Mental Health Treatment: Dual Diagnosis
Most alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation facilities offer mental health evaluations and behavioral assistive programs. Typically, mental health and drug abuse usually go hand in hand.
Sometimes drug abuse can derive from mental health issues. For example, someone with a developmental health issue might get hooked on drugs because they do not have a mental block that tells them to stop.
On the flip side, a person with a drug addiction will sometimes develop mental health issues they never had before. For example, a person who never had a history of panic attacks will trigger them after abusing certain drugs.
According to a 2018 SAMHSA report, 9 million people in the United States suffer from co-occurring disorders related to substance abuse. Additionally, the report concluded that only 7% of those people get treatment.
Mental Health Treatment: Co-occurring Disorders
Mental health treatment is offered at many facilities. Some of the illnesses addressed:
Anxiety
ADHD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Depression
Bipolar
Schizophrenia
Personality Disorders
Eating disorders
Changes in Mental Health Might Indicate an Addiction
A person may show signs that they are addicted to alcohol or drugs based on their newly displayed behaviors. Here are examples of some;
Erratic behaviors
Mood swings
Lack of motivation
Emotional detachments
Personality shifts
Saying inappropriate things
Getting into more trouble with the law
Some of the physical changes;
Blank look
Red bloodshot eyes
Sleeping while standing up or sitting upright
Neglecting personal hygiene
Weight loss, weight gain
Slurred speech
Lifestyle changes;
Avoiding social events the person once liked
Not enjoying things that they once liked
Shoplifting
Hanging around a different group of friends
Leaving drug and alcohol paraphernalia lying around
Monetary changes;
Mismanaging finances
Constantly broke
Selling sentimental items
Substance Use Disorder
Substance use disorder is a mental disorder that can alter a person’s brain chemistry or behavioral patterns. It makes them do anything in their power to get high.
It is important to note that genetics make up about 40 – 60% of a person’s likelihood of getting addicted to a substance or behavior.
Resources for getting help with mental health disorders.
Some people have mental health issues that cannot be solved with the help of a rehab facility.
Suicide Prevention – https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ – 1-800-273-8255
Mental Health Gov – https://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk – Great starting point for families
Crisis Text Line – https://www.crisistextline.org/ – Text “HELLO” to 741741
Disaster Distress Helpline – https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline – 1-800-985-5990
Veterans Crisis Line – https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ – 1-800-273-8255
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