Dual diagnosis in CT is a model of addiction treatment that treats mental health disorders and addiction simultaneously. Many people who live with addiction experience depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorders, and these challenges can hold people back from achieving lasting and worthwhile sobriety.
Instead of treating substance use in isolation, dual diagnosis in CT treats the whole person. This can reduce your risk of relapse, improve your quality of life, and help you learn to thrive in your new life in recovery.
The Connection Between Addiction and Mental Health
Substance use disorders and mental health disorders are deeply interconnected. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 37.9% of people with a substance use disorder have a co-occurring mental health condition, and 18.2% of people with a mental health disorder have a co-occurring substance use problem.1
Addiction researchers have examined the connection between addiction and mental health for decades. While a number of theories have been developed to understand the high co-occurrence of these disorders, two main pathways have been identified that explain the phenomenon for the vast majority of people:
Self-Medication
The first of these hypotheses, known as the self-medication hypothesis, suggests that people who experience the symptoms of a mental health disorder often turn to substance use to cope. This can happen even if you’re unaware of an underlying mental health condition and can quickly spiral out of control.
This pathway can be thought of as happening in just a few steps:
- You experience mental health symptoms like anxiety or depression
- You use an addictive substance to cope with the uncomfortable symptom
- Drugs or alcohol provide temporary relief from your symptoms
- After the substance wears off, the mental health symptom returns, often worse than it was initially
- You then use more substances to cope with the greater problem, repeating the cycle indefinitely
This cycle can quickly lead to an addiction to drugs or alcohol and a worsening of your underlying mental health disorder.
Substance-Induced Mental Health Disorders
The other pathway involves developing a mental health disorder as a result of a substance use disorder. For example, a person living with an alcohol use disorder can start to lose interest in their favorite hobbies or activities, damage their close relationships, and have difficulties at work, school, or home.
As a result, they may start to feel depressed about their situation and start to show signs of a major depressive episode. These negative symptoms stack on top of the symptoms of their alcohol use disorder, making it difficult for people to break free from addiction and achieve recovery.
How Dual Diagnosis in CT Can Help
Dual-diagnosis treatment combines the best in evidence-based substance use treatment and cutting-edge mental health treatment to help people achieve a holistic sense of recovery. After a thorough assessment with our mental health professionals, our team will build a customized treatment plan to help you overcome both disorders simultaneously.
While everyone’s treatment plan is unique, this could include:
- Specialized therapy options
- Mental health support groups
- Psychiatric medication
- Holistic treatment options
Our experience has shown that dual-diagnosis treatment provides substantially better outcomes. Not only will it help you get sober, but it can also help you learn to thrive in your new life in recovery.
Start Treatment at Connecticut Center for Recovery Today
To get started with dual-diagnosis treatment, call Connecticut Center for Recovery or fill out our confidential online contact form for more information. You can achieve recovery — and our team can help show you the way.
Sources:
[1] https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/comorbidity/comorbidity-substance-use-other-mental-disorders-infographic
