Indeed, individuals with mental health disorders experience an increased risk of substance use disorder (SUD) and vice versa. Often, this is because individuals experiencing challenging symptoms of mental health disorders are more likely to turn to alcohol and other drug use in an attempt to alleviate them. When a mental health disorder and SUD occur in tandem, it is referred to as a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring disorder. Meanwhile, despite the added challenges that a dual diagnosis can pose for treatment, living your best life is still possible after receiving this type of diagnosis. 

At Bright Mission Recovery, we recognize how essential proper diagnosis of SUD and co-occurring mental health disorders is to curate the most effective treatment plan for a client. Without treating all presenting conditions at once, a client is more susceptible to relapse and other destructive influences throughout long-term sobriety. It is for this reason that we use a combination of evidence-based treatments and alternative holistic therapies, in addition to obtaining appropriate diagnoses, to help our clients achieve long-term symptom management on their journey of self-discovery. These efforts and more ensure that our clients can truly live their best lives – even with a dual diagnosis. 

Understanding a Dual Diagnosis

The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), curated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), detailed that over 21.5 million adults in the United States were living with a dual diagnosis that year. To understand why a dual diagnosis is so common, it is first important to understand how mental illnesses and SUD affect the brain. 

First, as stated by the National Insitute of Mental Health (NIMH), SUD “is a treatable mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications.” Put more simply, the recurring use of addictive substances like alcohol and other drugs deeply affects brain structure and associated functioning. As the frequency, intensity, and duration of an individual’s substance use increase, they experience significant risks of developing SUD. 

On the other hand, a publication by the National Institutes of Health (US) titled NIH Curriculum Supplement Series defines a mental illness as “a health condition that changes a person’s thinking, feelings, or behavior (or all three) and that causes the person distress and difficulty in functioning.” Many factors can contribute to increased susceptibility to the brain changes that cause mental illnesses, from early childhood trauma and genetics to low social support and more. 

What Factors Contribute to a Dual Diagnosis?

Recognizing both SUD and mental illnesses as conditions that deeply affect the brain can help individuals better understand why these conditions commonly co-occur. Still, the presence of a dual diagnosis does not necessarily mean that one condition caused the other. As mentioned previously, a mental health disorder may exist first, which can increase an individual’s risk of turning to alcohol and other drugs to self-medicate. Yet, NIMH also highlights the following possibilities that may help to explain the high prevalence of co-occurring conditions:

• Each condition can develop separately through shared risk factors 
• Substance abuse can alter brain structure and functioning, thus increasing an individual’s vulnerability to developing a mental health disorder

Regardless of what condition developed first, however, it is crucial to treat both conditions simultaneously to ensure long-lasting sobriety and healing from a dual diagnosis. 

Living Your Best Life By Utilizing Professional Treatment

Trying to live with a dual diagnosis can feel debilitating, as the symptoms and effects of each condition interact and worsen one another. Yet, leaving these conditions untreated can lead to devastating outcomes. At times, a dual diagnosis can feel helpless. However, it is important not to lose hope. With professional treatment, it is possible to achieve lasting symptom management and live your best life with a dual diagnosis. 

First and foremost, it is important to seek out treatment at a facility that specializes in dual diagnosis treatment. These facilities will ensure that all conditions are properly diagnosed during intake and effectively addressed with a treatment plan that is tailored to an individual’s unique needs and goals. More often than not, treatment will begin with a medically-assisted detoxification that will help a client rid their body of any remnants of substance use. 

At Bright Mission Recovery, the journey to living your best life with a dual diagnosis will begin with detox. Following detox, we incorporate a variety of strategies and approaches into our dual diagnosis treatment, including, but not limited to:

• Evidence-based psychotherapies: To help clients address and overcome the underlying causes of their substance abuse or cognitive concerns
• Alternative, holistic therapies: To guide clients in fostering self-expression, mindfulness, and creativity on their journey to self-discovery
• Peer support: To connect clients with other peers who are also venturing on the journey to self-discovery in treatment, providing them with new perspectives, healthy coping strategies, and social support
• Prescription medications: To positively influence and regulate clients’ brain chemicals (that are otherwise disrupted by mental illness and substance abuse), thus aiding the therapeutic process 

Though receiving a dual diagnosis can bring about many challenging emotions, it is important to remember that these conditions can be effectively managed. For more information and support about how to live your best life after a dual diagnosis, do not hesitate to reach out to us today. 

A dual diagnosis is the presence of a mental health disorder and SUD occurring in tandem. When a dual diagnosis is left untreated, the symptoms and effects of each condition can worsen the prognosis and course of both. Similarly, when only one condition is treated, it can increase the risk of relapse for both conditions throughout long-term healing. Fortunately, anyone can live their best life with a dual diagnosis by utilizing professional treatment. At Bright Mission Recovery, we use a combination of evidence-based psychotherapies, prescription medication, holistic therapies, and peer support to effectively treat dual diagnosis in treatment and throughout continuing care. To learn more about our programs, give us a call today at (747) 444-3284.