Our Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program
At our dual diagnosis treatment center in Florida, we provide the highest quality of care to those who need it most. Dual diagnosis cases (also called “co-occurring disorders”) are extremely common, especially among certain groups. In fact, there’s reason to believe that there’s a causal relationship between many mental disorders and substance abuse disorders.
For example, according to a study published on substance abuse among veterans, 11 percent of veterans who visited a VA treatment facility for the first time met the criteria for a substance abuse disorder. Veterans are also more likely to suffer from mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can lead to alcohol abuse and opioid prescriptions that lead to substance abuse.
Overall Prevalence of Dual Diagnosis
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 7.9 million adults suffered from co-occurring disorders in 2014. The administration assessed the following groups as being at the highest risk of dual diagnosis:
- The homeless community
- Veterans
- Those in the criminal justice system
For the populations who are homeless or in the criminal justice system, the causal relationship may be different than with veterans, and it should be noted that there is some significant overlap in these three groups.
A report published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggested that there is a reason why people with mental disorders are up to two times as likely to develop substance abuse disorders:
- Certain drugs can cause abusers to suffer one or more symptoms of another mental illness.
- Mental illness may precipitate or hasten substance abuse. An individual suffering symptoms of a mental illness may attempt to self-medicate.
- Drug use disorders and mental illnesses are caused by overlapping factors; genetic, deficits and otherwise.
Simply, people who struggle with mental health disorders either seek clinical medication or self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. People that get prescriptions for their condition are less likely to develop abuse disorders, but often the medications that they get access to have a high abuse potential, creating more risk.
People that self-medicate for their mental illnesses often start early, and the use of drugs or alcohol as a way to escape becomes a natural part of life.
The reverse order can also be true, in which a mental disorder is caused or worsened by the use of drugs or alcohol. For example, some common pairings:
- A study found that cocaine use can cause paranoia and anxiety
- Alcohol and antisocial personality disorder
- PTSD and opioid abuse
Sparking Addiction
The original development of an addiction may have come about as a response to a mental health issue. Without proper diagnosis, many seek to control their disorders by self-medicating—alcohol or tranquilizers for anxiety, amphetamines or cocaine for depression, etc.—and the short-term relief or distraction makes the experiment look like a success.
Repetition can then lead to dependency, and a substance abuse disorder is formed when one previously might not have been. The substance abuse can exacerbate the mental illness, And the mental illness can impede long-term sobriety. This cyclical affect of dual diagnosis makes it difficult to treat without the proper support.
Alternatively, a person relatively free from mental health problems can experiment with drugs and continue past “recreational use” to dependency; then secondary mental health issues can emerge. Untreated, these can in turn exacerbate the ongoing drug abuse. Also, certain drugs, like amphetamines and PCP, can cause psychotic episodes that may repeat themselves—these flashbacks can be triggered by stress even in the absence of drug use.
Identifying Dual Diagnosis Cases
At Level Up Lake Worth, we believe that if the client can identify the underlying issue and treat it simultaneously with their treatment for addiction, the client’s chances of a successful, relapse-free recovery are much improved. In fact, once we can identify and properly begin treatment on the underlying issue that’s driving or co-occurring with the dependency on alcohol or other drugs, clients will have reached a major milestone and will be that much closer to long-term sobriety.
At Level Up Lake Worth, we do not believe that long term recovery comes in a one-size-fits-all program. For this reason, each client, upon arrival at our drug treatment center, will undergo an extensive and comprehensive physical and psychological exam with our team of physicians, mental health specialists, spiritual advisers, and nutritionists. Together, we will determine what the client’s underlying issues are so we can then customize an individualized approach and, when appropriate, provide integrated dual diagnosis treatment. The symptoms of the multiple disorders that can occur alongside addiction can present complex and similar symptoms. Proper diagnosis requires a highly trained professional staff with years of experience.
Where Mental Illnesses Turns To Self-Medicating
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a treatable brain disorder marked by extreme shifts in a person’s mood and disposition. Periods of intense mania are followed by bouts of severe depression, often with periods of normalcy in between. While on either end of the spectrum, sufferers of bipolar disorder often find it difficult to concentrate and maintain functionality sufficient for leading a productive life. Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic depression, can be managed with medication. It is characterized with intense manic or “high” periods in which the individual becomes overly enthusiastic or optimistic and may begin tasks or plans that are not feasible. These high periods are followed by crashes and intense “lows”, which can involve sleeping all day, feeling hopeless, suicide attempts, and other symptoms shared with depression.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a condition brought on by a traumatic event or period in one’s life. As the name implies, (post-traumatic stress disorder) fits of stress come, often triggered by a stimuli that relates to their trauma, delivering a surge of emotions and unpleasant memories associated with the event. PTSD patients report that sometimes they are suffering from uncontrollable anxiety, sleepless nights, and unrealistic dreams by nature. This can lead to short-term memory loss, which may cause long lasting psychological issues. It is recommended to treat those having undergone a traumatic experience as early as possible in order to avoid complications. When it is confirmed that the affected person is behaving in a dangerous way, it is important to address the issue so the sufferer will no longer be affected by the traumatic event. To deal with the bouts of stress brought on by PTSD, many patients begin self-medicating with depressants to numb their pain, or any other drug that allows them to find an ‘escape’ from their experiences.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD) and/or Panic Disorder
Fear is your body’s natural reaction to a lot of outside stimuli. It is normal for the body to react in such a way as to become anxious or fearful because this often protected our ancestors from a lot of problems and harm. It is not normal, however, for our bodies to be overtaken with fear to the point that physical symptoms begin to arise because of it. When this happens, it is usually the sign of a larger problem. Panic attacks are unique from a normal fear in that there is no real danger the body is protecting the sufferer from. Most people experience a couple panic attacks in their lifetime, without recurrence. If, however, panic attacks are more regular, it may debilitate the person and alter their behavior in anticipation. Sufferers may try to self-medicate their condition using depressants, rather than seek proper medical help.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a variety of different things. Those suffering from GAD might anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues. Those with GAD find it extremely difficult to control their worries and fears. As with Panic Disorder, sufferers also have a high likelihood to self-medicate to find escape the feelings of anxiety
Depression
Depression is a serious mental illness that is very common in young adults. It is characterized by feelings of extreme helplessness, hopelessness, and is not nearly the same thing as “feeling blue” or being “down”. The grave nature of depression affects millions of Americans and is directly correlated with suicidal ideations, as well as over, or under-eating, over, or under-sleeping, and is marked by drastic mood-swings. Depression is not something that people can just “get over” or “snap out of”, and may in fact require medication or therapy or a combination of both before the individual begins to see a lifting of their symptoms. The symptoms of depression can come and go, and are similar but slightly different from the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
The Bottom Line
As the addiction treatment community begins to realize that addiction is itself a mental disorder, the relationship between substance abuse and mental disorders becomes more complicated. The greater treatment community largely lacks a proper understanding of dual diagnosed conditions, so these conditions are still treated separately, or worse–not treated or diagnosed at all. Our dual diagnosis treatment center in Florida is one of the facilities that has the professionals trained to help treat co-occuring disorders concurrently. This type of tamdum treatment provides some of the best success rates.
Get treatment for individuals stuggling with a substance abuse and mental health disorders. Call 877-872-7730 Today!
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Level Up Lake Worth
9935 Palomino Drive
Lake Worth, FL 33467
877-872-7730
