Individuals that enter detox with addiction issues to drugs and alcohol often also suffer from a mental health condition. This is referred to as a co-occurring disorder or a dual diagnosis. Co-occurring disorders (or dual diagnosis) refers to having a co-existing mental health conditions or mental illness and a substance use disorder.
It is vital that anyone seeking help for an addiction, like entering a detox for drugs and alcohol, also finds a facility that is equipped to handle any mental health issues that they may have, or that may arise during detox. For years, it was thought that treatment facilities may be able to treat either an addiction or mental health issue separately, with the idea that one could be treated initially followed by treatment for the other condition, rather than treating both issues concurrently. However, it is now considered best-in-class care to be able to treat both conditions simultaneously, since both addiction and mental health conditions occur together frequently. Additionally, mental health issues can arise during acute phases of addiction treatment, such as during detox, and any treatment center or detox facility must be able to offer necessary care in order to ensure that patients are receiving the best support possible in such circumstances and conditions.
So, what co-occurring mental health conditions often accompany a substance use disorder? Here are the top 6 co-occurring mental health conditions that are seen with addiction for patients that enter detox for drugs and alcohol:
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are mental health disorders characterized by regular feelings of concern, worry, fear, or general anxiety that interfere in someone’s daily life or activities. This can mean that someone’s anxiety interferes and creates issues, problems, or consequences with things like their family and social relationships, employment or job, or social interactions. Much of the time, the anxiety can focus on things like romantic, social, or family relationships, money or finances, or health. There are several types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder (that can include having panic attacks), social anxiety disorder, and many other phobia-related disorders.
Depression
Depression is a very common and serious mental health condition that can accompany drug and alcohol addiction. Depression (often called major depressive disorder) is a mental health condition that negatively affects how someone feels, thinks, and acts. Depression can interfere in someone’s regular relationships, activities, or work. It can also cause disruption in someone’s daily life or their overall functioning. Depression is not sadness or grief, but rather a serious health issue that can cause distress, inability to manage daily life, and may even lead to suicidal thoughts or suicide.
Bipolar Disorder
Formerly referred to as manic depression, bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes changes in a person’s mood and energy, often extreme changes, that interferes with that person’s ability to function and manage their life. These unusual shifts in mood and energy typically and rapidly change from states of depression to states of mania. These intense emotional shifts are called mood episodes. There are three different categories of bipolar disorder, including bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are types of mental health disorders where a person has an extremely rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning, and behaving. A general and overall symptom of all personality disorders is a difficulty perceiving and relating to situations and people as someone would that doesn’t suffer from having a personality disorder. There are 10 types of personality disorders:
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Avoidant personality disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Dependent personality disorder
- Histrionic personality disorder
- Narcissistic personality disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
- Paranoid personality disorder
- Schizoid personality disorder
- Schizotypal personality disorder
Trauma and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
There is some thought that all addiction or substance use disorder stems from an underlying issue of trauma, that in turn causes disconnection. Trauma is an emotional response to either exposure to a single horrific event (Big “T” trauma) or a series of reoccurring events (Little “t” trauma) that causes emotional disturbance and has a lasting effect on the individual that interrupts daily functioning. Some examples of trauma can include situations in the military, violence, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, assault, or abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional), neglect, death of a family member or loved one, extreme poverty, racism, discrimination, and/or oppression, or a relationship with a loved one that suffers from addiction or mental illness. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of trauma, often associated with situations that arise from military service duty but that can occur from any terrifying event, that creates symptoms such as horrific flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, extreme anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the past event.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders, or disordered eating, are complex mental health issues. Recent numbers dictate that an estimated 28 million Americans have or have had an eating disorder during some point in time in their life. While there are numerous diagnoses that full under the category of eating disorders, as a whole, eating disorders are mental health issues that cause unhealthy eating habits or a relationship to food to develop. Furthermore, eating disorders carry serious health risks and can cause serious health consequences, making them among the most worrisome and deadly of mental health conditions. Some examples of eating disorders are:
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
- Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
- Purging disorder
- Night eating syndrome
- Pica
- Rumination disorder
It is also important to point out that a patient entering detox for drugs and alcohol or any other level of addiction treatment, may suffer not only from one of the co-occurring issues described above, but may suffer from multiple mental health issues alongside their addiction. Therefore, it is vital that any addiction treatment facility or rehab be equipped both medically and clinically to not only treat the drug or alcohol addiction a patient may have but be equipped to handle the mental health issues and symptoms that a patient may have had during their active addiction, or that may arise during the early stages of their treatment and recovery from addiction.
Here at Innovo Detox, not only support patients with around-the-clock 24/7 medical care and support, but also 7-day-per-week clinical therapy and counseling services to ensure they are receiving all necessary care for both addiction issues and mental health concerns. We also offer 24/7 recovery support, outreach and support for family members, and patient-centered aftercare planning services so that patients are set up for a long-term journey of recovery.
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorders, please give us a call. Innovo Detox offers the latest in evidence-based medical, psychiatric, and clinical care for those in need of detox and medical stabilization in Pennsylvania and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or a loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a detox, rehab, treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (717) 619-3260 or email our team at info@innovodetox.com. For more information on our company or services, please visit our website at www.innovodetox.com.