Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Pasadena, TX

Seeking dual diagnosis treatment in Pasadena is essential when treating an addict that exhibits the behaviors associated with dual diagnosis.

What is Dual Diagnosis?

Also known as co-existing disorders, dual diagnosis is when a person suffers from both a mental illness as well as substance abuse addiction. The existence of a dual diagnosis can happen for many reasons. Sometimes, a person may struggle with mental illness, but isn't sure what they are experiencing.

Instead of seeking psychiatric treatment, they may turn to drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate their problem and try to minimize symptoms. Others may abuse drugs and start to have feelings of depression or anxiety, especially during the withdrawal period or due to the health and personal complications which our substance abuse treatment in Pasadena aims to resolve. Regardless of the way a dual diagnosis began, it is important a person seek dual diagnosis treatment in Pasadena.

Drug abuse that accompanies mental illness can worsen a person's symptoms. Drugs can also affect the ability of the medications that could treat a dual diagnosis to work effectively. A person with a dual diagnosis also may experience legal and personal difficulties due to their habit, such as frequent arrests and an inability to hold down a job. As a result, they are unable to get the help they truly need at a dual diagnosis treatment center.

Types of Mental Health Disorders

Dual diagnosis treatment in Pasadena is broad because it encompasses many types of mental health disorders as well as many types of addictions. However, when a person experiences a more severe form of mental illness, they are more likely to have a mental health disorder as well. Examples of some mental health disorders that can be part of a dual diagnosis include:

Anxiety: Those with anxiety can also experience panic attacks, which are episodes where a person can feel such intense anxiety they believe they are dying or experiencing a heart attack.

Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder is a condition where a person struggles with episodes of depression as well as episodes of mania, which is an extreme and unhealthy state of elation. Different types of bipolar disorder exist. However, a person may abuse drugs to escape either phase of bipolar disorder, such as using methamphetamines to stay awake longer during a manic episode.

Depression: Depression is a state of extreme sadness and hopelessness where a person may start to believe life isn't worth living. Drug and alcohol addiction can commonly lead to a state of depression, sometimes due to withdrawals from drugs or due to feelings when a person is taking the drugs.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): OCD is a condition where a person exhibits obsessive behaviors or has obsessive thoughts. Examples could include an obsession with a certain number of washing their hands so many times their hands become dry and cracked. A person with OCD may abuse drugs because their thoughts are difficult to escape and using drugs may be their way of not having obsessive thoughts.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a condition that occurs after a person has been through a traumatic event. Military veterans are unfortunately commonly the victims of PTSD and are a common demographic of those who have a dual diagnosis.

Each of these conditions coupled with substance abuse addiction can have a dramatic impact on a person's quality of life. Dual diagnosis treatment in Pasadena can help to restore balance where a person's life may otherwise feel like constant chaos.

Why Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Necessary? What Are the Benefits?

Traditionally, helping a person overcome a substance abuse addiction when they also struggled with a mental health disorder was associated with poor outcomes in terms of sobriety rates. However, when doctors began to identify how common a dual diagnosis was, they initiated dual diagnosis treatment programs that focus on helping a person overcome their substance abuse while also acknowledging and treating a mental illness. Often, dual diagnosis rehab involves a stay in our drug rehab in Pasadena so a person can receive more responsive and intensive therapy.

A doctor is always on-hand to talk a person through withdrawal symptoms or feelings they may be experiencing. A doctor can also work with a person to help them get prescriptions for medications that can help improve their overall sense of well-being when they struggle with mental illness.

When a person struggles with substance abuse, they have to be at their best mentally to prevent relapse. They need sleep, exercise, and healthy food to support their body and brain. However, if they struggle with mental illness, accomplishing each of these things is much more difficult. Dual diagnosis treatment programs aim to help a person achieve that level of mental health so a person doesn't have to struggle and turn to drugs as a means of self-medication. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.