Dual Diagnosis Treatment Los Angeles

If you are living with mental illness and struggling with substance abuse, you are not alone. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 7.9 million American adults suffer from co-occurring disorders.

Fortunately, there is help available. At Nuview Treatment Center, we offer dual diagnosis treatment in Los Angeles specifically designed to meet the needs of those struggling with both mental illness and addiction.

Our experienced and compassionate staff provides a comprehensive range of services, including:

Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
Therapy (individual, group, and family)
Education about mental illness and addiction
Coping skills development

We know how difficult it can be to manage both a mental illness and an addiction, but we also know that recovery is possible. Contact us today to learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment program in Los Angeles and how we can help you on the road to recovery.

What is Dual Diagnosis?

A person can be diagnosed with a “dual diagnosis” when they suffer from a substance use disorder and mental health disorder at the same time. These two conditions are often known as “comorbid” conditions.

The terms “dual diagnosis” and “comorbid” imply that the addictions and mental health problems mutually affect one another. In most cases, these conditions are treated separately. Dual diagnosis patients, however, often benefit from having both conditions recognized and treated together.

Dual diagnosis treatment programs are designed to help individuals who suffer from two or more mental health issues. Generally, treatment providers aim to address the conditions on their own. However, experienced practitioners recognize that mental health disorders and addictions impact each other profoundly.

As such, they aim to keep in mind that either disorder may influence the treatment of the other disorder. During dual diagnosis rehab, for instance, clients withdraw from drugs and alcohol while developing new coping tools to deal with cravings and triggers.
Clinicians also provide therapy for clients to help them deal with underlying mental health disorders, which are often the most common source of cravings and triggers.

What causes co-occurring disorders?

Often genetic risks for substance use can be linked with some mental illness, although gene alone does not explain all symptoms. Another factor includes family environment and life stress including traumatizing experiences in life, poverty, and death. In addition stress can trigger genes causing co-occurring disorder. People experiencing psychological disorder might be more susceptible to mood-altering drugs. Sometimes the patients are using alcohol to help treat mental problems or to counter the effects of anxiety.

Difference between Dual Diagnosis and Co-Occurring Disorders

There’s a big difference between dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders. Dual diagnosis is when someone has two diagnoses, like depression and anxiety. Co-occurring disorders is when someone has a mental illness and a substance abuse problem. Both of these problems need to be treated at the same time in order for the person to get better.

Most common co-occurring disorders

Personality Disorder Treatment

ADHD
Treatment

Anxiety
Treatment

Trauma
Treatment

Schizophrenia
Treatment

OCD
Treatment

Depression and Addiction Treatment

Bipolar Disorder and Addiction Treatment

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Los Angeles That People Trusts

For example, a person suffering from depressive symptoms drinks alcohol to self-medicate which is more prevalent than depression. This is treated by most doctors as the initial diagnosis but when drinking is stopped the depressive condition is still exacerbated – sometimes to the point of deteriorating state. This is an extremely difficult cycle as the addiction is worsen by the symptoms of mental disorders.

Other Treatment Programs

Substance abuse & Alcohol Treatment Los Angeles

Our outpatient drug rehab Los Angeles CA will help you improve your health and provide you with the information, skills and resources necessary to help break free from drug addiction as well as any co-occurring mental health disorders. Medications that treat opioid use disorder are accessible to support recovery and prevent overdose. Our care team, which surrounds you and consists of experts in various fields, is dedicated to helping you recover and maintain sobriety through our evidence-based drug and alcohol rehab program.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual diagnosis treatment is designed to meet the needs of those clients. Dual diagnosis treatment varies considerably, however. It can depend on the type of mental health condition a person has. In most cases, however, it is designed to reduce the intensity of psychiatric symptoms and help clients develop better strategies and healthier coping tools for dealing with their addictions.

Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual diagnosis treatment is essential for individuals with comorbid conditions. Even if a dual diagnosis client receives high-quality addiction treatment, they are likely to relapse if they do not treat their mental health disorder at the same time.

Quality addiction treatment entails addressing all possible sources of relapse triggers. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are some of the most common sources of relapse triggers. By addressing these underlying issues, the likelihood of returning to drugs and alcohol is reduced.

It is far easier to treat a mental health disorder when a person is not abusing drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse worsens the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mood and personality disorders. Intoxication can make it difficult for a person to do the difficult introspection and problem-solving that talk therapy requires.

Perhaps more concerningly, recreational drugs can interfere with prescription medications that are meant to alleviate the symptoms of mental health disorders. Treating mental illness without addressing a substance abuse problem is simply not effective.

Dual diagnosis clients face complicated circumstances. As complex cases, they require far more intensive treatment than other clients. During dual diagnosis treatment in outpatient rehab, clients can enjoy the following benefits:

Getting the treatment necessary for getting sober from alcohol or drugs
Getting therapy to help them deal with their mental health condition
Working with a therapist to better understand the connection between their addiction and mental health issue
Address the root causes of their mental health disorder and their co-occurring addiction
Develop new coping mechanisms for their mental health problem
Recognize and avoid triggers associated with relapse
Develop a strong relapse prevention plan

Frequency of Dual Diagnosis

It may be surprising to learn that roughly half of all people with addictions are dual diagnosis. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has conducted studies that show that 50% of all people with substance use disorders have co-occurring mental health conditions. Moreover, these same studies showed that the reverse is true: among people with mental health disorders, 50% suffer from some degree of drug or alcohol addiction.

Unfortunately, dual diagnosis treatment remains somewhat rare, despite comorbidity being so common. Even though roughly 8.5 adults in the United States were diagnoses with co-occurring disorders in 2017, only 51% received any kind of treatment.

Among those who did receive treatment, most only received treatment for one of their conditions. According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 8.3% of dual diagnosis clients actually received treatment for all of their mental health conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the treatments for dual diagnosis?

Treatments may consist of behavioral therapies and medication. Additionally, support groups can provide emotional and social support as well as a space to share advice about how best deal with common everyday challenges.

If someone is diagnosed with more than one condition i.e Dual Diagnosis & Substance or Alcohol Addiction, it is important to treat both. In order for the treatment to be effective, sobriety from alcohol and drugs is required.

What percent of people have a dual diagnosis?

The study found that 46% of American adults suffer from dual diagnosis syndrome. The prevalence of depression is twice the risk of SUD in individuals with a psychological illness.

How Does Mental Illness Cause Addiction?

When a person suffers from a mental health disorder, they generally experience significant cognitive and emotional difficulties. In many cases, their mental illness can cause profound inner turmoil and suffering. In severe cases, it may even make it difficult to function at all while performing everyday tasks. As a result, people with mental illness may seek relief in the form of drugs and alcohol. When a person uses drugs and alcohol to relieve the symptoms of their emotional distress, this is known as self-medication. It is true that drugs and alcohol can offer temporary relief. Many recreational substances reduce anxiety, reduce pain, and even help people feel more connected to each other. However, over the long run recreational drugs and alcohol are likely to have the opposite effects. In fact, the withdrawal symptoms that occur after a period of intoxication are often more severe than the symptoms of mental illness. Over the long term, drug and alcohol abuse exacerbates the symptoms of a person’s mental health conditions. Ironically, though, this can lead a person to abuse drugs and alcohol even more — since these substances continue to offer short-term relief. As time passes, mental illness and substance abuse can form a vicious cycle, with each condition driving the other. As mental illness becomes worse, individuals become more dependent on drugs and alcohol. Their addiction, in turn, leads to the intensification of their underlying mental health disorder.