What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a dual diagnosis occurs when someone with an addiction problem also experiences a mental health disorder at the same time. Dual diagnosis is sometimes called a “co-occurring disorder” because the substance abuse disorder and mental illness occur together (called comorbidities).
Addiction is a difficult condition to deal with, as is mental illness. Experiencing either is difficult but experiencing both at the same time can be completely overwhelming. So much so that without the right treatment to help guide them, individuals can get stuck in a never-ending cycle of relapse. Individuals with a dual diagnosis require an integrated treatment plan that addresses both conditions as a comprehensive interrelated mental health issue.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment in New Jersey
Dual diagnosis is relatively common, with the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reporting that almost half of all addicts and alcoholics meet the criteria for a dual diagnosis. Specifically, 37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness (SMI), according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that 39.2% of adults living in New Jersey have some mental illness. With a population of 8.9 million, that works out to 3,488,800 New Jersey adults with mental illnesses. After factoring in NJ addiction rates, there are about 331,000 people living in New Jersey who fit the diagnostic criteria for a dual diagnosis disorder.
Integrated Dual Diagnosis Disorder Treatment
Dual diagnosis treatment is an integrated, comprehensive solution for treating the co-occurrence of a substance abuse addiction and mental health illness. Treatment for dual diagnosis can be considered a blended hybrid approach because it combines the most beneficial addiction treatment aspects with the most useful mental health treatments.
When treating a dual diagnosis patient, traditional substance abuse treatment usually falls short. In fact, for many people who struggle with chronic relapse, the issue is not their level of engagement in therapy or a secret desire to get high, but one or more untreated mental illnesses’ operating in the background preventing the patient from making therapeutic gains.
Dual diagnosis centered treatment has become a required component of an effective drug treatment program. Such a program will teach you how to manage both illnesses and ultimately live a full and meaningful life. A full recovery is improbable for a dual diagnosis patient without dual diagnosis as an integrated treatment component. Our NJ dual diagnosis treatment program is highly integrated and comprised of a multidisciplinary team of treatment professionals.
Treatment For Different Types of Dual Diagnoses
Dealing with dual diagnosis is not easy, but by addressing your mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or bipolar, at the same time you are working toward addiction based goals, you give yourself the very best chance at a productive long-term sobriety.
The most common conditions co-occurring with addiction are depression and anxiety, but there are many more. Generally, the list of mental health disorders co-occurring with addiction include:
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depressive disorders
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
- Eating disorders like Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, and Anorexia.
A High-Quality Dual Diagnosis Program Is Critical for Effective Treatment
One reason the diagnosis of co-occurring disorders can be difficult is that different disorders share many of the same symptoms. This overlapping nature of the illness makes the help of a highly trained medical practitioner invaluable.
The disorder’s nuanced effect necessitates an experienced clinician who can “see-through” the noise of multiple disorders and perceives a coherent whole. Medical professionals who are not used to the elaborate presentation of various conditions simultaneously might be unable to make a diagnosis, or worse, make an incorrect diagnosis.
Only experienced clinicians at a specialized dual diagnosis treatment program can accurately diagnose and treat addiction and mental health dual diagnosis
Therapies Used in Dual Diagnoses Treatment
The actual therapies used to help a client during their treatment episode vary depending on their needs and the course/progression of their disorder(s). Be wary of any treatment program that uses the same standard therapies without taking the patient’s individuality into perspective. Evidence-based therapies that are commonly used in dual diagnosis cases include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Therapeutic Alliance
- Trauma-Informed Therapy
- Behavioral Therapy
- Interpersonal Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- Psychoanalysis
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Individual Counseling
- Group Therapy
- Family counseling
Dual Diagnosis and Relapse
Mental health disorders, both treated and untreated, lead to relapse more than any other variable. As a clinician, one of the more difficult things to witness is a client who is trying- really putting their all into sobriety and their recovery and then falling short. One or more untreated mental health disorders are often behind the long histories of relapse and the cause for chronic relapsers.
At our New Jersey dual diagnosis treatment center. We have developed a short-term, solutions-focused dual diagnosis intervention to effectively treat individuals with multiple disorders before irreparable damage at our New Jersey dual diagnosis treatment center. Our center, located in Cliffside Park, NJ, focuses primarily on individual counseling, group therapy, and medication for substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. We provide our services within a framework that gives attention to the disorder and the disorder’s manifestations, like the long-standing and repeating behavioral patterns patients engage in.
Integrated Treatment Is Recommended For Dual Diagnosis
Our program is successful because it’s based on the idea that only an integrated treatment plan, combining mental health and substance abuse treatment, can provide the client with the best chance for long-term remission and symptom reduction.
Wellness Center New Jersey provides an integrated dual diagnosis mental health treatment program in Cliffside Park, NJ 201-945-2905