It is very common for a person and their treatment team to discover they have one or more co-occurring mental health diagnoses along with their drug or alcohol addiction. Initially, that may sound like a negative piece of information, however, the person receiving treatment can better understand their struggles, why they use their drug of choice and can receive a more comprehensive treatment and relapse prevention plan.
Prior to understanding how to treat co-occurring diagnoses, patients would relapse rapidly into destructive behaviors and use their drug of choice upon exiting treatment. This is because the underlying causes of their addictions were not being addressed.
Co-occurring mental health diagnoses that are often treated along with drug and alcohol addiction include, but are not limited to;
· Bi-Polar Disorder
· Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
· Depression
· ADHD
· Anxiety
· Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
In order to set a person up for success in recovery, both their mental health and the substance abuse should be treated simultaneously.
Trauma & Addiction
There are numerous types of trauma. Trauma can affect an individual, a family and even entire communities.
As many as 60% of adults in the United States report having experienced a traumatic event during their childhood years.
Not every person will go on to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after experiencing something traumatic, but many will suffer from lasting traumatic stress reactions/symptoms like anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. Many may turn to drugs and alcohol to alleviate those symptoms or to try to forget what they endured.
Anxiety & Addiction
Approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18 and 54 suffer from anxiety disorders. It is very common for a person to feel confused, different, and like they don’t belong or fit in when they struggle with anxiety. Those who struggle with generalized anxiety experience excessive, ongoing worry that interferes with their daily lives. One can see how people struggling with one or more of these anxiety disorders may use drugs or alcohol to try and alleviate these uncomfortable symptoms.
ADHD & Addiction
Among adults who have an alcohol abuse disorder, ADHD is 5-10 times more common.
Among adults who are receiving recovery services for alcohol or other substance abuse, about 25 percent have ADHD.
According to research, people with ADHD face an increased risk of drug abuse due to the reduced impulse control and behavioral problems associated with ADHD in general.
Take Back Your Self Control
Neurofeedback gets to the core of what drives addicts to use or relapse in the first place.
In general, anxiety and depression are the underlying conditions that can lead to an addict’s need to self-medicate.
An effective approach to addiction treatment and relapse prevention may rely on resolving core neurobiological issues affecting motivation and adaptive decision making.
Neurofeedback helps people to feel better by eliminating or easing symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, impulse control, sleep problems, etc… Thus, the need to soothe oneself by engaging in addictive behaviors in lessened.
Neurofeedback training is non-invasive. It assists the brain in breaking out of inefficient patterns and guides it in building resilience and improving the central nervous system’s ability to bounce back from a negative incident.
Neurofeedback sessions are best implemented as part of a comprehensive recovery program.
Most will tell you that rehab is not a walk in the park, many dropout before the program’s completion.
Thus, any form of treatment which reduces the dropout rate becomes a valuable rehab technique.
Once neurofeedback training has diminished the underlying reasons to use, the ability to stay clean increases up to 77%.
For more specifics download the Stop the Revolving Door of Relapse brochure now.
