Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Odessa, TX

Dual diagnosis treatment in Odessa integrates a combination of therapies and treatments designed to simultaneously address addiction and mental illness. Specialized dual diagnosis treatment programs offer people struggling with co-occurring disorders the opportunity to access the treatments they need in order to begin the recovery process.

In the past, people with mental health disorders who also had a drug or alcohol addiction were often denied the mental health care treatment they needed. Mental health care facilities would not allow those patients to be admitted into treatment until after they graduated from a rehab program to get clean first.

However, traditional drug rehab programs often used methods of treatment to address the psychological triggers behind addictive behaviors that were opposed to the psychiatric systems of care for treating mental health disorders. The result often meant poorer outcomes for people struggling with dual disorders and an increased rate of relapse.

By comparison, dual diagnosis treatment in Odessa takes into account each person's unique needs before tailoring the right integrated treatment program to suit their needs.

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis is the term used when a person has symptoms of at least one mental health disorder at the same time as a drug or alcohol addiction.

Types of Mental Health Disorders

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 50% of people caught in the grip of drug addiction also have symptoms of a diagnosable mental illness.

Some types of mental health disorders are more commonly linked to substance abuse disorders. Researchers aren't certain of the exact reasons for the links, but it's thought that many people with poorly-managed symptoms of mental illness may have an increased tendency to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.

Likewise, some symptoms of mental illness may be triggered or worsened by substance abuse. For example, marijuana abuse has been shown to trigger symptoms of psychosis, while alcohol abuse can trigger symptoms of depression.

Some mental health disorders that may be commonly linked to addiction include:

Depression: Clinical depression is a serious mental illness that has long been linked to alcohol abuse and addiction, as many people may attempt to elevate mood or numb painful emotions. While alcohol may provide temporary relief, it is a central nervous system depressant that can actually make depressive symptoms worse.

Anxiety: Anxiety and panic disorders are distressing for sufferers. Aside from the stress of experiencing an attack, many people become even more anxious at the thought of when the next one may emerge. Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol to alleviate the worst of symptoms is common in many people with anxiety disorders.

OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that compels sufferers to complete compulsive rituals. While the rituals are being performed, the person feels some temporary relief from intense anxiety, but many people may try to escape the constant feelings of stress with drugs or alcohol.

PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also a severe type of anxiety disorder that causes sufferers enormous distress. A large percentage of people with PTSD may attempt to escape painful emotions or numb dark feelings with alcohol or drugs.

Bipolar: Once commonly known as manic-depression, bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness characterized by extreme mood and behavior shifts. The person may be manic and hyper one moment and sunk into a profound depression the next.

Why is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Necessary?

Dual diagnosis treatment in Odessa is necessary to improve outcomes for people struggling in the grip of multiple disorders. The basis behind successful dual diagnosis treatment programs is integrating the right types of therapy to address each person's needs.

Treatment for dual diagnosis begins with the detox process. However, specialists within drug and alcohol rehab in Odessa are aware that medication therapy also needs to be considered to ensure the symptoms of mental illness are well-managed at the same time. Traditional hesitations about using prescription medications to treat the mental health issue are not an issue in a program for dual diagnosis treatment in Odessa.

Dual diagnosis treatment programs in Odessa may use the same types of cognitive behavioral therapy and individual counseling sessions as most drug rehab programs. However, the counselors are able to integrate treatment plans to ensure the addiction and the mental health disorder are addressed at the same time.

Group support meetings also play an important role in the recovery process. Specific dual diagnosis group meetings allow recovering people to meet others going through similar challenges and develop support networks among peers.

A crucial element in any treatment for dual diagnosis is developing a strong relapse prevention strategy. A person with co-occurring disorders may have unique relapse triggers that are often linked with the mental illness. Recovering people learn to recognize their own addiction triggers before developing healthy, positive ways to reduce the risk of relapsing. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.