Because mental illness is closely linked to addiction, mental health services become crucial to the addiction recovery. Nearly 9 million Americans suffer from both addiction and a co-occurring mental illness. Whether mental illness or addiction comes first, the reality is that you need treatment for both at the same time to gain lasting sobriety.
How Mental Illness and Drug Abuse Go Hand-In-Hand
Mental illness leads some people to substance abuse as they try to self-treat their mental symptoms. Self-medication isn’t a conscious effort. Instead, it’s related to mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and paranoia.
People with diagnosed mental illness use medication with negative side effects. Sometimes they turn to drugs or alcohol to remedy these effects.
Some people use drugs first, then develop a mental illness. Ecstasy is a good example of drugs that alter mood and behavior. Depression and anxiety are lasting effects due to these brain chemical changes of using drugs like ecstasy. People in a high-risk category for mental illness—such as from genetics, environment or life changes—heighten their risk by adding drugs to their life.
Co-Occurring Conditions Requiring Texas Mental Health Services
People with mental illness in combination with addiction have a “co-occurring condition.” The two conditions feed off of each other, making it difficult to determine which condition causes negative symptoms.
To properly diagnose a co-occurring condition, you need the help of a professional treatment facility that specializes in addiction and mental illness. Facilities providing addiction treatment programs with mental health services offer dual diagnosis programs. These programs provide treatment that addresses both issues at once. Treating only one condition at a time only opens you up to relapse and a never-ending cycle of co-existing addiction and mental illness.
Commonly co-occurring conditions requiring Texas mental health services during substance abuse treatment include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- PTSD
- Schizophrenia
