Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Bryan, TX

When someone has an addiction to drugs or alcohol and also has a mental illness, it's called a dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders. Dual diagnosis treatment in Bryan is a collaborative, integrated treatment program that specializes in treating both the addiction and the mental illness at the same time. Our dual diagnosis treatment programs are essential for successful long-term recovery.

The Prevalence of Co-Occurring Disorders

One-third of people who have any mental illness and half of those with a serious mental illness are also addicted to drugs or alcohol, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Additionally, a third of people who abuse alcohol and half of those who abuse drugs also have a mental illness.

This high prevalence of dual diagnosis occurs for a 3 major reasons:

1. People who have a mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often use drugs or alcohol to medicate their symptoms.
2. Drugs and alcohol almost always make a mental illness worse, and they can also cause the onset of a mental illness that didn't previously exist.
3. Treating a mental illness but not a substance use disorder does very little to end the substance abuse, and treating just an addiction is of limited effectiveness for long-term recovery, since the mental illness may lead to continued substance abuse.

Our inpatient drug rehab in Bryan treats the mental illness and psychological disorder at the same time to ensure a proper recovery.

Common Mental Illnesses that Occur with Addiction

While any mental illness can co-occur with addiction, the most common are anxiety and depression, largely because it's very common for people to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs to ward of feelings of hopelessness and anxiety.

People with anxiety are twice as likely as people without anxiety to develop an addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and an article published in the journal Science and Practice Perspectives points out that around 67 percent of people who are treated for addiction have a history of depression.

Other common co-occurring mental illnesses include:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, which is characterized by compulsive behaviors. People with OCD may use drugs or alcohol to ease the compulsions and quiet the mind.

• Bipolar disorder. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism points out that around 61 percent of people who have bipolar disorder also suffer from addiction, and they're twice as likely as people with major depression to develop an alcohol addiction.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, which is the result of being the victim of or witness to a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, and flashbacks, and drugs or alcohol may reduce the severity of these symptoms initially before making them worse.

• Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. People may use drugs or alcohol to suppress the appetite, stimulate physical activity, or mask feelings of self-hatred.

Dual diagnosis treatment in Bryan helps people reclaim their life and their mental health.

How Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Bryan Works

Treating a dual diagnosis requires effective collaboration across treatment teams for each disorder. The mental illness is treated in the context of the addiction, and vice-versa.

High quality dual diagnosis treatment programs take a holistic approach to treatment to help meet all of your needs and address your complex issues that underlie the addiction and the mental illness. Treatment includes both traditional and complementary therapies that help you:

• Understand your addiction and the mental illness.
• Develop healthier ways of thinking and behaving.
• Assemble a toolkit of skills and strategies to reduce cravings, stress, and other important relapse triggers through our programs for relapse prevention in Bryan.
• Find purpose and meaning in life.
• Treat symptoms of the mental illness with medication and therapy.
• Learn to relax and have fun without drugs or alcohol.

Common traditional therapies include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy to help you address unhealthy thought and behavior patterns and address issues like a history of trauma or chronic stress.
• Family therapy to help restore function to the family system and repair relationships.
• Pharmacotherapy, or the use of medication, to treat symptoms of the mental illness.
• Psychoeducational classes to help you understand the mechanics of addiction and mental illness.
• Motivational interviewing, which helps you find the internal motivation you need to quit using.

Complementary therapies used in a drug and alcohol rehab include:

• Art and music therapy, which helps you make sense of difficult emotions and experiences.
• Nature therapy, which improves your self-confidence, social skills, and helps to resolve trust issues.
• Yoga and meditation, which reduce stress, improve self-awareness, and increase your sense of well-being.
• Biofeedback, which helps you reduce stress on the spot with visualization or deep breathing exercises.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Works

Dual diagnosis treatment programs work for most people who enter treatment and stay highly engaged with their treatment plan. High quality dual diagnosis treatment in Bryan can help you restore your life across domains, improve your overall quality of life, and improve your sense of well-being for the long-term.

Call us at (877) 804-1531 to speak with an expert so that they can answer all of your questions about our services.