Many people struggle with mental health and addiction at the same time. In these situations, people have co-occurring disorders. At face value, it may seem best to treat mental health and addiction separately, and for decades, that was the norm. Practitioners would address a mental health disorder and move on to dealing with addiction after substantial progress. Conversely, the reverse could occur, where they would treat addiction and then move on to mental health. Unfortunately, that approach fails more often than not and has been replaced by more comprehensive approaches. Call us at 813.600.7929 to learn more about our mental health treatment programs and how they can benefit you or a loved one.
Mental Health and Addiction
Mental health and addiction co-occur for a variety of reasons. One of the leading causes is shared risk factors. Common risk factors include:
- Genetics
- Epigenetic influences
- Shared brain regions that govern both disorders
- Environmental influences
- Stress
- Trauma or adverse childhood experiences
Looking beyond risk factors, the presence of mental illness can put people at risk of self-medicating. The use of drugs or alcohol may temporarily ease a mental health disorder’s symptoms. However, certain substances will exacerbate and worsen a person’s mental health even if the use does not result in addiction.
Influence also runs the other direction, with substance abuse causing mental illness. Substance abuse changes brain areas that can expose an underlying predisposition for a mental health disorder.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Florida
Just treating mental health or just addiction is an outdated approach. Modern methods call for a comprehensive approach. This treatment approach is often called dual diagnosis treatment. It simultaneously addresses mental health and addiction without delaying treatment for either issue.
Each recovery program will customize its approach to meet a client’s needs. However, common elements across most dual diagnosis programs in Florida include:
- Medically supervised detox — Dual diagnosis treatment regularly begins with detox to sever a person’s dependence on whatever drug they were using.
- Inpatient treatment — Treating mental health and addiction at the same time is complicated and often a lengthy process. Achieving transformative results usually means an inpatient approach offers the best chance at recovery.
- Counseling and therapy — Therapy plays a key role in recovery from a mental health disorder and a substance abuse disorder. One of the most common therapies in dual diagnosis treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of therapy works to combat the thought patterns and behaviors that serve as the root cause of someone’s disorders.
- Holistic services — Dual diagnosis treatment is about changing a person’s entire outlook and lifestyle to support sobriety and improved mental health. This means it can include family services, aftercare planning, and resources to engage people in lifestyle changes that support sober living.
- Intensive outpatient treatment — Depending on a client’s needs, intensive outpatient treatment can replace inpatient or else be used as an extension of inpatient to help clients transition out of rehab. Intensive outpatient delivers rigorous services and support while facilitating a level of independence and freedom that inpatient treatment cannot.
Seek Mental Health Treatment at BoardPrep Recovery Center
BoardPrep Recovery Center can deliver top-notch mental health treatment and addiction services. No matter what you have experienced so far, healing is possible. Our expert clinicians offer the following programs and services:
- Young adult services
- Interventions and family services
- Court and hospital services
- Dual diagnosis treatment
BoardPrep Recovery Center’s mental health treatment center in Florida can help people with dual diagnoses. We offer rehab programs inclusive of the therapies, treatments, support, and education needed for you to lead a healthier life. Contact us at 813.600.7929 to learn how we can support you or a loved one in reclaiming your mental health and recovering from addiction.
