Mental illness and addiction often occur together and understanding this fact is a critical element in treating addiction. This condition is called dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders.
Addiction and mental illness are both brain diseases. A person susceptible to one type of brain disease (addiction) may also be vulnerable to another. They involve the same pathways, molecules and chemicals in the brain
Some people begin abusing drugs or alcohol as a form of self-medication. Drugs of abuse may temporarily relieve some of the symptoms associated with mental illness, such as stress, anxiety, social inhibitions or depression or may be used as a form of pain relief. All too quickly, self-medication can often turn into full-fledged abuse that is difficult, or even impossible, to control.
The Challenges Approach
Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment Center addresses the severity and intensity of each client’s mental health and substance disorders including affective disorders, personality traits, chronic pain and trauma-related issues. Challenges clients receive medication, education and learn how brain chemistry plays a major role in their not only their recovery, but also their goal of life-long sobriety.
The Challenges approach to therapy is unique for every client. The Challenges program focuses on not only effectively treating the addiction, but also on providing unparalleled relapse care. At Challenges, the focus is on identifying the importance of how a client’s physical, mental/emotional, social and spiritual well-being will be positively affected by the changes they experience while in treatment and also on how we can assist clients through technology and other means in aftercare.
Upon admission to Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment Center, each client undergoes an extensive and detailed medical and psychiatric assessment. This allows the Challenges treatment team to determine and assess any underlying mental health issues which may be causing or contributing to the client’s history and which may be acting in concert with other addictive disorders, compulsive behaviors and chemical dependency to negatively impact upon the client’s state of health and future prognosis.
When a client is found to be suffering from a co-occurring disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, or post traumatic stress disorder, they are given the opportunity to address these issues during treatment, thereby creating the potential for understanding and resolution. This is often a critical component of successful recovery and one of the many things that sets Challenges apart from other treatment centers.
Substance Abuse Treatment for Those with Co-Occurring Disorders
Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment Center’s holistic and individualized approach in treating addiction fully takes into account the special needs of individuals with co-occurring disorders. Upon admission, clients are scheduled to meet with a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Addictionologist, together with a full range of other mental health, addiction treatment and relapse prevention specialists.
The clients’ history and medications are reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, in order to stabilize and allow them to fully participate in their addiction treatment planning and program. In addition to group therapy and special primary groups, special one-on-one individual therapy sessions are also scheduled. This allows a client with co-occurring disorders to work through some of the special frustrations and issues they must deal with daily, and sets them on a path to a successful recovery.
Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment helps break through the stereotypical labeling that a person dealing with mental illness issues inevitably faces in today’s society. Challenges clients are given opportunities to learn appropriate socialization skills, have access to recreational activities and develop peer relationships with other people learning to stay sober and live life on life’s terms, one day at a time. Their families are also offered support and education, and encouraged to fully participate in Family Therapy sessions.
Dual Diagnosis and The Family
Drug abuse contributes to family conflict, erodes social support, and generates high levels of expressed emotion, thus disturbing the vitally needed care giving network. A dually diagnosed individual can throw the best of families off balance. Therefore, it is important to provide services for families. At Challenges , our family program is a vital treatment component.
Family members are helped through the difficult realization that they cannot stop their loved one’s substance abuse. They can, however, avoid covering it up or doing things that make it easy for the person to continue the denial. Families can learn what they can do about the problem, but they must face the reality that much of it is out of their hands. With education and understanding, painful emotions will subside, individuals will feel more serene, and life can be less stressful. There is hope.