Best Treatment for Dual-Diagnosis.

The coexistence of two or more disorders is referred to as co-occurring disorders. It occurs, in other words, when one mental disorder causes another to develop. Despite the paucity of data on co-occurring illnesses’ treatment, it’s likely that alternatives will include medication and/or counseling. The phrase “co-occurring” denotes the presence of a different disorder in addition to the one being discussed. Currently, research is being done to determine the most effective therapies for co-occurring disorders. The treatment for addressing both mental health and addiction is known as the dual diagnosis. Here is our top pick for the best treatment for dual diagnosis. 

Identifying Patients with Dual Diagnosis

A co-occurring mental health condition affects about half of persons who are addicted at some point in their lives, and the opposite is also true. One disorder doesn’t necessarily cause the other, and it might be difficult to determine which disorder appeared first. Sometimes, substance use alone might cause mental health disorders in people with addictions. However, individuals with mental health issues might take drugs to self-medicate their symptoms in order to find relief, which could have an impact on the emergence of a substance use disorder.

Link Between Dual Diagnosis & Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Using medicine to reduce withdrawal symptoms is known as a medically assisted treatment or MAT. The aim of this treatment is to work hard to maintain the most cutting-edge practices and policies for medication-assisted treatment.

Although medication-assisted recovery is not intended to be a long-term fix, it does make getting past the first obstacle much simpler for you. To fully address your particular circumstances, your doctor will design a customized plan.

Defining MAT

To reduce withdrawal’s physical and psychological side effects while you’re detoxing. Some drugs help you stay calm while going through withdrawal, while others work to stop you from relapsing from an alcohol or opioid use disorder. During a medication-assisted addiction treatment program, rehabs use both medications(like Suboxone, Subutex, Buprenorphine, etc) along with therapies(CBT, DBT, etc) to assist recovery. 

Medication-Assisted Treatment For Co-occurring Disorders

Long-standing research has demonstrated that psychological counseling such as cognitive behavioral therapy, individual therapy, and group therapy is most beneficial when used in conjunction with medication-assisted treatment. While therapies (CBT, DBT) during MAT teach patients the skills they need to maintain sobriety, medication-assisted treatment enables patients to stop using drugs without undergoing withdrawal. Medication-assisted treatment can still be successful while providing an opportunity for extra care for people with co-occurring disorders. To treat the additional mental health issues, they might require further, intense therapies. They may require additional medications to treat their other conditions once they have become established with medication-assisted treatment. 

The primary objective of the MAT program is to help the patient become sober, but every part of their treatment should be organized with their co-occurring disorder in mind. Before beginning MAT, every patient should have other diseases checked for. They should be provided with additional resources and therapy based on the severity of the co-occurring disorder. These sources could consist of: 

• Inpatient treatment
• Outpatient treatment
• Community support
• Support groups
• Psychotherapy, including individual, family, or group therapy
• Management by a primary care physician
• Medication management by a psychiatrist

Benefits of MAT for People with Co-Occurring Disorders

Patients with or without co-occurring disorders may have the highest chance of achieving sobriety and enhancing their health with MAT. To assist the greatest number of patients and combat the escalating opioid epidemic, addiction treatment professionals should work to provide comprehensive care. Patients are likely to experience the advantages of MAT even when they have co-occurring disorders, including:

• A decreased risk of confinement
• A decreased risk of homelessness
• A decreased risk of unemployment
• A decreased risk of overdose and death
• A decreased risk for conditions such as hepatitis and HIV
• Improved chances for long-term abstinence

Why Do I Need to Treat Both Addiction and Mental Health?

You might be curious about which disorder has to be treated initially; addiction or mental illness. People who struggle with substance use disorders frequently think that if they manage one problem, the other problem will go away. For instance, a person might believe that their sadness will simply go away if they quit drinking. They might also think that by healing their underlying trauma, they may continue to engage in recreational drug usage.

The co-occurrence of substance abuse and mental health problems makes it impossible to determine which problem started first or how it affects the other. A person can’t just address one aspect of their addiction and hope to fully recover. Gaining sobriety without addressing mental health risks could result in the emergence of behavioral addictions like excessive gambling or shopping. Depression and anxiety are the two co-occurring disorders that are most frequent. Other illnesses could be:

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Sleep disorders
• Impulsive disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Personality disorders