A dual diagnosis means someone has signs of mental health and substance use disorders. These co-occurring conditions are best addressed simultaneously with treatments that account for the interconnectedness of addiction and mental health. Professional, evidence-based dual diagnosis treatment in Asheville, NC, is available at Insight Recovery Center. Knowing the signs of a dual diagnosis can support you in getting the precise help you need or as you advocate on behalf of a loved one you are worried about.
At Insight Recovery Center, we offer dual diagnosis treatment as a component of our comprehensive outpatient addiction treatment programs. Call 828.826.1376 today to learn how we can help you or a loved one discover recovery.
Signs of Dual Diagnosis
There is a significant overlap between substance use disorders (SUDs)—whether drugs or alcohol—and mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and more. There are some early warning signs that many people share when they have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Even if you have never been diagnosed, there are clues that may prompt you to inquire with addiction specialists. If you or someone you love has any of these signs, consider contacting a dual diagnosis treatment center.
Some signs of mental health and substance use disorders:
- You have struggled with symptoms of anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, or any other such challenges, even if you never received a diagnosis or treatment.
- When you stop drinking or taking drugs, those mental health symptoms amplify, and you feel stuck in a loop.
- You have a hard time maintaining a balance in your moods and mindset, with high highs and scary lows.
- You are fixed on gaining some control in your life, and you use substances thinking they’ll help with that.
- You feel that you are hanging on by a thread, leading to difficulty focusing, poor performance at work or school, and isolation from friends.
If any of the above signs you need dual diagnosis resonate with you, call 828.826.1376 to learn more. And consider that because addiction and mental health disorders have a genetic component, if you have a family or personal history of one or both, seeking a diagnosis is a good idea so you can receive the help you need.
What to Expect at Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Asheville, NC
What is dual diagnosis treatment? What can you expect at Insight Recovery Center in Asheville? In the past, mental health and substance use disorders were treated separately and sequentially. Nowadays, addiction specialists, psychotherapists, and physicians understand that the most effective way to treat co-occurring disorders is to do so concurrently, in a coordinated and integrated approach.
Doing so offers the best chance at a successful recovery.
Because people who suffer from mental health conditions often self-medicate with substances to mute their symptoms, treating addiction without addressing the underlying anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder—or whatever the diagnosis is—results in people being discharged from care without the tools they need to stay sober. Also, because addiction can trigger or exacerbate underlying mental health issues, it makes little sense to address a mental health diagnosis without also addressing the addiction linked to its escalation and worsening symptoms.
In coordinated dual diagnosis treatment, your recovery team will create a plan that might include the following:
- Teaching awareness and understanding of your diagnoses and how they intersect
- Medication that can alleviate many mental health symptoms. In a dual diagnosis setting, any interactions or contraindications will be noted, while supervision of the impact of medication is possible.
- Life skills education to provide you with the ability to recognize pitfalls and triggers, cope with challenges without substances, and understand the importance of your treatments, from medications to therapies
- Individual therapy, utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), or other evidence-based treatments deemed most effective for you.
- Family therapy which can help you heal and strengthen the important people in your life, providing them with the understanding of your dual diagnosis while allowing you to recognize how your disorders impact them
Having symptoms of a dual diagnosis should be an indicator to seek the help you need.
Contact Insight Recovery Center Today to Begin Your Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Asheville, NC
Help is available, and you deserve to be released from the exhausting cycle of addiction and the crippling symptoms of any mental health challenges you face. Insight Recovery Center will provide you with the high level of support you need through evidence-based therapies in our intensive outpatient program (IOP) or our partial hospitalization program (PHP).
Contact Insight Recovery Center online or call 828.826.1376 to get started today on a better tomorrow.