The Connection Between Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Substance abuse and mental health issues are closely related. One may cause the other or they may start at the same time. Drug and alcohol use affects the brain physically which can cause an effect on moods, emotions, and mental health. When both substance use disorders and mental health disorders are present together, they are referred to co-occurring disorders.
Often, people with mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, and depression, will use substance abuse as a way to self-medicate negative symptoms and emotions. While it may work temporarily, drugs and alcohol will just make the symptoms worse once their effect wears off. This will cause people to use substances again to treat worsening symptoms and with continued substance abuse may develop physical dependence and eventually a substance use disorder.
Also, drugs and alcohol can bring out mental health disorders in some people. When drugs or alcohol interact with the brain, they mess with neurotransmitters and with continued abuse, the brain becomes dependent on these substances to regulate brain chemicals, causing physical dependency. When the person attempts to stop using, they develop withdrawal symptoms and cravings which can make quitting use on your own very difficult. So now that the brain can no longer regulate these chemicals that are critical for mental health on their own, they develop mental health disorders such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, and depressive disorders.
Finding a Treatment Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
When finding mental health and substance abuse treatment, a recovery center may offer the best treatment program to address several factors of your drug or alcohol addiction. When searching for the best treatment centers for your mental health and substance abuse issues, it is important to find one that provides dual diagnosis treatment. Treatment programs with dual diagnosis treatment will address both substance use disorders and mental health disorders simultaneously to give you the best chance at recovery. Treating co-occurring disorders at the same time while in addiction recovery is critical for breaking the cycle of addiction and achieving long term substance abuse and mental health recovery.
Treatment Options for Mental Health and Addiction
The best recovery programs will provide individualized treatment and consist of multiple levels of care. There are several options available when it comes to addiction treatment and mental health treatment which vary in intensity. Depending on how severe your addiction and mental illness are will determine what levels of care you will need. Levels of care include:
- Medical detox
- Inpatient treatment
- Outpatient treatment
- Intensive outpatient treatment IOP
- Partial hospitalization program
- Aftercare programs
- Alumni programs
All levels of care will include similar substance abuse treatment options which can consist of behavioral therapy, medication assisted treatment, support groups, 12 step programming, family therapy, experiential therapy, art and music therapy, relapse prevention planning and life skills training. Again, the most important aspect of addiction recovery when co occurring disorders are present is dual diagnosis treatment.
Treating the Root of Your Addiction at TruPath Recovery
At TruPath Recovery, our dual diagnosis treatments aim to get to the root of your addiction disorder. It is vital to treat the root cause for long term addiction recovery. We use several types of substance abuse therapy with individualized treatment plans that will aim to find and treat underlying causes such as anxiety disorders or depression. We are a network of rehab facilities across the US which have several addiction treatment programs to fit your needs and get you the best substance abuse and mental health treatment available.
If you would like to learn more about our recovery programs or to find a TruPath Recovery Rehab near you, please contact us today.