When someone struggles with substance use, they are likely to experience struggles with their mental health as well. However, substance use often comes from underlying issues with trauma and mental illness. To start the process of treatment, the underlying mental health issues must be acknowledged and worked out. Treatment for co-occurring disorders can look different for each person, and it’s important to find a treatment facility that can care for your individual needs. At Bright Mission Recovery, we aim to provide individualized and personal treatment for co-occurring disorders that will make a long-term difference to our clients.
Treating co-occurring disorders may include medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and therapeutic intervention. These treatment processes work together to make a long-lasting difference. If you want to make a difference in your life, you need to treat the underlying issues that may be causing substance use disorder (SUD). We provide these treatments and therapies to help each person who comes to us, encouraging them on their own journey of discovery as well.
What Is Substance Use Disorder?
According to Medline.gov, SUD is when “a person’s use of alcohol or another substance (drug) leads to health issues or problems at work, school, or home.” If someone is diagnosed with SUD, they likely are unable to stop using the substance on their own. Addiction is a physical condition as much as it is a mental one. Chemical and physical dependence on substances can make it hard for individuals to seek treatment due to withdrawal symptoms. Getting help to achieve sobriety is the main goal of someone newly diagnosed with SUD.
SUD is a disorder that can be treated. One of the goals of treatment is to provide tools to manage the condition, allowing one to avoid substance use, and overcome the desire to use again. With the skills you learn in treatment, you can avoid relapse and maintain well-being. However, it’s also important to recognize that SUD can appear at the same time as other underlying mental health disorders.
What Are Co-Occurring Disorders?
Co-occurring disorders are when two mental health disorders occur at the same time. As mentioned, SUD often occurs alongside other mental health issues. Such mental illnesses may cause symptoms that are uncomfortable, which, in turn, can cause someone to seek solace from their pain by using substances. SUD and mental health disorders can feed off each other. Regarding co-occurring disorders, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states, “People with mental illness are more likely to experience an SUD than those not affected by a mental illness.” An example of mental health disorders that occur alongside SUD can include:
- Anxiety and other mood disorders
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Conduct disorders
- Schizophrenia
These disorders may cause extra mental stress, which, in turn, may cause someone to turn to substances to find relief. When someone leans on substances to get through the stress of their mental health, it can create a dependence on substances for escape. This emotional dependence may make it even harder to get through treatment and achieve sobriety. Being able to alleviate the physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms is just one part of overcoming SUD if someone also emotionally depends on substances. Working through emotional issues will help maintain sobriety. Work must be done on both disorders at the same time during an individual’s treatment.
How Bright Mission Recovery Can Make a Difference in the Long-Term Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders
Bright Mission Recovery offers many different forms of treatment for those who stay with us on their journey. Treatment of dual diagnosis is a specialty of our care facility. Dual diagnosis often requires more intensive treatment as well as intensive outpatient treatment such as psychiatrist visits and therapy once a client goes home. Engaging in the treatment process therapeutically encourages a life-long change that will stay with you when you leave us.
Treatment for co-occurring disorders includes therapeutic intervention. This can include many different types of therapy such as talk therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Therapy can be personalized for each person and the condition they have. Working through these issues in therapy will allow each person to alleviate the underlying struggles.
Mental health struggles may cause a stronger dependence on substances. Being able to work through SUD means understanding the issues that are affecting your life. Working through your mental illness will allow you to have a healthy base to start working toward SUD treatment and sobriety. It is important for you to acknowledge the issues that exist so that you can help enhance every part of your mental and physical health. Bright Mission Recovery aims to help those with co-occurring disorders by treating both addiction and mental health disorders together.
If you are experiencing a mental health disorder as well as substance use disorder (SUD), it can feel like you are trapped in a cycle. Mental health issues can cause people to seek refuge from their feelings in substances, which can make the dependence even worse. Getting treatment for co-occurring disorders is the most important thing to achieve sobriety and a healthy life. Finding a facility that can treat both addiction and mental health disorders is important. Avoiding relapse and maintaining sobriety is possible when co-occurring disorders are treated properly. If you are interested in learning more about the treatment of co-occurring disorders, call Bright Mission Recovery today at (747) 444-3284.