As many as half of those struggling with drug and alcohol addictions also have some form of mood disorder or mental illness. When this occurs, a dual diagnosis treatment center is often necessary.

Dual diagnosis refers to the combination of a serious addiction, like alcoholism or meth addiction, and a mood disorder, such as clinical depression or bipolar disorder. The two often go hand-in-hand and worsen each other. For example, if depression brings on heavy drinking, the guilt and shame of drinking heavily may spur more depression and bring on an endless downward spiral.

How a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center Can Be Helpful

Two men in therapy discussing treatment at a dual diagnosis treatment center.Realizing that you or a loved one has a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring disorder is not a bad thing. In fact, these diagnoses can often reveal what caused an addiction to form in the first place. This, in turn, can help individuals release some of the shame that may accompany their addiction.

Before the 1990s, having co-occurring disorders was unheard of. If someone had symptoms of both a mental health or mood disorder and an addiction, professionals would recognize mental health issues as symptoms of the addiction. As it turns out, addiction is generally more of a symptom of a mental health disorder. As such, if an individual only received addiction treatment, the mental health issues would lie dormant. Even if nominal progress is made with the addiction, the mental health issues will inevitably show up again.

Today, dual diagnoses solve this problem and help individuals recover fully from both diagnoses. They can help the individual and their counselors decide on and develop an individualized treatment plan. Of course, this must be done at a quality addiction treatment center like Steps to Recovery.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center at Steps to Recovery

Even though a dual diagnosis treatment center is now common to find, many rehab centers fail to see the importance of treating both issues. At Steps to Recovery, we offer numerous services that target co-occurring disorders such as:

Even if you have received treatment in the past that failed to help you recover, it’s not time to give up hope. At Steps to Recovery, we have helped hundreds of individuals create individualized treatment plans that help them fully recover, even if this is their second, third or tenth time in a recovery program.

To accomplish this, we offer a unique two-phase treatment. A partial hospitalization program and an intensive outpatient program makes up the first phase. During this time, drug and alcohol counseling in various forms, daily goal making, and a 12 step rehab program helps our clients get their bearings and create a solid foundation of treatment. Phase two expands on life skills, deals with triggers and cravings and helps clients create short-term sobriety goals. From there, individuals will create long-term goals, and sober living and aftercare become the focus.

Helping a Loved One With an Addiction

At Steps to Recovery, we believe that including family members are key to success for our clients. If you are a family member and are willing to participate, we have numerous services that can help you help your family member who is struggling with addiction.

In the same vein, these services will also help you as you cope with the situation. Family counseling services at Steps to Recovery include:

  • Regularly schedules family support group sessions
  • Family attended process groups
  • Regular updates for families and inclusive treatment planning
  • Family-oriented sessions with the client’s personal counselor
  • Aftercare program support and resources for families

Contact Steps to Recovery Today

At Steps to Recovery, we abide by three core principles that help us provide optimal treatment to our clients: authenticity, connection, and integrity. These are the principles that helped us found our treatment center, and they continue to help us to provide excellent service every day for our clients.

Are you ready to take charge of your addiction at Steps to Recovery? One of our confidential and knowledgeable service reps can speak with you as soon as today. And the sooner you act, the more quickly you can get started on your path toward recovery. Contact Steps to Recovery at 866-488-8684 to learn more and leave your life of addiction behind.