There are many ways that people cope with a mental health disorder. Many people seek treatment. They go to therapy and take medication. However, some people grew up in environments wherein mental health was a taboo topic, leading to them not recognising the signs that they need help.

As such, if they ever begin to struggle with the symptoms of mental health illnesses, they may self-medicate and develop substance abuse problems as a result, and the substances they take can worsen their illness. It can be a vicious cycle, which hardly matters which came first. Treating both will require a deft hand and a comprehensive approach.

Liberty Home Clinic can offer treatment for people with substance addiction, process addiction, and underlying mental health conditions that may drive such behaviour.

Synthetic Drug Addiction Treatment at Liberty Home

Liberty Home’s treatment is divided between two different centres. Each centre offers unique treatment that focuses on different parts of the recovery journey.

Liberty Home Clinic

Liberty Home’s South African clinic is an inpatient treatment centre. Patients have 24/7 support from staff who are on their own recovery journeys. The centre does not offer detox services, but we do work with nearby medical facilities that can help patients manage withdrawal symptoms.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment at Liberty Home

Dual diagnosis is important for several reasons. Some of the areas in which treating co-occurring disorders is vital include:

Dual Diagnosis treatment can help treat substance use disorders because mental health problems are often an underlying cause of a person's addiction. It's not uncommon for people who struggle with addiction to have done so because drug and alcohol use was the only way for them to cope with the symptoms of a mental health disorder.

Dual Diagnosis can be essential because it can address a person's substance in addition to the underlying disorder. Leaving the disorder unaddressed leaves a patient vulnerable to relapse.

Substance Use Disorder

Much like alcohol or drug addiction above, a person can turn to behaviours such as sex, gambling, or gaming to cope with a mental disorder. In the same vein as substance addiction, treating behavioural addiction without addressing the underlying cause will invariably lead to a relapse in addictive behaviour.

Behavioural Addictions

A person's mental health is often at the root of addiction. Addiction can also affect a person's state of mind in profound ways. Substances, especially those with mind-altering qualities, can cause a person to develop mental health disorders. Substances can also worsen existing mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Treating substance use disorder can help stop or even reverse some of the damage that addiction has done to mental health. Leaving the substance addiction untreated while addressing mental health concerns will likely result in the addiction worsening, which can have devastating effects on a person's mental health.

Mental Health

What is a Co-occurring Disorder?

A co-occurring disorder refers to the presence of two or more distinct mental health or substance use disorders at the same time in an individual. These conditions can interact in complex ways, influencing and worsening each other and complicating recovery.

For instance, a person can experience both a substance use disorder and a mood disorder. Addressing co-occurring disorders requires a comprehensive understanding of each condition and how they interplay.

Treatment often involves a multidisciplinary approach, integrating various therapeutic strategies to address an individual’s unique needs. Effective treatment aims to improve overall well-being by considering the interplay of all disorders involved and providing tailored support to help individuals achieve better outcomes.

Common Co-occurring Disorders

One of the most common co-occurring disorders is the combination of addiction and mental health disorders. As previously discussed, alcohol and drug use can be driven by the symptoms of a co-occurring mental health condition.

Other common co-occurring disorders include a variety of mental health conditions that often occur together. For example, individuals who struggle with anxiety disorders frequently experience depression, as the two conditions can exacerbate each other.

Similarly, mood disorders such as bipolar disorder are often seen alongside anxiety or personality disorders. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can often co-occur with anxiety or depression.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can also be found in people with depression or other anxiety disorders. The presence of multiple conditions can impact the severity and management of each disorder, making comprehensive treatment strategies essential for addressing the interactions between them and supporting overall mental health.

Are Substance Use and Mental Health Issues Common?

Yes, substance addiction and co-occurring mental health issues are quite common. Many individuals with substance use disorders also experience mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.

The interplay between substance abuse and mental health issues can complicate diagnosis and treatment, as each condition can exacerbate the other.

As mentioned previously, substance abuse can worsen symptoms of mental health disorders, and mental health issues can increase vulnerability to substance use as individuals may use substances as a form of self-medication.

This dual occurrence of these issues often requires an integrated treatment approach to address both substance use and mental health conditions simultaneously. Dynamic treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), are often used in treatment plans.

Effective rehab for co-occurring disorders involves a comprehensive plan that includes therapy, medication, and support services that are tailored to the individual’s unique needs, aiming to improve overall well-being and reduce the risk of relapse.

Discover Treatment Programmes at Liberty Home

Two things can occur at once. On rare occasions, it can be rainy and sunny at the same time. It’s more common for a person to have a mental disorder alongside an addiction of some sort. One drives the other, but they both make the other worse.

Liberty Home can offer treatment for both mental illness and substance abuse to help a person regain their mental and physical health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Common Mental Health Disorders?

Common mental health disorders include anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders. These disorders can be a driving factor for someone to use drugs or alcohol, and they can worsen over the course of addiction.

Can PTSD Be Treated Alongside Substance Abuse?

Yes, post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated alongside substance use. It is not uncommon for many people who have experienced a traumatic event to cope with what they experienced by using drugs and alcohol.

I Have Mental Health Issues and Addiction. Can I Be Treated?

Yes. Because mental health and addiction addiction often go hand in hand, many treatment modalities, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy, are adaptable enough that they can be used to treat both.