Substance use disorder (SUD) often happens alongside other mental health conditions. For some, there’s an obvious connection. For example, you may turn to alcohol to calm your intense anxiety. For others, there doesn’t seem to be a direct cause-and-effect situation. Yet, if there is an underlying mental health disorder present, treating it with SUD is critical to finding long-term recovery.
At Iron Bridge Recovery Center, we prioritize providing you with the guidance and support you need in managing both conditions through co-occurring substance use disorder treatment. Addressing them together creates a better future. Our dual diagnosis treatment program in Richmond, VA, can change your future. It’s estimated that 21.2 million adults have co-occurring mental illness, but treatment can be effective when the underlying cause is addressed.
Which Mental Health Disorders Can Happen with Addiction?
Numerous types of mental health disorders can occur alongside addiction. Signs and symptoms can change dramatically from one person to the next. Some of the most common mental health conditions that occur with addiction include:
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The combination typically includes:
- Severe shifts in emotion or energy
- Extreme sadness
- Period of manic behavior where you seem to have endless energy
- Changes in mood that seem drastic
- Feelings of hopelessness
Anxiety Disorders
An anxiety disorder could include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as well as phobias and panic disorders. These types of co-occurring conditions often involve:
- Physical symptoms such as a racing heart
- Intense sweating
- Trouble focusing
- Avoidance of normal and everyday environments because of fear
- Fear and dread that does not seem justifiable to others
- Intense, debilitating worrying
Personality Disorders
Some people experience significant personality disorder changes with continued use of substances. Examples include borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder. You may have symptoms such as:
- Rigid, unhealthy patterns of thinking
- Required ways of doing things that seem unnecessary or outside of cultural norms
- Behavior that is different from what others in your situation experience
- Unstable relationships stemming from these changes
- A distorted self-image
- Impulsive and reckless behaviors
Psychotic Disorders
Less frequently, substance use disorders can contribute to the onset or worsening of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Those with this type of psychotic disorder may experience symptoms such as:
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Distorted sense of awareness
- Abnormal or strange thoughts and perceptions
- A loss of touch with reality
Stress and Trauma Disorders
Some people suffer from intense mental health and substance use disorder symptoms because of their lifetime experiences. This includes the development of a condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Common symptoms of PTSD include:
- Intense, debilitating flashbacks to traumatic events you witnessed firsthand
- Nightmares, including those that seem to take over your thoughts and limit your ability to stick with responsibilities
- Severe moments of stress, both emotional and physical, when around traumatic events
- Deeply distressing fear over situations that may not seem to worry others
- Witnesses or those experiencing a distressing event
Eating Disorders
Some people with addiction suffer from eating disorders. Eating disorders and drug use include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. You may have symptoms such as:
- Extreme focus on your body’s weight, whether losing or gaining weight
- Unhealthy eating habits that create physical and psychological distress
- Eating behaviors that center on moods
In each of these situations, mental health conditions can range from mild to severe. Your addiction may be related to the use of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, or other drugs. If you believe you have a mental health disorder and SUD, we can help you.
How We Address Co-Occurring Disorders
At Iron Bridge, we offer a Richmond, VA dual diagnosis treatment program that can give you the control and support you need, even in intense situations. During your time with us, we’ll help you to:
- Work through detox to help strip your body of the chemicals and control the substance use
- Diagnose your mental health condition with care and clarity
- Provide medications to help support the underlying mental health complications you have
- Work with you through therapy to navigate challenges, including cognitive behavioral treatment
- Offer holistic therapies and tools to help you build a long-term better outcome
Through consistency and the right tools and resources, it is possible for you to start on the road to recovery. Our team builds a long-term relationship with you, providing you with immediate help, such as through substance use disorder detox. From there, you’ll work on moving your health forward and gaining control over your mental health symptoms.
Set Up Time to Speak to Us
At Iron Bridge Recovery Center, we know that treatment can help change your future. Set up an assessment to review your mental health conditions and addiction to find the best treatment plan forward. Contact us now to learn how we can help you.
