It’s not uncommon for individuals with alcohol and drug addiction to be diagnosed with co-occurring disorders. Individuals who have a mental illness are more likely to engage in alcohol or drug abuse.
Living with a mental health condition or illness puts the individuals at a greater risk of addiction in their efforts to cope with the symptoms.
A dual diagnosis treatment center aims at uncovering such co-occurring disorders during the treatment process. The center works with their patients to treat the underlying causes of conditions and disorders while still taking them through a safe recovery from alcohol and drug abuse addiction.
1. Bipolar Disorder
Individuals with bipolar disorders are very susceptible to alcohol abuse and drug addiction. Bipolar disorder results from a chemical imbalance in the patient’s brain, causing them to experience uncontrollable and severe depression and mania episodes.
Many people living with bipolar disorder tend to self-medicate to reduce how intense their attacks are. Unfortunately, the use of alcohol and drugs to self remedy ultimately causes an increase in their episodes, leading to very severe addiction.
2. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Commonly referred to as PTSD, post-traumatic disorder develops when a person has experienced an event that causes them extreme stress, most being life-threatening circumstances. Some common causes are car accidents, violent crimes, and even war.
Typically individuals that have PTSD experience night terrors and flashbacks. Some individuals opt to relieve the symptoms using drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, this coping mechanism can further disrupt emotional imbalance and sleep, and severe drug or alcohol abuse.
3. Mood Disorder and Personality Disorders
It’s not uncommon for recovering addicts to uncover personality and mood disorders such as borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder at dual diagnosis treatment centers. Borderline personality is by far the most common disorder. It involves severe mood swings, intense emotional imbalance, and impulsive behavior. Such conditions often cause individuals to have difficulty maintaining their relationships with others, and this causes them to turn to alcohol and drug abuse as their coping mechanism.
4. Generalized Anxiety Disorders
Generalized anxiety disorder is a condition diagnosed in individuals that experience frequent recurring panic attacks. The condition comes with other symptoms such as restlessness, disturbances, and functional impairment.
Living with the reoccurring anxiety episodes has led many individuals to rely on alcohol or drugs for many reasons. Some may end up abusing their prescription drugs for anxiety (e.g., Xanax), while others rely on illicit drugs or alcohol to boost their social skills and cope with the frequent anxiety symptoms.
5. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is an acute mental health condition causing individuals to experience delusions, psychosis, disorganized thinking, and hallucination. Many people with schizophrenia are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Unfortunately, the symptoms are so severe and brutal to cope with that many turn to alcohol and drugs to help them cope with their experiences.
Visit a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centre
Dual diagnosis centers offer recovery programs to help patients cease drug or alcohol abuse while still treating their underlying disorder or cause. Counselors in the center are skilled in rehab programs and identifying and treating such co-occurring conditions.
If you or your loved one is suffering from an addiction and will require dual-diagnosis treatments, it’s advisable to speak to a mental health care professional to guide you through the right way to approach treatment.