Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers in Southern California

Dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders are common among people addicted to drugs or alcohol. Dual diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California know how to address co-occurring disorders for this reason. Ocean Hills Recovery helps people get sober and manage their mental health symptoms.

What is a Dual Diagnosis?

A dual diagnosis occurs when someone has co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. According to MedlinePlus, about half of all people with a substance use disorder also have a mental health issue. Either the addiction or the mental illness develops first, and either condition can make the other worse. Identifying a dual diagnosis can be difficult. Therefore, the clinician treating a dual diagnosis must have a full understanding of these issues.

Common co-occurring mental health disorders that occur with addiction include:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Panic disorders
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Eating disorders

Our dual diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California treat the underlying issues related to mental illness and addiction. As a result, a person gets the most complete care for both conditions.

Signs and Symptoms of a Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California have experts who know the signs and symptoms of a dual diagnosis. Someone trying to help a loved one addicted to alcohol who has depression may not know what signs to look for. However, many signs are hard to miss. 

These signs and symptoms include the following:

• A change in behavior or personality
• Mood swings
• Symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression
• Using substances to cope with emotional distress
• Worse mental health symptoms when not using drugs or alcohol
• Continuing to use substances despite negative effects
• Problems with relationships, jobs, or school 
• Isolating from others
• Trouble thinking clearly
• Suicidal thoughts

Risk Factors of a Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California look for risk factors for developing a dual diagnosis. Having an addiction increases the chances of getting a mental illness or worsening an existing one. In other words, substance use changes how the brain works, leading to things like depression or anxiety. For example, people addicted to methamphetamine might develop psychosis as a result.

In addition, quitting substance abuse can bring on symptoms of depression and anxiety. This can be common for those using drugs and alcohol to cope with their issues. Then, this creates a cycle in which a person struggles to quit drugs or alcohol because their mental health symptoms get worse. Thus, what starts as self-medicating can become a full-blown addiction.

Additional risk factors of a dual diagnosis include the following:

• Family history of addiction, mental illness, or both
• Trouble coping with everyday stress
• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
• History of trauma or abuse
• Using drugs or alcohol at a young age

People with dual diagnoses often find it difficult to address one condition without negatively impacting the other. Dual diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California provide the professional treatment needed to treat both conditions.

How is Dual Diagnosis Treated?

When traditional treatment programs fail, it’s often because they do not diagnose or treat a dual diagnosis. For care to be effective, the person first needs to detox from alcohol or drug use. After that, treatment for both addiction and mental illness can begin. If a mental illness goes untreated, the addiction is more likely to recur.

Treatment for dual diagnosis consists of different types of therapies, like individual, group, and family therapies. Talk therapy helps a person understand their addiction and mental illness.

Many facilities use holistic therapy to treat a person’s mind and spirit. Activities like yoga, acupuncture, massage, equine therapy, and art therapy center a person’s mind for a sense of peace. When a person learns to relax and focus on the positive, they are better equipped to resist relapse triggers.

Dual diagnosis treatment centers in California cities like Anaheim, Long Beach or Riverside, can also provide any needed medications. Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, uses FDA-approved drugs to treat withdrawal symptoms during detox. MAT might continue into the next phases of treatment. Medications also help people manage their mental illness. Some medications are for short-term use, while others are for a longer period of time.

Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Southern California

Dual-diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California offer many benefits to those in recovery. Above all, dual diagnosis treatment results in better outcomes for both disorders. After all, addiction and mental health often influence one another. Therefore, the best way to recover is to get treatment for both at the same time.

Additional benefits of dual diagnosis treatment include:

• Full psychiatric evaluation for a better understanding of each disorder 
• Learn to cope with mental health symptoms that trigger substance abuse
• Heal from an underlying mental disorder with proper treatment rather than self-medicating with drugs or alcohol
• Counseling to help with emotional regulation and relationship building
• Get support from peers who remind a person that they are not alone
• Treatment focuses on the whole person in recovery
• Plan for the future without either diagnosis getting in the way

The above is by no means a full list of the benefits of dual diagnosis treatment. At our dual diagnosis treatment centers in Southern California, we offer comprehensive strategies for all those in our care.

Ocean Hills Recovery Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

Ocean Hills Recovery has developed a unique approach to dual diagnosis treatment called “Collaborative Recovery.” This combines physical, social, mental, and spiritual health treatments for the best chance of success. Therefore, we involve therapists, physicians, family members, and the community to create a safe place for healing.

When a client starts treatment at Ocean Hills Recovery, we assess them for a dual diagnosis. If they have a dual diagnosis, then our staff creates a treatment plan to address the person’s unique needs.

Our programs include the following to address dual diagnosis:

• Detox
• Residential Treatment
• Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
• 12-Step Recovery Program 
• Intervention Services
• Family Programming

Our approach combines the most effective parts of 12-Step programming with other therapies to treat mental health disorders. Combined with relapse prevention skills, our dual diagnosis program gives people the ability to transcend both conditions.

Contact Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers in Southern California Today

Ocean Hills Recovery in Southern California offers effective and affordable treatment options for co-occurring addiction and mental health conditions. If your past attempts at treating resulted in relapse, our programs give you the tools you need to recover successfully. Contact Ocean Hills Recovery today to take your life back from addiction and mental illness.