Many substance abusers have underlying mental health issues that serve to fuel their addictions until they are addressed. Fortunately, Unity Behavioral Health has the highly-trained psychiatric staff to identify and address these mental health issues so that our patients can have the best possible chance at a successful recovery over the long term. The majority of people with substance use disorders continue abusing drugs and alcohol due to symptoms of diagnosed and undiagnosed mental illness. Many are struggling with unexplained and otherwise untreated feelings of depression and anxiety, in addition to a host of other potential mental health disorders.
Mental illness can lead individuals to abuse more drugs in a vain search for relief. The result is a vicious cycle that almost always deteriorates into an addiction.
In an effort to feel “normal” and gain some control over these symptoms, many turn to drugs and alcohol because it’s the most readily available solution. One of the many problems with this approach is that drugs and alcohol do not improve symptoms of mental illness – they merely mask and often exacerbate them. This leads individuals to abuse more drugs in a vain search for relief. This common pattern of substance abuse necessitates the need for psychiatric care during addiction rehab.
Uncovering the link between your psychiatric illness and your substance abuse will help you gain control of both conditions. Unity Behavioral Health employs a team of cross-trained addiction care professionals who will help you break the cycle of addiction and mental illness.
HELPLINE: 561-708-5295If someone you care for is struggling with addiction, there’s a chance that he or she also has a mental illness. Estimates indicate that more than half of Americans who have a mental illness also have a substance use disorder, and over half of people with substance use disorders also have another mental illness.
Nearly 9 million Americans who abuse drugs also have a co-occurring mental health issue.
For those living with such a dual diagnosis, it is hard to maintain employment, develop and maintain relationships, build financial stability and handle familial responsibilities, among many other obligations associated with leading a healthy life.
Common mood disorders that cause severe symptoms, affecting how you feel, think, behave and handle everyday activities.
A brain disorder that causes sudden and unusual changes in mood, energy, activity levels and your ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
A group of mental disorders that are marked by uncontrollable feelings of stress and fear.
A brain disorder characterized by an unending pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity that interferes with everyday functioning and development.
A disorder that develops in individuals following exposure to a shocking, scary or dangerous event.
A range of psychological disorders that are marked by abnormal, unhealthy eating habits.
When assessing an individual with both mental illness and a substance abuse problem determining what led to what or where one condition begins and the other ends is a near impossibility due to the number of factors involved. Additionally, symptoms of each disorder closely resemble each other, making it difficult for even professionals to determine which one caused the other.
If a person drinks to drown out his depression, how could any addiction rehab that doesn’t include treatment for his depression be successful? If a person shoots up heroin to cope with trauma, any addiction treatment that does not address and resolve that trauma is bound to fail. Simply put, anyone with a dual diagnosis needs concurrent treatment for both disorders to have success in rehab and recovery. With addiction and mental illness co-occurring so often, it’s imperative that any substance abuse treatment include psychiatric care.
Unity Behavioral Health offers psychiatric services from the first week of treatment through graduation. During this period, our clinical professionals will utilize a number of methods, including:
While any addictive disorder is difficult to treat, a dual diagnosis presents extra challenges. People with dual diagnoses have more severe and persistent symptoms, are less responsive to treatment and more prone to environmental risk factors than people with a single diagnosis. Medication options are also often limited because of the potential for abuse.
It’s important to remember that the goal of addiction rehab is to help patients become sober and then maintain that sobriety on their own in the real world. Remaining abstinent in a controlled rehab facility where access to drugs and alcohol is eliminated, distractions are reduced and stress is minimized is one thing; doing so in everyday life, where none of these protections are provided is another.
Psychiatric care offers addiction recovery patients an extra relapse prevention tool. It allows them to understand how their mental state has impacted their substance abuse, recognize their vulnerabilities and put themselves in a better position to combat this going forward. Therapy increases self-awareness and will also serve to teach patients how to better handle symptoms of mental illness and general stress without substance abuse.
Our professionals at Unity Behavioral Health are committed to providing the best addiction rehab and psychiatric services in the industry. We are a leading, licensed Florida addiction care facility with a focus on helping patients defeat addiction now and over the long-haul. We invite you to learn more about our services and our other programs by contacting us today at 561-708-5295.
Speak to one of our experienced and caring representatives at Unity Behavioral Health to learn about how our rehab programs can help your loved one defeat addiction.
HELPLINE : 561-708-5295
