When treating drug and alcohol addictions, it is also necessary to address the underlying issues of psychological disorders, or diseases that may have been left unchecked and undiagnosed.
Often these issues contribute to the abuse of illegal substances. When an individual chooses to begin the rehab process, it is imperative that a qualified mental health clinician investigates the presence of a Dual Diagnosis Disorder. This allows for a rehab program to be more effective at treating the root causes of addiction.
Research shows that over 50% of people who are diagnosed with a mental disorder will also have a substance abuse problem. When a person is dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other issues that are caused by factors that range from chemical imbalances to trauma, they often begin to abuse, or become dependent upon, medications or illicit drugs. It isn’t long before their mental health issues are compounded by substance abuse.
People who suffer from co-occurring disorders want to feel just like everyone else. Family members recognize that they are struggling with addiction along with mental health issues but may not address the issues out of fear and insecurity. Although psychiatric conditions and addiction can be challenging to face for both the addict and their family members, acknowledgment is the first step in getting an accurate assessment and appropriate treatment.
At Moonlight Mountain Recovery, our licensed medical professionals take the time to carefully diagnose each resident to determine if there are mental illness issues occurring along with the substance abuse so that we can determine the most effective way to treat the person as a whole.