If you suffer from depression, there’s a good chance that you also have a drug or alcohol issue or substance use disorder. In fact, your odds of being in this situation are roughly 50/50. Combined signs of depression and addiction are examples of something called dual diagnosis. This term means that you have more than one addiction or mental health issue at the same time. Dual diagnosis treatment for depression and addiction provides crucial benefits for your recovery.
Searching for local options for effective dual diagnosis treatment? No matter where you live in the U.S., you can access a national database of qualified providers. In turn, you can find the most suitable options for treatment in your area.
What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
If you’re affected by a co-occurring disorder, you’ll likely experience some form of substance use disorder alongside the mental health concern you’re dealing with like:
- Alcohol abuse
- Illicit drug use
- Abuse or misuse of prescription medications
Any of these can trigger an addiction (a dependency upon a substance), causing you to need immediate treatment for both the mental health concern and dependency. When it comes to your health and well-being, this situation is bad enough. But in reality, dual diagnosis has an even greater impact. That’s true because the presence of addiction can make your depression symptoms worse. At the same time, the effects of depression can make your addiction worse.
Dual diagnosis treatment is based on an understanding of your predicament. It combines help for your depression symptoms with help for your addiction symptoms. In this way, it seeks to address all of your serious issues, not just some of them.
Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Depression Treatment
Effective dual diagnosis depression treatment benefits you in more ways than one. First and foremost, it helps ease the impact of your depression symptoms. Methods commonly used to achieve this goal include:
- Treatment with antidepressant medications
- Participation in any of several forms of psychotherapy
Just as importantly, effective depression treatment can help you recover from addiction. Why? Depression is one of the known risk factors for substance misuse and addiction. When you feel less depressed, you may help eliminate one of your main motivations for drug or alcohol use. In turn, you may find it easier to get sober and maintain substance abstinence.
Benefits of Depression and Addiction Treatment
This treatment equation also works in the other direction. In other words, effective dual diagnosis addiction treatment not only helps you beat addiction. It can also help you recover from depression. That’s true because recovery from addiction may help undo one of the major supports for poor mental health. In turn, overall improvement in your mental outlook may help ease the grip of depression.
Combined Recovery From a Dual Diagnosis for Depression and Addiction
Chances for recovery are low unless you receive combined treatment for a dual diagnosis for depression and addiction. Treating one condition and not the other leads to limited success at best. Addiction and mental health experts are well aware of these facts. That’s why combined treatment is universally recommended for all cases of dual diagnosis.
Seek Local Dual Diagnosis Care With Help From Treatment Connection
Treatment Connection does more than support your search for dual diagnosis treatment in your area. Our thorough vetting process ensures that you only receive references for qualified providers. This approach helps provide you with access to the best local care available.
In addition, the use of Treatment Connection is entirely anonymous. You never need to worry about losing control of your privacy during your search for treatment. Start your zip code-based search today. If you prefer, you can also look for the names of local providers. Either way, convenient and appropriate care is now in reach.
