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Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse Causes Mental Health Problems and More Substance Abuse
Maybe you know someone who uses cocaine because he's depressed, but his drug abuse only makes him more depressed. Or what about your friend who was always nervously pacing the floor who is now addicted to tranquilizers? Or maybe you're self-medicating your blues with booze, feeling like there's no escape from this lonely life.
You have two demons. You're suffering from depression and alcoholism. A person receives a dual diagnosis when he or she simultaneously has a substance abuse problem and a mental disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder.
According to Mental Health America, dual diagnosis affects:
- 37% of alcoholics and 53% of drug abusers
- 29% of all people with mental illness
- 50% of people with severe mental disorders
Two Demons Intertwine in Dual Diagnosis
Substance abuse is common among people with mental health problems and vice versa because the two are often interrelated. Most substances that people take to get high cause brain chemistry imbalances, especially with the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Long-term substance abuse can lead to mental disorders. Alcohol, for example, is a depressant, so obviously, abusing alcohol increases the risk of depression. Abuse of drugs like LSD has been known to cause schizophrenia and other serious mental disorders.
On the other hand, a person dealing with an undiagnosed mental disorder may try to self-medicate by abusing drugs or alcohol. A drug may temporarily restore a person's normally imbalanced brain chemistry, making the person feel better for a short time.
The mental disorders most associated with dual diagnosis include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Schizophrenia
- Personality disorders
The correlation between long term substance abuse and poor mental health has been well established, but few could have predicted how many people are now suffering from both. Dealing with one condition is hard enough without the added ache of the other.
People who have family histories of mental disorders or substance abuse are often at higher risk of receiving a dual diagnosis. Others at higher risk include people who are more sensitive to the effects of drugs or alcohol.
Some depression and anxiety is normal for people going through detox for substance abuse. But if those conditions remain after sobriety, that person may have a dual diagnosis.
Non 12 Step Rehab Is the Best Option for Treating Dual Diagnosis
A dual diagnosis complicates recovery and is usually something a 12 step program cannot handle alone. Both conditions must be treated at once, and non 12 step rehab programs are usually better equipped to handle dual diagnoses.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and drug therapy, two of the main tools at many non 12 step rehab clinics, were developed to better understand the mental disorders common in dual diagnosis. The same techniques that treat bipolar disorder also successfully treat drug addiction.
Some substance abuse rehab hospitals and clinics utilize a combination of 12 step methods, CBT, and drug therapy. But many rely exclusively on non 12 step rehab methods.
We Can Find the Best Non 12 Step Rehab for Dual Diagnosis for You
Finding a non 12 step rehab center is not as easy as it sounds. Most don't advertise or disclose their methods. You have to call each center and ask specifically if they are a non 12 step rehab.
But we're here to help. We can link you directly to the non 12 step rehab program that best suits your needs and situation.
Our knowledgeable counselors are compassionate and confidential, and you will have no obligation when you contact us.
Recovery from a dual diagnosis is possible, and many former drug abusers are leading clean and sober lives. But unless you take action now, the addiction or the depression will win.
You can win you life back on your terms, but you must act now.
1-800-482-0260 or fill out the form on the page.