Many people who suffer from a mental illness also suffer from addiction. This state is known as a co-occurring disorder. While this may sound like an undesirable position, it actually presents great benefits to those individuals who seek treatment. When both disorders are treated together by a professional, the recovery progress is generally faster than when each disorder is treated separately. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 45% of people with an addiction suffer from a mental health disorder at some point in their life, making these two issues very similar in nature and therefore able to be addressed during the treatment of both conditions by one another. [1]
The dual diagnosis concept began in the 1970s when many individuals were being discharged from psychiatric institutions upon receiving treatment. Unfortunately, few programs were set up to deal with their future needs, and they often found themselves back out on the streets with little more than a minimal support system. They fell into hopelessness and became addicted to hard drugs because they had no source of income or steady housing. The combination of mental illness and substance abuse created a class of people whose condition was compounded by poverty and alienation. [2]
While their estimated numbers and the challenges they posed seem to be insurmountable, there was no proper treatment offered for people with co-occurring disorders. They didn't have the resources they needed because they were denied access to both psychiatric and substance use treatment facilities. Recognizing this, in the mid-1980 integrated services for co-occurring populations started in the U.S. [3]
Why are mental health dual diagnosis treatment centers essential to how society functions today? Put simply, many addiction cases resulted from cases of dual diagnosis. In the past, substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders were treated separately since substance use disorders were mainly addressed first by patients when they sought treatment at the early stages of their recovery processes. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly common practice to address addiction cases involving co-occurring disorders as a whole such as is done in the best mental rehabilitation centre in India instead of focusing on one disorder before tackling the other because of all the new therapeutic techniques that have been proven effective in treating co-occurring mental health issues along with drug or alcohol abuse.
These days, a client with a dual diagnosis is typically provided with a customized, comprehensive, and integrated treatment plan that addresses both the mental health issues such as depression and obvious linkages between them and any other ongoing issues stemming from their addiction. This is followed in the best depression rehabilitation centre in India which helps drive home the point that when someone is struggling emotionally in depression, they're also more prone to drug or alcohol abuse as a means of self-medicating. The ultimate goal in the best rehab centres in India is to help support people in moving towards recovery while also supporting their emotional wellbeing so they don't fall back into using drugs or alcohol again.
If you’re searching for the best outpatient or inpatient dual diagnosis treatment center in India, contact hello@rehabsindia.in.
What Exactly is a Mental Health Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center?
Most of the time, dual diagnosis care focuses on people who have a mood disorder along with an addiction to something. These two things are really challenging to deal with at the same time because they are so emotionally charged and difficult to work through. Some of these types of mental rehabilitation centres in India may be part of a larger hospital or mental health facility that is giving you care and support in all areas of your overall healing process, including help for those suffering from depression and other mood disorders.
There are many situations that the top rehabilitation centres in India deal with. A person may have a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder. This is called dual diagnosis. If this is the case for you, you might be interested in a program that offers treatment for both addictions and mental illness.
Combining alcohol or drugs with certain medications that affect the central nervous system may cause some serious problems. Substance use disorders also co-occur at high prevalence with mental disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), psychotic illness, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Patients with schizophrenia have higher rates of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use disorders than the general population. [4]
Common mental health disorders linked to substance use disorders include the following:
Bipolar disorder
Approximately half of the people with bipolar disorder will also struggle with substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol are often used as an escape from the symptoms of mania or depression, and this is much more common within those with bipolar than without.
Eating disorders
People with eating disorders usually suffer from some inferiority complex which they try to cover up by using drugs or alcohol. Eating disorders can be fatal if not dealt with properly.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Studies show addiction and BPD appear to be intertwined. Approximately two-thirds of people with BPD also have abused substances at some point in their lives.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Some people with OCD have problems that cause unwanted obsessions and make them feel compelled to do strange things. For example, some people with OCD might constantly wash their hands because of spillages or use the same door over and over again in a specific sequence. Because people with OCD may end up spending too much time focusing on trying to solve issues, they can sometimes become so overwhelmed that it results in anxiety and depression, leading to an addiction.
Depression
Many depressive patients self-medicate with illegal drugs or excessive alcohol consumption which frequently leads to addiction.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
While it's hard to say how many people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with substance abuse and addiction, it is possible to speculate that some people who are prescribed stimulants for their ADHD symptoms may decide to misuse them.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
People with a general anxiety disorder may be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol because using them helps to manage their symptoms. People with GAD may also abuse prescription benzodiazepines, which are highly addictive drugs for treating anxiety.
Schizophrenia
Diagnosing schizophrenia alongside a substance use disorder can be difficult because a person suffering from both conditions often exhibits shared symptoms. This is a frequently severe mental health disorder that seeks to distort reality and results in hallucinations as well as delusions. These symptoms are sometimes so strong that they can make it hard for patients to distinguish what is real and what is imagined.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Endorphins are a hormone that our brains produce. They make us happy. People with PTSD can sometimes not feel enough of their body’s natural endorphins, and they might turn toward alcohol or drugs to make themselves feel happier.
The high prevalence of dual diagnoses, especially psychotic disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in a predominantly cannabis-consuming population living in a distinct sociocultural setting in India, emphasizes the importance of considering the sociocultural context in substance use as well as understanding comorbidities. [5]
How is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
Especially for those who experience more than one mental health problem, addiction and other mental disorders can often overlap in a cyclical way that makes it difficult to tell which disorder came first. In fact, according to clinicians, oftentimes the disorders reinforce each other – so there’s a stronger chance that treatment will be unsuccessful if they both aren’t treated simultaneously at the same time rather than separately.
If you are an addict thinking about getting help but aren't sure if an inpatient program is right for you, let the staff that helps get you admitted into the best rehabilitation centre in India know before they confirm a reservation. The best way to go about this is to explain your personal situation and give them the options in which that might work best for you.
It’s also important to be sure that your rehabilitation centre in India can treat your addiction in addition to any other mental health issues that may accompany it. For example, a de-addiction centre in India may be able to help get you clean, but if you suffer from GAD and the chronic anxiety that goes along with that too, then you're going to need a place that can help deal with both problems.
Dual diagnosis treatment centers often use various treatment modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or 12-Step programs to help their clients with recovery. Group work is also a common occurrence and proves helpful with providing advice, feedback, and support when it comes down to helping clients in recovery. It may be beneficial for them to take part in family therapy at some point during their time at the de-addiction rehab centre in India for the sake of getting the best care possible as they return home from rehab.
Any Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers in India?
Many individuals suffering from dual diagnosis require the constant and attentive care that only the best rehab centres in India can offer. Dual diagnosis rehab programs place people in a highly supervised environment where round-the-clock on-site medical monitoring assures safety, security, and attention to the client’s needs. These best rehabs in India provide food and lodging as well as access to MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment).
Clients who are trying to get into these programs are typically depressed and in poor health. Usually, outpatient professional treatment doesn’t work for them because they’re too busy to focus on anything other than getting better, so they often need therapy while living at the depression rehabilitation centre in India in order to get well. Most people try outpatient therapy first not only because it’s easier but also because they still have responsibilities like family, school, or work (even if they can be flexible about some things).
Dual diagnosis treatment programs in India are a great way to rehabilitate those who are suffering from both mental and substance abuse problems. Seek a top rehabilitation centre in India that would supply patients with counseling for both mental illness and addiction. Before choosing the best rehab centres in India, be sure that the treatment program includes medical detox services because you will have to go through a physical withdrawal phase from addictive substances during your rehabilitation journey. You’ll also want to make sure that the rehabilitation centre in India you choose offers food, lodging, 24-hour care and treatment, and mental health services all in one location so that you can be properly well taken care of while going through this process. This will help ensure your quick recovery and make it easier for you to start up a healthy life after leaving the center!
If you’re searching for the best outpatient or inpatient dual diagnosis treatment center in India, visit the top 10 rehabilitation centers in India featured on rehabsindia.in.
RESOURCES-
- 1. https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/dual-diagnosis/
- 2. Profile of Patients with Dual Diagnosis: Experience from an Integrated Dual Diagnosis Clinic in North India Basu D* and Ghosh A Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Drug De-addiction and Treatment Centre, Chandigarh 160012, India. DOI: 10.4172/2329-6488.1000207
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.957.1229&rep=rep1&type=pdf
- 3. Drake RE, Wallach MA (2000) Dual diagnosis: 15 years of progress. Psychiatr Serv 51: 1126-1129. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.51.9.1126
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10970914/
- 4. Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes on Drug Abuse (US); 2020 Apr.
Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571451/
- 5. Gania AM, Margoob MA, Shah HU, Khan A W, Ghosh A, Basu D. Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with substance use disorder: A hospital-based study. Indian J Soc Psychiatry [serial online] 2017 [cited 2022 Mar 18];33:63-6. Available from: https://www.indjsp.org/text.asp?2017/33/1/63/200093
https://www.indjsp.org/article.asp?issn=0971-9962;year=2017;volume=33;issue=1;spage=63;epage=66;aulast=Gania