Drug and alcohol abuse is often approached with a dual-diagnosis strategy to address both addiction and mental health disorders. This method is highly successful for long-term treatment, because drug use and mental health problems are closely intertwined. Here is a closer look at this complex relationship that may be affecting you or a loved one.
Two-way causation
Personality changes and problems in an individual’s personal life may be the result of drug abuse or a mental disorder, so a dual-diagnosis is the best approach to flesh out the roots of the problem. Drug abuse can make a person more at-risk for a mental disorder. Alternatively, disorders such as depression can lead to increased substance abuse with drugs ranging from alcohol to heroin.
Worsening mental health conditions
Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, or ADHD may begin to experience worsening symptoms of these conditions as a direct result of substance abuse. New symptoms can also arise due to interactions between recreational drugs and prescribed medications for specific conditions.
Drug abuse and mental health statistics
Research has indicated that substance abuse and mental health disorders tend to complicate one another, as people with bipolar disorder are 40% more likely to have a substance abuse problem. In addition, up to 75% of patients being treated for substance abuse have some type of mental health disorder. When only one of these two problems is treated, the outcome may be relapse or declining mental health. It is also important to recognize that substance abuse is an illness, so it should be treated medically in conjunction with existing mental health disorders.
For more information about the benefits of dual-diagnosis, contact Aurora Las Encinas Hospitalin Los Angeles at (888) 348-2165. We can provide you or your loved ones with compassionate care for addiction recovery and behavioral health with effective outpatient programs and detox delivered through a proven team approach.
