In the last two decades, the research on addiction has shown how and why addiction is a complex disease of the mind and emotions. People who are addicted have a substantial impact on the brain’s normal functioning, decreasing their acuity. Experts who treat addiction are always professionals who specialize in mental health because of the way addiction affects a person’s emotions, mentality, and behavior. Like other diseases, addiction has no cure, but it can be helped with psychotherapy, medicines, and emotional support. Like other chronic illnesses, someone who has an addiction can get better (clean and sober) or get worse (relapse). Addiction is now referred to as a substance use disorder (SUD). This identification allows for determining whether it is mild, moderate, or severe.
What Causes Addiction?
The reasons that one person will get addicted to drugs and another will not have to do with the influencers that predispose and cause addiction. Influencers include a family history of addiction, environmental exposure and access to drugs, history of trauma, abuse, or neglect, and whether the individual is diagnosed or undiagnosed with a mental or emotional health disorder. The most influential factors are a history of trauma, physical or sexual abuse, and neglect that includes poverty and physically and emotionally absent parents.
Among Americans aged 12 years and older, 31.9 million are current illegal drug users (used within the last 30 days). (NSDUH)
Correlation Between Addiction and Mental Health
The prevalence of mental health diseases and addiction is very high. Addicts who are diagnosed with a mental health disorder are referred to as a dual diagnosis or comorbidity. The most common mental health issues that occur alongside drug use and addiction include the following:
- Major Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Eating Disorders
What Does the Research Tell Us About Addiction and Mental Health?
The National Institute of Drug Abuse states that addiction and a mental health disorder are common and that one does not necessarily happen before the other. However, either drug addiction or a mental health diagnosis can make the other problem worse.
Many individuals who develop substance use disorders (SUD) are also diagnosed with mental disorders and vice versa. Multiple national population surveys have found that about half of those who experience a mental illness during their lives will also experience a substance use disorder and vice versa. (NIDA)
What Programs Help Someone Who Has Both Issues Happening at Once?
Anyone diagnosed with a mental health disorder and is addicted to drugs or alcohol must be provided a personalized treatment program that is evidence-based and admitted into a program known as a dual-diagnosis treatment. Evoke Wellness in Massachusetts offers cutting-edge dual diagnosis treatment programs. Patients regularly meet with a psychiatrist and behavioral therapist in our program and attend their substance-specific treatment program. Without in-depth counseling and targeted group therapy, people who struggle with mental health issues and addiction cannot fully recover. Dual Diagnosis Treatment provides regular psychiatric assessments, individual counseling, pharmacotherapies (meds), and in-depth psychotherapy.
How Do I Get Admitted into Evoke Wellness Dual Diagnosis Program Today?
To be admitted at once, we ask that you first speak with an intake specialist. Our representatives are professionals who will determine which dual diagnosis program is the best for you or your loved one. We have programs for men, women, and young adults in the dual diagnosis treatment center. Let our behavioral specialists and expert clinical staff help you learn how to live drug and alcohol-free and feel emotionally secure about it. As a result, we have helped thousands of dual diagnosis patients get clean and stay clean.
Call Now For Same Day Admission to The Dual Diagnosis Program in Massachusetts
Do not wait for life to help you magically overcome your addiction or learn how to cope with your mental health symptoms all by yourself. We provide effective medications, around-the-clock emotional support, and personalized therapy. We have the answer to help you become stable and how to feel good again. Call Evoke Wellness at Cohasset for priority placement and chat or email for more information.
