Life is rarely simple. Along with drug and alcohol addiction, you might have any number of additional issues on your plate. There are often environmental factors, like family or other relationships, losing someone you love, abuse, or other types of pain that led you to begin using substances. As if that wasn’t enough, you may also have a mental health diagnosis, either prior to treatment or afterward. This is known as a co-occurring diagnosis.
The Mental Health Connection
When someone struggles with a drug or alcohol addiction and simultaneously has a mental health diagnosis, it is called a co-occurring diagnosis. Previously, it was referred to as a dual diagnosis. Knowing as we now do that addiction occurs in the brain, it should come as no surprise that mental health diagnoses can co-occur. There is a highly significant connection between the two types of diagnoses.
Which Came First?
Which comes first, a mental health diagnosis or a substance abuse diagnosis? There is no right answer to that question. It is very common for people with a mental health condition, whether or not it has been diagnosed, to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. With so much stigma surrounding mental health, very few people know or recognize the symptoms of serious mental health conditions, and self-medicate instead.
There are also instances where substance abuse, especially long-term substance abuse, can lead to developing a mental health condition. The problem with co-occurring disorders, regardless of which one came first, is that mental health conditions exacerbate substance abuse and treatment, and substance abuse also makes mental health symptoms much worse and more difficult to treat.
What are the Most Common Co-Occurring Mental Health Diagnoses?
There are no hard and fast rules about co-occurring disorders, and some people may even have more than one mental health disorder on top of their addiction. However, there are a few mental health diagnoses that are more commonly co-occurring:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Each of these diagnoses alone can interfere with your life and your ability to function. Add in substance abuse, and possibly multiple diagnoses, and you have a volatile set of conditions that can be very painful and disruptive in your life. Sometimes, those with co-occurring disorders will end up getting treatment because the symptoms of both together are just too overwhelming to deal with on their own.
Can Co-Occurring Diagnoses Be Treated Together?
The good news is that co-occurring diagnoses can be treated together. In fact, it’s critical that you treat them simultaneously. If you only treat your substance abuse, the symptoms of your mental health diagnosis can derail your recovery. If you only treat the mental health disorder, the substance abuse will worsen your mental health symptoms.
Particularly since substance abuse is often a form of self-medication for a mental health issue, it is important to get to the root of the problem and stabilize your mental health in order for your substance abuse treatment to be successful. Treating the addiction alone may only set you up for relapse.
Can I Become Addicted If I Medicate for Mental Health?
One of the big concerns people have with co-occurring diagnoses is whether they might become addicted if you are taking medication prescribed to treat the mental illness? While there are a few medications for mental health that can be addictive, most are conclusively non-addictive. The majority of medications for psychiatric treatment serve to balance a chemical imbalance in the brain and do not have any addictive qualities. The doctor who prescribes your medication will be aware of the co-occurring substance abuse diagnosis and will be less likely to give you any medications that may be addictive. Much like taking vitamins or supplements, medications for mental health simply create a balance in your body.
Can I Live Normally with a Co-Occurring Diagnosis?
Having both substance abuse and mental health diagnoses certainly makes your life more challenging. Treatment is more difficult, and you have to learn to be very aware of what is going on in your mind and your body. Learning to differentiate between symptoms and then correct them without overcorrecting is a challenge, but it is not impossible. With knowledge, support, and good doctors and therapists, you can create a life for yourself that is much improved after treating your co-occurring disorder. Think of it as a double recovery — more challenging, but doubly rewarding.
A co-occurring diagnosis refers to the presence of a mental health diagnosis in addition to a substance abuse diagnosis. Whether the mental illness came first or not, treating both simultaneously is important. Treatment can be more difficult when both diagnoses are present, but improvement is not impossible. At Promising Outlook, we understand co-occurring diagnoses and help you to get the treatment you need for both a mental health diagnosis and a substance abuse diagnosis. Our Riverside, California outpatient facility offers therapy within both individual and group settings to help you recover from both diagnoses. Call us at (951) 783-2487 to find out more about how we treat co-occurring diagnoses. Our staff members offer the compassion that comes from being in recovery themselves, and we are here to offer you the same support we received during our treatment. Call us today to start healing. Whether you only have a substance abuse diagnosis or also have a co-occurring mental health diagnosis, we want to help you find healing.
