Co-occurring Disorders Require Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
Co-occurring disorders require co-occurring disorders treatment. So what are they?
Co-occurring disorders means having a substance use and two or more other mental health disorders (aka mental illnesses) at the same time. (Substance Use Disorders are commonly referred to as alcoholism, addiction or drug or alcohol abuse.)
A person with anxiety, depression and alcoholism (aka severe alcohol use disorder, aka alcoholism) is an example of a person with co-occurring disorders. Treating only one and not the other is futile. Why?
Think of it like one body having two chronic diseases — cancer and diabetes, for example. We know a person cannot stop treating their diabetes while they treat their cancer. Their body would experience serious health consequences if they did.
The same is true of one brain having co-occurring substance use and two or more other mental health disorders. If both/all are not treated at the same time, their brain will experience serious health consequences. And the numbers of people experiencing co-occurring disorders is significant. “[A]bout half of those who experience a mental illness during their lives will also experience a substance use disorder and vice versa,” explains NIDA in Part 1 of its April 2020 “Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report.”
Common Co-occurring Disorders
Co-Occurring Disorders required Co-Occurring Treatments
Some of the common mental health disorders co-occurring in individuals receiving treatment for substance use disorders are:
• anxiety
• depression
• post traumatic stress disorder
• bipolar disorder
• sexual and eating disorders in adults and adolescents
• conduct disorders and attention deficit disorders in adolescents.
Some of the common substance use disorders co-occurring in individuals receiving treatment for mental health disorders are:
• alcohol
• nicotine
• opiates
• sedatives
• stimulants
• marijuana
• hallucinogens
• prescription drugs.
When co-occurring disorders treatment doesn’t happen – what happens?
Consider the following exchange I had with one of my clients, a 45-year old male who had been ticketed for a DUI. His wife was threatening legal separation. He was worried about losing his license, which would cost him his job. The DUI had prompted him to complete a 28-day rehab program for alcoholism to show the judge he was intent on changing, but he wanted to know what else he could do – mostly to prevent losing his license and preserve his marriage.
I asked him a few questions, which his how I start these exchanges. My work with clients is not as a therapist or counselor, by the way, rather I listen to their story and then provide educational services and resources that can help them and/or their families take next steps.
Do you think you’re an alcoholic?
Yes.
Have you been through rehab before?
Yes – about 10 years ago but that was for drugs.
Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?
Yes. Bipolar, OCD and PTSD.
Have you sought treatment for your mental illnesses or did your most recent rehab treatment team address them?
No and no.
Did you tell them about your diagnoses?
Yes and they encouraged me to see a therapist when I got out.
Have you?
No.
What are you doing for your recovery?
Going to a lot of AA meetings. I got a Vivitrol injection for the cravings – I’ll do another one in a month.
Unfortunately, this is not an unusual scenario for the person with addiction or their family member who calls me at their wits end over the vicious cycle: rehab – relapse, rehab – relapse. Time and again, what is missing is the complete lack of understanding of co-occurring disorders and the need to treat them simultaneously and for a long time.
Co-occurring Disorders Treatment
Both mental health and substance use disorders are highly treatable. Unfortunately, effective co-occurring disorders treatment can be difficult to find. Many treatment providers try and some do it successfully, but as we saw in the case of the 45-year old male ticketed for a DUI, many do not.
To help you in your search of effective co-occurring disorders treatment, please consider reading the following reports, first. They will give you a solid understanding of substance use disorders (aka addiction, alcoholism), mental health disorders (aka mental illness) and co-occurring disorders and what it takes to treat them.
- Understand the Brain Disease of Addiction and Principles of Effective Addiction Treatment
Check out the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Drugs, Brains and Behavior: The Science of Addiction and NIDA’s Principles of Effective Treatment. - Understand Mental Health Disorders
Check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)’s “Mental Health Conditions“ - Understand Co-Occurring Disorders
Check out the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)’s “Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report” and the portion of NIDA’s report, titled: “What are the treatments for comorbid substance use disorder and mental health conditions?”
To begin your search for treatment facilities that report treating co-occurring disorders, check out my article, Finding Addiction | Mental Illness | CoOccurring Disorders Treatment. And know that I offer free phone calls to answer specific questions. To schedule, please send me an email to lisaf@BreakingTheCycles.com.
Lisa Frederiksen
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9.2 million adults in the U.S. have been diagnoses with co-occurring disorders, making proper treatment so important. In many cases, one disorder is the driving cause of the other, so as you say, treating one and not the other is ineffective. Finding a rehabilitation center that diagnoses and treats both disorders is key in recovery. Here’s one example of how a center can provide proper treatment to individuals with co-occurring disorders: https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/what-we-treat/co-occurring-and-dual-diagnosis-services/