Many qualities make a dual diagnosis treatment center a great place to seek treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorder. Dual diagnosis treatment centers focus on treating mental health conditions as well as substance use disorder. These often occur simultaneously, so treating just the substance use disorder or mental health condition is not likely enough for the patient to move forward successfully. Instead, these facilities focus on treating both conditions so their clients have the best chances of success. 

What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis treatment is designed to treat co-occurring disorders. Co-occurring disorders may require treatment such as:

• Bipolar disorder treatment program
• Anxiety treatment program
• Depression treatment program
• Borderline personality disorder

As well as:

• A substance use disorder, such as addiction to illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or alcohol

In dual diagnosis treatment programs, the goal is to treat both the mental health condition as well as the substance use disorder at the same time. Doing this helps resolve underlying issues that may be triggering relapses in clients who developed a substance use disorder as a result of their mental health. For those who developed mental health issues after abusing substances, getting off those substances may help reduce the symptoms so that they are more manageable in the future.

What Should You Look for in a Quality Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center?

A quality dual diagnosis treatment program should offer a number of treatments such as:

• 12-Step program support 
• Experiential therapy treatment programs, such as animal-assisted therapy, equine therapy, and art therapy
• Holistic treatment options
• Relapse prevention therapy

The facility that you choose should offer these and other evidence-based treatment options to help you or your loved one recover from a dual diagnosis. 

How Does Dual Diagnosis Treatment Work?

Dual diagnosis treatment uses the above mental health therapies to both treat the client’s underlying mental health disorder as well as to tackle the substance use disorder. During a stay at a treatment facility, for example, a client may speak with a psychiatrist each day to learn more about how their mental health is affecting their relationship with alcohol or drugs. 

Depending on the client, some may benefit from medications to treat the underlying mental health condition, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression or anxiety. Other medications, such as Naloxone, Naltrexone, or buprenorphine, may be used to help prevent relapses related to the client’s substance use disorder. 

Medications aren’t always necessary. Sometimes, other treatments are used on their own or in combination with medications to help the client achieve better results. Some non-medicated treatment options may include:

• Talk therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Individual or group therapy

Most of the time, these therapies are combined with medications when patients have underlying mental health disorders. By medicating and correcting the brain’s neurochemistry, many patients get relief for the underlying condition and are less likely to relapse into taking drugs or using alcohol as a coping mechanism. 

Not all mental health conditions precede substance abuse. Sometimes, substance abuse is the trigger that brings those conditions on. If that’s the case, the staff will work with the client to correct the substance use disorder while also focusing on correcting the brain’s chemistry to relieve the symptoms of the new mental health disorder. 

Contact Sunrise Vista to Get Support for a Dual Diagnosis in Canton, Ohio

Whether you or a loved one is looking into dual diagnosis treatment for psychiatric treatment and rehab, we want you to know that you’re not alone and that help is available. Contact us at 844-942-3007 to learn more about our behavioral health hospital and how we can help you today.