease of addiction.

Medically Reviewed By:

Dr. Carl Williams Ph.D., LCADC

Carl Williams, medical content reviewer at rolling hills recovery center
Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Expert Contributor

About Reviewer:

Dr. Williams presently serves on the board of Directors for two non-profit service organizations. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Services from Lincoln University, Philadelphia, Pa, and a Ph.D. with a concentration in Clinical Psychology from Union Institute and University. In Cincinnati, Ohio. He is licensed to practice addictions counseling in both New Jersey and Connecticut and has a pending application as a practicing Psychologist in New Jersey.

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