What is a Dual Diagnosis?
A dual diagnosis is when you have substance use and mental health disorders at the same time. For instance, you might have a mood disorder and alcohol addiction. The co-occurring disorders often affect one another. Therefore, treating co-occurring disorders at the same time is vital to recovering from both issues.
In addition, underlying mental health disorders often cause substance use disorders. In other words, you might use drugs or alcohol to “self-medicate” for symptoms of a mental illness. Self-medicating is an unhealthy way of coping with a mental health disorder.
In short, dual diagnosis treatment helps you find healthy ways to cope with mental health issues. Our dual diagnosis treatment center in Murfreesboro can help you manage your mental health disorder. As a result, you can stop using drugs or alcohol as self-medication to manage symptoms.
What are the Most Common Dual Diagnoses?
Not all people with mental health issues will have a dual diagnosis or co-occurring substance use disorder. However, some disorders co-occur more often than others. Understanding the most common dual diagnoses can help you know your level of risk.
Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. Symptoms of anxiety can range from mild to severe. In addition, some triggers cause certain types of anxiety disorders. For instance, some people only have symptoms in social settings also known as a social anxiety disorder. Still, others deal with chronic symptoms called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Symptoms of anxiety disorders include:
- Excessive and uncontrollable worrying
- An overwhelming sense of danger, dread, or panic
- Rapid breathing
- Accelerated heart rate
- Profuse sweating
- Feeling tired or weak
- Trouble concentrating
- Stomach and gastrointestinal problems
- Difficulty sleeping
- Avoiding anxiety triggers
Anxiety often causes you to avoid the triggers of your symptoms. In other words, you might go out of your way to avoid symptoms, yet you miss out on living your life. Many people with anxiety disorders seek relief to help them face their triggers. For this reason, they might turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with symptoms.
Depression
Depression is a common mood disorder. Some people have symptoms triggered by life events, like death in the family or losing a job. Others have seasonal depression due to low levels of sunlight each winter. Still, other people deal with chronic depressive symptoms every day.
Feelings of depression can be expected following a tragic life event or loss. In fact, these feelings are often part of the grieving process. Yet, some people don’t seem to “bounce back” without professional help.
The most common symptoms of depression are:
- Fatigue
- Persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness
- Low mood
- Trouble thinking
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
- Sleeping problems
- Irritability or outbursts of anger
- Thoughts of death and despair
- Suicidal ideations
Drugs and alcohol make things worse for those with depression. For example, stimulants like cocaine might temporarily enhance your mood. However, these drugs deplete your brain’s feel-good chemicals. Therefore, you have a “crash” afterward that is often much worse than your depression.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is another common co-occurring disorder. Traumatic events can create a chronic feeling of fear and uncertainty. For instance, after a car accident, you might struggle to ride or drive a car again.
PTSD can follow a single event, such as combat in the military or assault. In addition, PTSD can result from years of stressful events. For example, growing up in an abusive household or living in a dangerous community can cause PTSD.
Symptoms of PTSD include:
- Intrusive thoughts and memories
- Avoiding trauma triggers
- Flashbacks and nightmares
- Negative thoughts about yourself
- Feeling that the world is unsafe
- Emotional numbness
- Easily startled
- Hypervigilance
- Self-destructive
- Trouble sleeping and concentrating
Symptoms of trauma can also lead to other common mental health disorders, like anxiety or depression. Therefore, many dual diagnosis treatment centers in Murfreesboro adopt practices called “trauma-informed care.” At Tulip Hill Recovery, we carefully help you unpack the underlying causes of your addiction and mental health issues, which might be rooted in trauma.
In addition, Tulip Hill Recovery can help you with other co-occurring mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD). While these disorders might not be as common, they can still lead to substance abuse as a result.
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Signs and Symptoms of Dual Diagnosis Disorders
The signs and symptoms of dual diagnosis disorders are similar to either a mental health or substance use disorder alone. After all, both of these disorders are often related and impact your life in some of the same ways. Thus, it is important to know the signs and symptoms to help yourself or a loved one.
Signs and symptoms of dual diagnosis disorders include the following:
- Withdrawing from friends and family to spend more time alone
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities and hobbies
- Appetite and weight changes
- Sleep issues, either too much or too little
- Risky behaviors, like unsafe sex or reckless driving
- Overwhelming feelings of guilt, doubt, and worry
- Trouble thinking clearly
- Hallucinations or delusions
- Prolonged sadness or hopelessness
- Mood swings and behavioral changes
- Problems at work, school, or in relationships
- Self-medicating for stress or emotions with drugs or alcohol
When you notice sudden changes in a person, there is always a cause for concern. Often, when you change for the worse, something is occurring below the surface that must be addressed. Dual diagnosis treatment centers in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, can help you identify and treat co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Some people are also more likely to have a dual diagnosis due to certain risk factors.
Risk Factors of Dual Diagnosis Disorders
Dual diagnosis is common. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “about half of the individuals who experience a [substance use disorder] during their lives will also experience a co-occurring mental disorder and vice versa.” In most cases, substance abuse will worsen or even cause a mental health disorder.
Certain risk factors can make a dual diagnosis more likely, such as:
- Parents or caregivers who abused substances to cope with stress
- Family member with substance use or mental health disorder (or both)
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Relaxed attitudes about substance abuse in your home or community
- Drug or alcohol use during childhood or adolescence
- Growing up in a stressful environment
- History of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Lack of coping skills for everyday stress
Ultimately, if you are addicted, you are likely managing mental health problems with substance abuse. Sometimes, addiction starts as a way of “taking the edge off” of distressing thoughts or feelings. On the other hand, a mental health disorder can start after using recreational drugs that change how your brain functions.
Nonetheless, dual diagnosis treatment is often needed to treat addiction. For instance, you might have masked symptoms for so long with substance abuse, that you don’t realize the root causes of your addiction. Dual diagnosis treatment centers in Murfreesboro offer psychotherapy for this reason.
What Is It Like At Our Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers in Murfreesboro
At Tulip Hill Recovery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, we know that underlying mental health conditions often cause substance use disorders. Thus, we offer dual diagnosis treatment throughout all levels of care.
Our dual diagnosis treatment centers in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, include the following:
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
PHP is sometimes referred to as “day treatment” and includes therapy as an essential component. During PHP, you get treatment for several hours per day for five days each week. Our PHP lasts 30 days and includes group and individual therapy, psychoeducation, holistic treatment, and teaches coping skills for mental illness.
Intenstive Oupatient Program (IOP)
During IOP, you get similar treatment as a PHP. However, an IOP allows more flexibility in your schedule. Usually, you will have sessions in the evenings for a few days each week. Therefore, you can fulfill family, work, or school obligations while receiving treatment.
Recovery Residences
During dual diagnosis treatment, you will want to stay in a safe and secure environment. Often, living at home during early treatment can be distracting and even triggering. In addition, you might have access to drugs or alcohol at home, leading to a relapse. For this reason, Tulip Hill has recovery residences for you to live during your treatment.
Post-Recovery Program
Following active dual diagnosis treatment, you will need support to transition back to everyday life. Thus, we will ensure that you remain connected to the recovery community. Our post-recovery program meets your needs after treatment. For instance, you might want to continue with weekly mental health counseling.
Overall, all programs at Tulip Hill Recovery focus on dual diagnosis treatment. We know that most addictions are rooted in an underlying mental health disorder. Therefore, we are here to help you heal from all of the symptoms holding you back from living your best life.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers in Murfreesboro, TN
Tulip Hill Recovery knows that most substance use disorders are rooted in a co-occurring mental health disorder. For this reason, we offer dual diagnosis treatment at our rehab centers near Murfreesboro, La Vergne, Clarkville or Franklin, Tennessee. Contact us today to learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment programs.
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