Substance addiction, also known as a substance use disorder, is a compulsive disorder that is defined by an inability to stop using drugs and a persistent failure to meet work, social, or family obligations. It is a chemical dependency that alters a user’s brain and causes their body to adapt and tolerate drug abuse. Those with a drug addiction do not have self-control; they are unable to resist drug cravings.
Today, approximately 8 million people with substance use disorders are also battling a mental health disorder—post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, any disorder affecting their psychiatric stability. Perhaps that is why you are here. If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with co-occurring disorders, you may be wondering what to do next. You may be questioning whether treatment is necessary at all; if it is, you may be wondering what type of drug treatment will bring about the most successful recovery.
It is important to know that any extent of co-occurring disorders deserves professional attention. More specifically, it requires an intensive, integrated approach to therapy, one that addresses both the mental and the addictive disorder at hand. Unfortunately, most people with co-occurring disorders do not receive the proper dual diagnosis treatment for both of their conditions. In fact, only 7.4 percent of individuals do. Over 55 percent of people with co-occurring disorders receive no treatment whatsoever.
Studies have shown that residential drug treatment facilities are the most effective programs for people with dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders. It is these inpatient, residential rehab centers that provide the most structured environment for clients, helping them to confront the unique challenges so specific to their addiction journey. In dual diagnosis residential treatment, clients are removed from outside distractions, stressors, and relapse triggers. All of their time is devoting to healing, to building a stronger sense of self and stability in their lives.
But when is dual diagnosis residential treatment necessary for an individual? Long-term, residential drug treatment programs are most necessary for individuals who need an extensive rehab option, giving them enough time to properly restore their mental, emotional, and physical health. If your loved one exhibits any of the following, a dual diagnosis residential treatment center is the best treatment option:
1. An underlying mental illness exists. – If your loved one is experiencing psychiatric symptoms such as depressive episodes, panic attacks, mood swings, or even using drugs and alcohol as an escape, he or she may very well have a co-occurring mental disorder. Co-occurring mental disorders, as mentioned above, require a very specific kind of treatment. They require special, one-to-one attention and specific behavioral therapy methods in order to properly heal. Healing from co-occurring disorders also requires time and space, which a dual diagnosis residential treatment center can offer.
2. He or she has had prior outpatient care, but has since relapsed. – It is not uncommon for individuals to enter drug rehab more than once in their recovery journey. Just because your loved one relapsed does not mean that he or she has failed. It only means that the type of addiction treatment he or she had needs to be readdressed. If your loved one attended outpatient rehab the first time around, inpatient, residential care might be more appropriate moving forward. There is more oversight and supervision in a residential setting, allowing your loved one to fully commit and stay on the right path to recovery. In an inpatient setting, there is also more space to heal mentally, and to gain a grasp on life once again.
3. He or she does not have a safe place to recover. – A successful recovery plan requires one to have a drug-free environment, adequate transportation to meetings and counseling sessions, regular, nutritious meals, and a surrounding, supportive, sober network. If your loved one is lacking this type of place, then you may consider residential dual diagnosis treatment. Currently, he or she may be in a high-risk recovery environment, such as lacking a safe shelter or a home, or in an environment where other family members or peers are using drugs.
Dual diagnosis residential treatment programs can last from 30 days to a year, depending on the extent of the addiction and mental disorder, as well as the needs of the individual. In most cases, long-term drug rehab is the best option for dual diagnosis.
Long-term, dual diagnosis treatment centers provide watchful care and structured treatment regimes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At Turnbridge, our residential programs are modeled as therapeutic communities, where young men and women focus on resocialization as well as rehabilitation, and work on becoming their best possible selves within a community of residents and clinical support staff. Through behavioral group therapies and one-to-one counseling, clients learn personal accountability, social responsibility, as well as productivity and coping mechanisms for a long and sober life.