Substance problems are a pressing issue in Shelby County, TN, home to the city of Memphis. As in much of the country, opioid-related issues are a particular concern. But problems with alcohol and other drugs are also relatively common. Unfortunately, if you’re affected by substance addiction, you’re also at risk for other mental illnesses. Dual diagnosis is the common term for co-occurring addiction and mental illness. If you experience this combination of issues, you need specialized dual diagnosis treatment. Otherwise, you may find it difficult or impossible to make lasting gains in your recovery efforts.
Do You Need a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center?
Mental health issues in Shelby County and greater Memphis are slightly more common than in America as a whole. This is important information when it comes to dual diagnosis. Why? If you have a diagnosable mental illness, there’s roughly a 50% chance that you also have a diagnosable substance problem. That’s the case regardless of which of these issues affected you first.
Some mental health problems occur alongside addiction more often than others. The things most likely to affect you include:
- Major depression
- An anxiety disorder
- Bipolar I disorder
- Schizophrenia
By itself, addiction requires treatment to support an effective recovery. The same holds for mental illness. When both are present at the same time, the need for treatment is even more urgent. That’s true because addiction and mental illness tend to interact in harmful ways. You can easily end up in worse health than you would if only one of them were present.
Coordinated Care in a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program
In a well-designed dual diagnosis treatment center, you will not only get help for addiction and mental illness. Your care plan will be coordinated to address your combined needs. This is a crucial step. If your recovery plan only focuses on treating addiction, your mental health issues may interfere with your progress. And if your plan only focuses on your mental illness, addiction can have the same negative effects.
Dual diagnosis treatment programs understand these potential issues. In response, they devise recovery plans that treat addiction and mental illness. This coordination helps ensure that you make progress toward your overall recovery goals.
Care Options in a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center
What are the available options for treating dual diagnosis? To a large extent, that depends on the nature of the problems affecting you. Medication is a common element in mental illness treatment. However, only specific kinds of medication are used to treat a given illness. The most widely used options include antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and antipsychotics. Medication is only consistently used for opioid and alcohol addiction in substance treatment.
Psychotherapy is common for both addiction and mental illness treatment. Today, therapy options provide simultaneous help for each of these issues. Depending on your situation, such options may include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Contingency management
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
DBT and CBT are often especially useful.
Turn to MRC as Your Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center in Memphis, TN
Need a dual diagnosis treatment center in Memphis, TN? Contact the experts at Memphis Recovery Centers. We feature comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment among our many customized recovery programs. No matter the combination of addiction and mental illness present, we provide the support you need to regain your well-being.
MRC is located in Midtown Memphis at 219 N. Montgomery St. Our centralized campus is easy to reach for residents living throughout the area. And our nonprofit approach allows us to provide care for as many people as possible. To learn more about our dual diagnosis program, call us today at 901-272-7751. You can also fill out our online form.
