Co-occurring Disorders, Double the Trouble

There are hundreds of rehabs in NJ accepting patients with dual diagnosis every day. Co-occurring disorders occur when a drug addict or alcoholic also suffers from a mental health disorder at the same time. It doesn’t matter which came first, the mental health disorder or the drug addiction, once the two occupy the same space in a patient, it’s almost impossible to extricate one without working to recover from the other at the same time.

According to Darrel A. Regier’s study of institutionalized dual diagnosis patients, the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study in the November 1990 Journal of the American Medical Association, almost 40% of people struggling with alcohol use disorder suffer from some kind of mental health disorder, over 50% of patients with a drug addiction also suffer from a mental health disorder. Those numbers are startling when you think about how few people tend to get treatment for either mental health disorders or addiction recovery. The two disorders continue to spur one another on exponentially, until both are treated simultaneously.

Common Dual Diagnosis

Regier’s study makes it clear that dual diagnosis are more than common, with over half of drug addicts reporting a co-occurring disorder. Some mental health complications lend themselves to substance abuse and addiction more than others. As someone is looking for dual diagnosis addiction treatment in New Jersey, they may be suffering from any of the following common mental health disorders all of which can drive addiction or that addiction will would likely exacerbate:

• Depression
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Eating Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Personality Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Panic Disorder
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD

Getting Treatment for Dual Diagnosis in New Jersey

Treatment for a person suffering from chemical dependency on alcohol or drugs as well as a mental health disorder is much the same as an addict without a dual diagnosis. The patient with the mental health comorbidity to their addiction still needs to go from detoxification to rehabilitation to relapse prevention, however a patient with the co-occurring disorder must have a recovery plan with an even deeper emphasis on individualized therapy. Their treatment must be based on their individual symptoms and needs. New Jersey detox will lay a foundation for a therapy focused rehab, and then a continuation of those treatments through outpatient aftercare. Through this treatment the patient should focus closely on learning life skills and behavioral therapy techniques to help them resist what may well be stronger than normal triggers and cravings.

With Discovery Institute you’ll find a quality treatment center with medically qualified licensed professionals there to guide you through each step of your treatment and make sure that each side of your dual diagnosis is treated. Call us today to learn more about our programs.