Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients

There are some behaviors, symptoms, and signs that are characteristic of the existence of a substance use disorder, a mental illness, or a combination of both. These can all point out to the fact that you may benefit from dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment.

Some of these include:

• Developing tolerance, which means that you need to take more of the substance than you used to before you can experience its pleasurable effects
• Experiencing intense cravings for a particular substance
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you reduce your drug use or stop it altogether
• Failure to meet your obligations at school, home, or work as a result of drug taking
• Finding that you are unable to control your use of a particular drug
• Spending a great deal of money, time, energy, and other scarce resources looking for, using, and recovering from using a drug
• Using more of a drug than you originally intended
• Using your preferred substances at the expense of regular activities, personal safety, and relationships

Evidence, however, shows that a qualified dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center can help you achieve stability as well as guide you towards health, recovery, and long term wellness.

In many cases, this type of treatment will involve the use of behavioral interventions. Some of the behavioral therapy options that may be applied in the course of your dual diagnosis treatment may include but are not limited to:

• Aftercare planning
• Case management
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Couples counseling
• Dialectic behavioral therapy
• Family therapy
• Individual psychotherapy
• Integrated group therapy
• Medication management
• Relapse prevention
• Skills training

The programs that offer dual diagnosis rehab will typically use behavioral therapy alongside other medications. The medical options offered will vary depending on you as an individual client as well as on the diagnosis that you receive.

Some of the drugs that are commonly used to manage a case of dual diagnosis include but are not limited to anticonvulsants and lithium (as mood stabilizers), anti-anxiety medications like BuSpar (Buspirone), anti-depressants, and SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

That said, dual diagnosis treatment will largely differ based on your preferences, needs, and requirements. Although this type of care can be provided on an outpatient or an outpatient basis, you might have to spend some time - at least initially - in an inpatient setting. This is because the combination of mental illness and a substance use disorder may require you to keep away from your normal daily environment so that you can focus on your long term health and recovery.

Once you have completed the stay at an inpatient center, the program might give you permission to continue seeking help on an outpatient basis. This will allow you to still work on overcoming your mental health disorders and addiction while also enjoying a higher level of freedom and flexibility than you enjoyed while you were enrolled in inpatient treatment.

Overall, the existence of dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment means that you can now get help for both your substance use disorder as well as any other co-occurring medical or mental health disorder that you may also be struggling with.