With an understanding of co-occurring disorders, it’s very easy to see the importance of custom treatment plans. When people look for rehab, they should always search for facilities that create personalized treatment plans. One reason is that they don’t all have the same addictions or underlying mental disorders.
What are the benefits of co-occurring disorders treatment?
Co-occurring disorders patients who undergo group therapy help them strengthen their support network. This training is also useful for combating problems such as substance misuse. Treating both addiction and mental disorders simultaneously reduces one’s chances of relapse, such as depression, mood swings, or panic strikes.
Are co-occurring disorders linked to substance abuse?
Additionally, a high rate of suicide attempts is associated with co-occurring disorders. Studies claim anxiety sufferers are almost double as likely to abuse substances as the general population. People with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and untreated anxiety disorders are most at risk of abuse.
Why is it important to treat addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders?
Treating addictive disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders at the same time is important for several reasons: Integrated recovery plans are designed to overcome the negative side effects of mental health disorders, such as a reduced attention span, a low level of motivation, and a fear of socializing with others.
What is the rate of incidence for co-occurring disorders?
Co-occurring disorders account for 7.9% of all mental illnesses, yet only 7.9% of those with a co-occurring disorder ever complete treatment for both illnesses. Many mental illnesses and addictions can have many of the same symptoms, so it is sometimes difficult to differentiate one from the other.
Why is it important to treat co-occurring disorders?
Treating co-occurring disorders together allows for holistic recovery, addressing the whole person rather than an isolated facet of suffering in order to achieve better outcomes.
What is the best treatment for co-occurring disorders?
Research has found that regular substance use disorder treatment programing, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, is known to improve the psychological functioning of patients with co-occurring disorders at similar rates to psychiatrically-integrated or co-occurring-specific treatment approaches (McGovern et al., 2015 ...
Why is integrated treatment considered the best practice of those with co-occurring disorders?
Research shows that an integrated approach to treating co-occurring disorders results in the best possible patient outcomes. The integrated treatment model addresses the problem of access by ensuring that one visit, in one setting, is sufficient to receive treatment for both disorders.
How are comorbid disorders treated?
Treatment of comorbidity often involves collaboration between clinical providers and organizations that provide supportive services to address issues such as homelessness, physical health, vocational skills, and legal problems.
What is the best treatment for dual diagnosis?
The best treatment for dual diagnosis is integrated intervention, when a person receives care for both their diagnosed mental illness and substance use disorder.
What does co-occurring mean in mental health?
The coexistence of both a mental illness and a substance use disorder, known as a co-occurring disorder, is common among people in medication-assisted treatment (MAT). People with mental illness are more likely to experience a substance use disorder than those not affected by a mental illness.
What does integrated treatment mean?
Integrated treatment refers to the focus of treatment on two or more conditions and to the use of multiple treatments such as the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
What is integrated dual disorders treatment?
The Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) model is an evidence-based practice that improves quality of life for people with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders by combining substance abuse services with mental health services.
What is an integrated treatment plan?
In Integrated Treatment programs, the same practitioners or treatment team, working in one setting, provide mental health and substance abuse interventions in a coordinated fashion. Consumers receive one consistent message about treatment and recovery.
What is comorbidity and why is it important?
Comorbidity is a medical term that you may have heard your doctor use. It describes the existence of more than one disease or condition within your body at the same time. Comorbidities are usually long-term, or chronic. They may or may not interact with each other.
Why is comorbidity a problem?
Comorbidity is associated with worse health outcomes, more complex clinical management, and increased health care costs. There is no agreement, however, on the meaning of the term, and related constructs, such as multimorbidity, morbidity burden, and patient complexity, are not well conceptualized.
How do comorbidities impact health?
Comorbidity refers to the occurrence of two or more diseases in a person at one time. While the existence of these multiple health conditions may be unrelated, in many instances—and particularly in relation to chronic diseases—there is some association between them.
Why treat co-occurring disorders together?
Treating co-occurring disorders together allows for holistic recovery, addressing the whole person rather than an isolated facet of suffering in order to achieve better outcomes . This is true not only for people who struggle with mental illness and addiction, but also for people who are suffering from multiple mental health disorders.
What are the problems of co-occurring disorders?
People with co-occurring disorders often experience more severe and chronic medical, social, and emotional problems than people experiencing a mental health condition or substance use disorder alone. Compared to patients who have a single disorder, patients with co-existing conditions often require longer treatment, have more crises, ...
How does genetics affect mental health?
The genes that predispose you to developing one mental health disorder could also predispose you to developing another mental health disorder or a substance use disorder. According to emerging research, genetics are responsible for approximately 40-60% of a person’s likelihood of developing a substance abuse disorder. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, “Genes [can alter] how an individual responds to stress or [increase] the likelihood of risk-taking and novelty-seeking behaviors, which could influence the development of drug use disorders and other mental illnesses.”
What is the unique suffering of people with multiple disorders?
The unique suffering of people with multiple disorders is unfortunately often not captured in popular discourses surrounding mental illness, leaving many to feel alone, lost, and without hope.
Is psychiatric distress a single diagnosis?
In reality, psychiatric distress is often not the result of a single diagnosis, but the product of multiple disorders occurring simultaneously, fuelling each other, and augmenting your suffering. The American Psychology Association estimates that 45% of people living with mental illness meet the diagnostic criteria for two or more disorders.
Can depression be treated without anxiety?
Similarly, if your depression is treated without addressing your anxiety, you are left not only struggling with the remaining disorder, but likely to find your uncontrolled anxiety triggering a new depressive episode.
Is mental health a co-occurring disorder?
While historically, mental health and substance use disorders were regarded as discrete afflictions that needed fundamentally different types of treatment, we now understand that co-occurring disorders are intimately linked both biologically and behaviorally.
What is a co-occurring disorder?
Co-occurring disorders are referred to scientifically as co-occurring disorders since one usually has both of them at the same time.
What are the consequences of co-occurring disorders?
Co-occurring disorders require more intensive treatment than someone with only one of them. Symptoms of drug misuse and psychiatric illness tend to exacerbate one another. Substance abuse can also impair physical health, which has consequences for this subset of patients that make treatment more difficult.
What are the most at risk disorders for abuse?
People with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and untreated anxiety disorders are most at risk of abuse. Almost half of all people with a co-occurring disorder get no medication at all although the fact is that treatment is critical for recovery.
What are the factors that contribute to substance use disorders?
Extending Risk Portions: There is some evidence that a person’s heredity and environmental circumstances, such as being subjected to trauma , are possible factors in the development of substance use disorders and other mental health disorders.
How many people have co-occurring disorders?
People with dual diagnoses of mental health disorders and drug addiction are now called co-occurring disorders. Over 7.9 million individuals in America suffer from a co-occurring disorder. This piece will look at why some people experience co-occurring disorders, in what form they manifest themselves, and where they can go for therapy.
How do you know if you have mental illness?
Though Different Symptoms are Ranging from Different Mental Health Disorders, We have Common Signs that a Person Might be Suffering from Mental Illness, Including: An alteration in the sleeping and eating patterns of an individual. It can be hard to give up hobbies that have once been important.
What are some holistic treatments for addiction?
Many rehabilitation centers now offer equine-assisted therapy, hypnotherapy, massage, acupuncture, yoga, as well as treatments for co-occurring disorders.
Common Co-Occurring Disorders That Pop Up With Addiction
It’s important to remember that co-occurring disorders don’t necessarily refer to addiction and another disorder. The term refers to any two disorders that occur together. With that said, it’s common for people to suffer from co-occurring conditions if they also struggle with addiction.
Why Do People With Addiction Usually Have Dual Diagnosis?
Although anyone can suffer from mental disorders, what makes people with addiction more likely to develop one? In order to understand why they must know that addiction is a mental disorder itself. Experts explain that the development of other mental conditions is common if people already have one mental disorder.
Custom Treatment Plans
With an understanding of co-occurring disorders, it’s very easy to see the importance of custom treatment plans. When people look for rehab, they should always search for facilities that create personalized treatment plans.
Pillars Recovery Has What You Need to Beat Addiction
There’s more to beating addiction than just treating co-occurring conditions. Pillars Recovery knows this and works closely with you to determine the best course of action for your addiction. Programs and services that you can find at our facility include:
If you suffer from co-occurring disorders, you are not alone
The National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) reports that approximately 45% of Americans seeking addiction treatment suffer from co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. This includes mental health illnesses, such as anxiety and depression.
Mood disorders
Clinical depression debilitates normal functioning in life. It is the most common co-occurring diagnosis among people with addictive illnesses, along with anxiety. Bipolar disorder, dysthymia, or substance-induced mood disorders are other types of mood disorders.
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety includes a broad spectrum of emotional experiences, from reactions to everyday situations to severe anxiety such as PTSD. It is frequently cited by people with substance use disorders and requires specialized care.
PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects both men and women equally, and it is triggered by traumatic life events. In drug and alcohol treatment, many women have suffered verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Disassociation from oneself and events, anger, depression, high anxiety, and insomnia are a few symptoms of PTSD.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorders are chronic conditions in which a person experiences uncontrollable thoughts, obsessions, or behaviors where the person feels the urge to repeat again and again. When these disorders are combined with addiction, they can severely impact a person’s life.
Process addictions
Process addictions often co-occur with a substance use disorder, such as shopping, gambling, disordered eating, and sex. Cross-addictive behaviors may exacerbate one another.
Personality disorders
Personality disorders include borderline personality disorder (BPD), narcissistic personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder. All three of these disorders are common among people with addiction.
What is the first thing you notice when you have an addiction?
When people struggle with an addiction, the first thing they are likely to notice is how their mental health suffers. A lot of people develop mental health disorders in addition to their addiction either during their use or after they detox while others may have been already struggling with their mental health prior to their addiction. Either way, those who struggle with co-occurring substance abuse problems, or have a dual diagnosis, need to know how important it is to take care of their mental health to achieve a strong recovery.
Can you go into recovery from substance use disorder?
You can go into treatment and recovery from a substance use disorder by simply not drinking or taking any mind altering substances. That’s great if that happens and for some, that’s all that’s needed to live a productive healthy life. But for others, there’s much more to it than that.
Should mental health be a priority?
Taking care of your mental health should always be a priority for everyone. You should think of this on the same lines of how taking care of your physical health is important.
Why is it so difficult to diagnose co-occurring disorders?
Co-occurring disorders are sometimes difficult to diagnose. One reason is that the symptoms are often complex and can vary in severity. As a result, it is not uncommon for people to receive treatment for one disorder while the other disorder remains untreated.
How many people have co-occurring disorders?
In fact, nearly 9 million people have a co-occurring disorder according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Yet, only 7 percent of these individuals get treatment for both conditions. And nearly 60 percent receive no treatment at all.
What are the factors that affect mental health?
Even though there is a high rate of comorbidity between addiction and mental illness, it does not mean that one necessarily caused the other—even if one condition appeared first. Instead, there are still a number of factors that need to be considered, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For instance: 1 Drug abuse can cause people to experience one or more symptoms of another mental illness. For example, there is an increased risk of psychosis in some marijuana users. 2 Mental disorders can lead to drug or alcohol abuse because some people use substances to self-medicate. For instance, the nicotine in tobacco products sometimes lessen certain symptoms of schizophrenia and may improve cognition.
Why do people turn to alcohol for substance abuse?
What this means is that some people with mental illnesses will turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with the pain of their mental health issues.
Why is comorbidity important?
To better understand how comorbidity is possible, it helps to recognize that both are chronic brain disorders. In other words, when someone struggles with an addiction, their brain has been permanently rewired by the substance they abused. This, in turn, causes the brain to function differently than before.
What is the relationship between mental health and addiction?
Another common factor between mental health issues and addiction is the age at which the symptoms appear. During the teen years, people are still developing, maturing, and growing. As a result, significant changes in the brain occur during adolescence.
How does integrated treatment help?
With integrated treatment, doctors and counselors can address and treat both disorders at the same time. This, in turn, often lowers treatment costs and creates better outcomes for patients. What's more, early detection and treatment of both conditions can greatly improve the person's recovery and quality of life.