It is becoming much more commonplace for recovery centers to include permanent dual diagnosis protocols in their practice. The reason is that for most individuals, there are underlying mental health factors that play a role in substance abuse. Although this is not necessarily the case for everyone, a dual diagnosis center can also rule out additional underlying factors that play a role in one’s need to engage in substance abuse. Growing up in families that regularly engaged in substance use to cope with stress can also influence one’s likelihood of using these outlets for stress management.

Other issues that may encourage substance abuse include trauma, ineffective coping skills, or peer pressure. By recognizing the causations, individuals can learn to make healthier choices and establish ways to cope that do not involve substance abuse. Addressing the various factors that influence substance abuse can help counselors and staff create comprehensive treatment plans for individual patients.

Mental illness & Substance Abuse Correlation

Individuals are better equipped to navigate addiction management with a personalized treatment plan through dual diagnosis treatment centers, as these programs acknowledge all factors that influence substance abuse. You can’t solve a problem by addressing half of the issue. Creating a plan for managing stress and addictive tendencies gives those with such struggles more tools to recover.

The idea that those with comorbid conditions need a comprehensive toolkit to resist addictive urges brought on by stress is relatively new. Still, growing evidence supports the idea that mental illness and substance abuse influence one another. To effectively address substance abuse, we have to find ways to manage the other influential components of the problem. Read on to learn more about the necessity of dual diagnosis treatment protocols in recovery centers.

Addressing Stress With Dual Diagnosis Treatments

Regardless of the specific mental illnesses involved, we now know that distress influences one to engage in substance abuse. By pursuing dual diagnosis treatment, patients can learn to manage their stress without engaging in substance abuse. Some mental disorders create vulnerabilities that make one more susceptible to substance abuse. Impulsivity, recklessness, and identity disturbances (three hallmarks of personality disorders and mood disorders) can also influence one to engage in substance abuse.

Self-Medicating With Substances

To find relief from mental health symptoms, people may use substances recreationally at first as a way to self-medicate. By achieving relief, the user learns to rely on the substance more and more because they have no other way to manage their stress. From there, self-medicating can quickly turn into substance abuse issues and dependency, which result in addiction. It’s evident that the emotional factors influencing substance use act as the fuel to develop substance dependency, and why dual diagnosis treatment is so critical for recovery.

Get The Help You Need

The underlying factors of mental health stress and related factors must also be addressed to treat addiction. If you’re ready to pursue treatment, reach out to recovery centers utilizing dual diagnosis treatment. Don’t settle for the wrong facility, and don’t hesitate to get the help you need.