What Is a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center?
A mental health and dual diagnosis treatment program involves more than just addictions. Many individuals develop an addiction after having a mental health disorder. These people use drugs or alcohol to cope with the untreated symptoms of their mental disorder.
In other cases, individuals develop a mental disorder or physical ailment because of their addiction. For example, methamphetamine can cause someone to develop symptoms like paranoia and anxiety. An addiction to alcohol can cause depression symptoms to appear. If someone only tries to treat the mental health problem, they will not be able to live a healthy lifestyle because the underlying cause remains.
At a dual diagnosis treatment center, the main goal is to find the underlying cause of the addiction and the mental health problem. Sometimes, neither problem actually begins first. Instead, they develop at the same time and gradually worsen simultaneously.
After going to rehab, individuals work to prevent a relapse. Without proper care, it is much harder to avoid relapsing. Individuals have to treat a co-occurring disorder because the symptoms of an untreated disorder can be uncomfortable, stressful, and painful. They may start using again just because they want the symptoms of the disorder to go away.