Co-Occurring Conditions
Co-occurring conditions, also known as dual diagnosis, are a combination of a mental health disorder with a substance use disorder (SUD).
As complex as co-occurring conditions can be, they’re both treatable. Using a mix of proven addiction medicine and cutting-edge techniques, Discovery Addiction Centers will help you address your problems and build a life you’ll be happy to call your own.
What are Co-Occurring Conditions?
When someone has a combination of a substance use disorder with a mental health disorder, they have what are known as co-occurring conditions. They’re surprisingly common; SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, reports that 21.5 million Americans have co-occurring disorders.
On their own, both SUDs and mental health disorders can be devastating. Poorly understood by many, these conditions can be incredibly disruptive and make normal functioning difficult. When combined, they’re devastating.
However, co-occurring disorders are also treatable. In earlier times, treating these conditions was difficult as they were thought to be separate problems and not the intertwined issues they are known as today. In modern times, we know how to treat both conditions simultaneously, helping people recognize their symptoms and giving back control over their lives.
What Disorder Comes First in Co-Occurring Conditions?
Co-occurring conditions are the farthest thing from a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Rather, mental health issues and substance abuse are closely intertwined, fueling each other.
A person struggling with an untreated condition like depression or anxiety may turn to drugs and alcohol for relief. On the other hand, a person who is struggling with addiction may experience trauma and develop a mental health disorder due to their experiences and the side effects of drug abuse.
What Are Some Examples of Co-Occurring Disorders?
There are many different drugs and many different mental disorders. Also, people tend to use drugs for very different reasons.
That said, some simple and common co-occurring disorders include:
Depression and alcohol abuse
Benzodiazepine abuse and anxiety
Schizophrenia and cannabis abuse
Opioids and post-traumatic stress disorder
What Causes Co-Occurring Conditions?
This is a question that isn’t easy to answer. Interestingly, both mental disorders and SUDs have some similar risk factors:
Genetics
Having a family member (or close relative) with a SUD or mental health disorder can be a risk factor. Also, genes can be a factor in developing mental health disorders as well.
Environmental factors
Undergoing trauma, particularly early in life, can be a huge risk factor for co-occurring disorders
Substance use can both increase the likelihood of you developing a mental health disorder…and make the symptoms of mental disorders worse. Meanwhile, mental health disorders often drive people to self-medicate for relief. Also, some mental health conditions can impair your judgement, making substance use (and abuse) more likely.
What Are the Symptoms of Co-Occurring Conditions?
Mental health disorders and SUDs have their own distinct symptoms, meaning that co-occurring condition symptoms depend on what combination of disorders is affecting someone.
That said, both disorders share certain symptoms.
They include:
A sudden change in behaviors, such as engaging in high-risk behaviors like driving under the influence or avoiding social situations
Withdrawal from others
Extreme mood swings
Difficulty with concentration
Feeling withdrawal symptoms when you're not using substances
Suicidal ideation
While only a professional can accurately diagnose you with co-occurring conditions, if you’re experiencing any of these, it’s a sign of a major problem.
How Are Co-Occurring Conditions Treated?
Some of the evidence-based methods we use to treat co-occurring conditions include:
Co-occurring conditions are treated using a variety of modalities that can include therapy and medications. At Discovery Addiction Centers, we carefully screen our patients to make sure we’re able to meet their needs carefully.
One of the ways we do this is by using a revolutionary way to measure our patients’ progress. We carefully examine and track nearly 30 wellness indicators, including mental and physical symptoms. This gives us the widest and most accurate picture possible, allowing us to carefully create an effective, individualized treatment plan.
Talk therapy
Also known as psychotherapy, this helps you develop crucial tools to manage your symptoms and keep relapses at bay.
Group therapy
Group therapy can sound hard, but it isn’t – it’s a chance to share experiences with others who are undergoing the same challenges, allowing for a chance to work together and collaborate on the journey toward recovery.
Experiential therapy
Art therapy and other activities allow you to express thoughts and feelings you might not be able to in other ways.
Managing a co-occurring disorder is a lifetime process. Discovery365™, our exclusive interactive recovery platform, acts as your companion for a year after you leave our care. Connecting you to resources and even alerting you to potential relapses, our program will make sure the work you did with us lasts.
Because nothing is as important as the rest of your life.
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