Dual Diagnosis Treatment in The Woodlands, TX

The dual diagnosis concept has been part of the mainstream in addiction treatment since the 90s. In this condition, the patient suffers from two mental health conditions at the same time: an addiction and a psychiatric disorder. Often, the psychiatric disorder is the condition to first appear; it may lead to an addiction. The dual diagnosis condition affects one in two addicts, or, to put it another way, it affects 8 million adults in any given year. This makes it an exceedingly common condition among addicts. If you are addicted, it makes sense to consider the possibility that you suffer from an untreated psychiatric disorder as well. If you would like to find out more information about our programs for dual diagnosis treatment in The Woodlands, call us at (877) 804-1531.

Signs of a Dual Diagnosis Condition

It always makes sense to accept your addiction treatment at a center that possesses dual diagnosis expertise. Nevertheless, you may be interested in knowing if you actually do need such treatment before you choose. In general, it can be difficult to tell, both for patients and for professional psychiatrists, the reason being that addictions and psychiatric disorders both come with considerable symptom overlap.

A person who hears voices would ordinarily be immediately diagnosed schizophrenic. Addictions to both alcohol and methamphetamine are associated with auditory hallucinations, however. It's the same with anxiety or depression. These mental health conditions are often associated with addictions. In dual diagnosis conditions, then, the source can be hard to identify with any given symptom.

In general, if you remember having dealt with hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, mood swings, anxiety or obsessive thoughts before you ever became addicted to drugs, it is likely that you suffer from a dual diagnosis condition. It can help to consult with an expert to determine if you need treatment specific to this condition.

How Is Dual Diagnosis Treated?

In some ways, dual diagnosis conditions receive the same addiction treatment as other addictions. The addict is evaluated, taken in for detoxification, and at the conclusion of the process, offered relapse prevention in The Woodlands. Dual diagnosis treatment programs, however, come with some important added features.

Since it can be challenging for psychiatrists to accurately read the symptoms present in dual diagnosis conditions, psychiatric treatment is essentially put off until the immediate effects of addiction fade away after detoxification. The treatment course for both the psychiatric disorder and the addiction disorder are mapped out in some form right at the beginning by a team consisting of both psychiatrists and addiction specialists. One of the top benefits of an integrated approach such as this is that psychiatrists and addiction specialists are always part of a unified team that is accountable. Accountability becomes far more possible in integrated approach. In the event of failure of treatment, neither the psychiatrist nor the addiction specialist is able to assign blame to the other.

Our experts in dual diagnosis treatment in The Woodlands recommend that dual diagnosis conditions be treated in an inpatient rehab setting. The inpatient treatment approach is particularly well-suited to dual diagnosis treatment programs in The Woodlands for a number of reasons.

Since dual diagnosis patients can be particularly psychologically vulnerable, inpatient detox is particularly useful as a way to offer the addict the kind of support and intensive therapy needed at every step of the process. Immersion in the right environment can be invaluable.

Treatment After Detoxification

Successful completion of detoxification is only one important step towards sobriety. In dual diagnosis rehab, detoxification is followed by intensive psychiatric treatment. The relapse prevention therapy that is offered in every addiction treatment program is a part of dual diagnosis treatments as well. These treatments may last months. Here, as well, the supportive environment of inpatient therapy can be particularly valuable in ensuring engagement with treatment.

Finding a good rehab center is never easy, especially when you need a facility that possesses expertise in dual diagnosis treatment, which is not particularly common. If you would like to speak to experts on the subject, you should call us at our center for dual diagnosis treatment in the Woodlands. We've helped hundreds of patients over the years, and would be glad to help you. Call us now at (877) 804-1531.