Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Tyler, TX
Doctors also refer to a dual diagnosis as a co-occurring disorder because it is when a person has both a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. While experiencing a dual diagnosis is a common problem, the existence of the condition can make a person's substance abuse more difficult to treat. For this reason, seeking dual diagnosis treatment in Tyler is important to helping a person recover from their condition while also receiving help for their mental illness.
According to "Psychology Today," an estimated 7.9 million people in the United States have a co-occurring disorder. When a person does seek treatment when they have a dual diagnosis, they are more likely to require longer treatment stays and may progress more gradually in their treatment. However, the rewards to treatment can be many.
Both substance abuse addiction and mental health disorders can shorten a person's lifespan. By receiving treatment for these illnesses, a person can live a longer and healthier life, free from substance abuse. This is why receiving treatment at our inpatient rehab in Tyler is essential to treat both conditions and recover properly.
Types of Mental Health Disorders
According to "Psychology Today," some of the most common dual diagnoses are major depression and cocaine addiction, alcohol addiction and panic disorder, and alcohol abuse and schizophrenia. However, there is no specific dual diagnosis that occurs the most. Instead, there are a number of combinations of dual diagnoses that can happen based on a person's individual health history.
A variety of mental health disorders can affect a person when they have a dual diagnosis. Examples of these disorders include:
- Schizophrenia: This severe mental illness occurs when a person experiences psychosis or a loss of touch with reality. They will have hallucinations where they see, hear, or smell things that aren't there. Sometimes, the hallucinations can be very disturbing and cause paranoia, such as that others are trying to harm them.
- Bipolar disorder: This severe mental illness causes a person to experience both severe depression and mania, which is an elevated personality state where a person may engage in impulsive and dangerous behaviors.
- Major depression: Major depression causes a person to experience intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness. They may no longer believe life is worth living.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): This condition occurs when a person experiences recurring obsessive thoughts and behaviors. For example, a person may be obsessed with a certain number of have to engage in repeated behaviors, such as obsessive hand-washing.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): This condition occurs when a person suffers after a traumatic event, such as a military battle or history of abuse. The condition can cause a person to experience unpleasant memories, known as flashbacks, as well as anxiety and depression.
When a person seeks dual diagnosis treatment in Tyler, the intervention experts will develop a customized plan for a person. This will take into account the person's experiences with mental illness and addiction. As a result, an individualized treatment plan can be developed. Often, this will include a combination of medications to help a person with a mental illness reduce the incidence of manic or depressive episodes as well as counseling, which can include both group and individual counseling.
Why Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Necessary? What Are the Benefits?
Seeking dual diagnosis treatment in Tyler is important because of what experts know about treating those with a dual diagnosis. For example, those who suffer from addiction are more likely to experience psychiatric distress and their problems are more likely to be severe. Even if a person has been sober for some time, if their psychiatric symptoms worsen, they are more likely to relapse in their addiction. For this reason, a person must engage in continued relapse prevention and often psychiatric counseling as a means to receive continued support.
Treatments for dual diagnosis include helping people develop greater knowledge about their mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Examples include understanding how drugs can impact their current health conditions. Other drug and alcohol rehab center treatment strategies that have been proven to help those with a dual diagnosis include cognitive-behavioral therapy, a practice that involves having a person adapt healthier behaviors and responses to temptations to return to substance abuse addiction.
Our programs for relapse prevention in Tyler are also very important to helping a person stay sober after they have achieved sobriety. However, programs like 12-step programs are often not as effective in treating substance abuse. Instead, a person would be more likely to benefit from programs that help them learn how to handle stress and build a stronger support system. Call us today at (877) 804-1531 to get the help that you need.