If you struggle with substance dependency along with depression or anxiety, you may have co-occurring disorders. Consequently, you need a dual diagnosis treatment program. Most professional facilities now offer dual diagnosis for drug addiction. What does it mean? Most importantly, how could a CA dual diagnosis treatment center help you today?
What Is a Dual Diagnosis?
Anxiety makes it difficult to be around people. However, you realize that having a couple of drinks loosens you up. Before long, you may start drinking before going out. Because it becomes a daily habit, chemical dependency isn’t far behind.
Dual diagnosis rehab acknowledges that many people have a co-occurring mental health condition. Anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are just a few examples. Because many individuals don’t have an actual diagnosis, they self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. In this situation, therapists treat it as a co-occurring condition.
How Care at a CA Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center Works
In the past, you’d undergo care for the chemical dependency first. Next, therapists would suggest that you also seek help for the underlying condition. Maybe a few program participants succeeded in their attempts to quit using. Unfortunately, the rest probably went back to self-medicating.
Today, you receive care for both conditions at the same time. After all, it’s much easier to maintain therapy and practices that you begin in rehab rather than having to start fresh on your own. Modalities include:
- One-on-one talk therapy as a way to talk through your circumstances and explore new ways of handling triggers
- Pharmacological support that provides medication for anxiety, depression, or whatever condition you deal with
- Behavioral therapy as a way to pinpoint and change dysfunctional patterns
- Family therapy, which focuses on rebuilding trust and helping loved ones understand how to help you
- Relapse prevention training that lets you set goals and chart a course for lifelong sobriety
Aftercare is another essential component of recovery. A high-quality CA dual diagnosis treatment center will help you find ongoing therapy for the mental health condition. Most importantly, there are often center-sponsored activities for alumni. Examples include monthly meetings, outings, or support groups.
Almost everyone finds it helpful to work with a 12 Step program for peer accountability. Doing so is particularly beneficial when you locate a chapter that has others with co-occurring conditions. It ensures that you hold each other accountable for continuing treatment. Similarly, you know that people understand where you’re coming from.
What Happens If You Don’t Seek Help?
Failure to get help won’t make the addiction go away. Furthermore, it won’t help with the mental health issue. Both continue to worsen. Chemical dependency will aggravate mental illness and vice versa.
Even if you are still functioning, you’ll get to a point where you won’t be able to keep it together. Getting help now is vital for preventing a situation that could put you in a bad spot. Most importantly, treatment will assist with getting the help you need from loved ones. With a dual diagnosis, you need family support.
Make contacting a CA dual diagnosis treatment center your goal for this week. It’s never too late to get help. Regardless of where you are on your journey, a treatment center in California can help you achieve recovery, so reach out today.
