When people look for addiction treatment for the first time, they might come across terms that they don’t understand. One of these terms is dual diagnosis treatment center. Not knowing what it is could make them hesitate to seek recovery help. Learning more about dual diagnosis and what to expect from treatment can ease their concerns.

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

The brain is a delicate and complicated organ in the human body. Experts have discovered that it becomes susceptible to multiple mental health issues when it develops one. In such cases, doctors give patients a dual diagnosis and refer to the multiple disorders as co-occurring disorders. These situations require integrated care through dual diagnosis treatment.

How Co-occurring Disorders Develop

Calm woman outside knows that she's ready for a dual diagnosis treatment centerWhen addiction develops first, ongoing drug use changes how the brain functions. The reason is that it adapts to the presence of drugs in the body. The imbalance of chemicals in the brain makes it vulnerable to anxiety, depression and other mental problems.

When a mental health disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops first, many people self-medicate to feel better. However, this behavior only covers up the side effects for a short period. They have to keep self-medicating to maintain the relief, which often leads to addiction.

Common Mental Health Disorders

Because of how the brain works, more than half of people with an addiction have another mental health illness. Although anxiety, depression, and PTSD are the most common, others include:

  • Eating disorders
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder

No matter which problem develops first, each one amplifies the other. Not visiting a dual diagnosis treatment center for help leaves people with co-occurring disorders at risk.

What Does a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center Do?

A dual diagnosis treatment center is a rehab facility that offers integrated care for addiction and mental health. It addresses every issue at the same time in a safe, structured environment.

In most cases, it’s essential for the facility to offer residential addiction treatment. The reason is that co-occurring disorders feed off of each other. One slip-up or too much stress could have a domino effect that causes a relapse.

Those who start treatment in outpatient rehab are at high risk because they don’t get 24-hour supervision. Residential rehab removes that factor, providing a higher chance for a full recovery.

What Should Patients Expect During Treatment?

When people enter a dual diagnosis treatment center, the staff conducts assessments to identify their co-occurring disorders. Then, the team determines the best treatment plan for each person. Since not everyone has the same illnesses and needs, each program will be different. However, dual diagnosis treatment follows a general pattern.

The first step is detox to cleanse the body of any drug remnants. People need medical attention during this process because the withdrawal symptoms that manifest could be life-threatening. The rehab center can provide medication and monitor vitals to ensure comfort and safety

After detox, dual diagnosis treatment progresses to therapy. The types of counseling that people receive depend on the challenges that they face and how they respond to treatment. In general, though, dual diagnosis requires a combination of evidence-based and holistic addiction therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common evidence-based method because it’s one of the most effective. Also, therapists can adjust their techniques to use this method in individual and group settings.

Aftercare is also an essential part of the recovery process. It can include supportive housing with the rehab center or support groups. Sometimes, though, people with personality or mood disorders need ongoing private therapy to maintain recovery.

Treating Co-Occurring Disorders at Clear Life Recovery

Do you think that you need dual diagnosis treatment? You can get comprehensive care at Clear Life Recovery. We offer residential and outpatient services and a range of evidence-based and holistic therapies, including:

Also, Clear Life Recovery does everything possible to help you maintain a stable lifestyle after treatment. For example, we provide food and nutrition counseling to teach you how to eat a healthy diet. Our team can also help you find a job so that you can afford the necessities of life.

Put an end to the downward spiral that co-occurring disorders cause. Get the help that you deserve at our dual diagnosis treatment center. Call 866-261-7291 to contact Clear Life Recovery today.