Dual Diagnosis in Bethlehem, PA

If you are addicted to substances and you are struggling with a mental health diagnosis, you will need a program that provides treatment for dual diagnosis in Bethlehem to overcome your addiction. Breaking free from a drug addiction is hard. When you have an underlying mental health diagnosis to get under control, you will have a higher chance of success when you get treatment for dual diagnosis instead of only drug rehabilitation. Dual diagnosis for addiction treatment involves having two focuses. The first is to get you physically free from the substance you are addicted to, and the second is to address your mental health needs at the same time.

Understanding Dual Diagnosis in Bethlehem

When you are told that you need treatment for dual diagnosis, this means that your medical provider believes you will best benefit from a center that focuses on dual diagnosis for addiction treatment. Many people who struggle with an addiction to drugs have mental health issues that are the underlying cause of the addiction. For example, a person who struggles with anxiety may start to use substances as a way to feel less anxious or out of control. If your symptoms from your mental illness are debilitating, you may try to find ways to stop the symptoms using illegal drugs. When treatment is provided that treats your mental illness and your addiction, you are more likely to remain drug free in the future.

Mental Health Disorders Seen at Dual Diagnosis in Bethlehem

Treatment for dual diagnosis involves patients with a variety of mental health diagnoses. Patients who go to dual diagnosis for addiction treatment may be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder. While there are many other mental health diagnoses possible, these are some of the more commonly seen mental health disorders at treatment for dual diagnosis centers.

Depression can lead to substance abuse, especially with drugs that provide a euphoric feeling such as cocaine. Depression can be debilitating, and an individual suffering from depression may turn to drugs in an effort to stop feeling so down. People that suffer from depression choose drugs as a way to cope with the stress of everyday life, or to escape the feelings of helplessness they are experiencing.

Anxiety is also a common diagnosis at dual diagnosis for addiction treatment centers. People who have anxiety are often prescribed benzodiazepines. While they are effective in the short term, these medications are also highly addictive. They produce a calming effect, and are often a door to addiction for those with anxiety.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a result of trauma a person has experienced. Shortened to PTSD, patients with this diagnosis often suffer from periods of high anxiety, flashbacks, and have a difficult time coping in stressful situations. PTSD responds well to talk therapy and prescription medication in order to get symptoms under control.

Bipolar disorder is a type of personality disorder where the individual experiences mood swings and has trouble with emotional regulation. While there are a number of types of bipolar disorder, depression followed by mania are generally present. Treatment for dual diagnosis is difficult for those with bipolar disorder because the symptoms of bipolar can be complex.

Schizophrenia is also seen at dual diagnosis in Bethlehem. This is a difficult mental illness to treat, even when there isn't a drug addiction going on. Schizophrenia is marked by hallucinations, or a lack of being in touch with reality. Even with addiction treatment in Bethlehem, it is difficult for many people diagnosed with schizophrenia to be symptom free.

Why Dual Diagnosis Treatment is Necessary

When an individual with a mental illness seeks drug rehabilitation, dual diagnosis treatment is necessary because without mental health treatment, relapse is likely. While the patient can undergo a successful drug detox in Bethlehem, ignoring the mental illness isn't going to create a successful treatment. When the mental illness is the driving force for the addiction in the first place, patients who are not in a dual diagnosis treatment facility are set up to fail. Dual diagnosis facilities treat the whole patient and takes care of all of their needs at the same time.

The benefits of dual diagnosis treatment are clear. With addiction treatment that also handles mental health needs, patients have higher sobriety rates. Call now for help at (877) 804-1531.