Why Dual Diagnosis Treatment Works Better Than Treating Addiction and Mental Health Separately
A co-occurring condition or dual diagnosis is when an individual experiences a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health disorder simultaneously. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we provide dual diagnosis treatment for people with co-occurring conditions, treating both conditions at the same time using an integrated treatment plan rather than treating them sequentially. We serve individuals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania with evidence-based, whole-person care. Here, we discuss why treating co-occurring conditions with an integrated dual diagnosis approach is superior to using a sequential approach.
Key Takeaways
- Dual diagnosis is when an individual has a mental health condition and a substance use disorder at the same time.
- Sequential treatment of co-occurring conditions often fails because it ignores their interconnectedness and increases the risk of relapse and hospitalization.
- Integrated treatment treatsmental health and substance use disorders at the same time through a single treatment plan and a unified care team.
- Common dual diagnoses of mental health and substance use disorders include depression and alcohol use, anxiety and benzodiazepine use, PTSD and opioid use, and bipolar disorder and stimulant use.
- When searching for a dual diagnosis facility, look for evidence-based therapies, holistic modalities, a unified care team, insurance acceptance, and personalized care plans.
- Rubicon Recovery Center offers dual diagnosis treatment for individuals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
What Does “Dual Diagnosis” Mean?
Dual diagnosis is when a person has a mental health condition and an SUD at the same time. According to SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 21.2 million adults had a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder. These conditions are highly interconnected and have similar risk factors, such as genetics, early childhood trauma, and severe stress. These risk factors can increase a person’s vulnerability to both conditions.
Dual diagnoses are also fueled by the self-medication cycle. People with mental health disorders may use substances to cope with their symptoms or get temporary relief from stress, anxiety, or unpleasant feelings. Substance use can also trigger or worsen underlying mental health issues, which creates a continuous cycle that is hard to break. Therefore, dual diagnoses require a unique treatment approach that acknowledges the connection between the disorders and treats them concurrently.
Why Does Sequential Treatment Often Fail?
In the past, dual diagnosis conditions were treated sequentially, requiring the patient to get sober before treating their mental health condition. It treats mental health and substance use disorders as separate problems, not interconnected ones. This approach often fails because of a few factors:
- Untreated root cause: People often use substances to self-medicate and manage their mental health conditions. Requiring sobriety without treating the underlying condition can lead to relapses and worsened mental health symptoms.
- Inconsistent care: Treating one condition and then the other can lead to conflicting medical advice, treatments that aren’t compatible, and gaps in care that can result in lower treatment adherence and higher relapse rates.
- Exhausted brain chemistry: When a person is actively using substances, their brain chemistry is altered, which makes it challenging to stabilize a mental health disorder. At the same time, untreated mental illness can reduce the energy and motivation necessary for recovery.
These factors are why sequential treatment is considered outdated. Now, an integrated approach is considered the clinical gold standard.
How Does Integrated Treatment Work?
Integrated treatment for co-occurring conditions involves addressing mental health and substance use disorders at the same time using a unified treatment plan from a single care team. It acknowledges that these conditions directly influence each other and that they need to be treated simultaneously.
Instead of seeing different providers in different settings who may prescribe conflicting treatments or contradictory advice, the patient gets consistent messaging from one collaborative care team. Integrated treatment offers several benefits over sequential treatment, including:
- Better engagement in and adherence to treatment
- Reduced treatment gaps
- Longer periods of sustained sobriety and reduced relapse rates
- Fewer hospitalizations
- Fewerpsychiatric symptoms
- Better long-term outcomes
At Rubicon Recovery Center, we provide dual diagnosis care and integrated treatment through our partnership with our sister center, Rubicon Mental Health Center. Our partnership enables a multidisciplinary care team of master’s-level clinicians, mental health professionals, addiction counselors, and support staff. Each member works together to help our patients with dual diagnoses stabilize their mental health and work toward lasting recovery.
Sequential vs. Integrated Treatment Table
| Treatment Type | Sequential Treatment | Integrated Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Treating one disorder and then the other using different care plans | Treating both disorders simultaneously with a unified care plan |
| Care Team | Multiple specialists who work separately | Single care team that works together |
| Outcomes |
|
|
What Are Common Combinations We See at Rubicon Recovery Center?
Dual diagnoses can occur with any type of mental health disorder and substance use disorder. However, there are certain combinations that we often see at our treatment facility. They include:
Depression and Alcohol Use
Depression is a common mental health condition marked by symptoms like persistent feelings of sadness and anxiety, fatigue, isolation, sleep disturbances, and more. People with depression often abuse alcohol, with research showing that around a third of people with depression also struggle with alcohol use disorder. The relationship between depression and alcohol use is bidirectional, meaning that one influences the other. People with depression often drink alcohol to self-medicate their symptoms, while alcohol abuse causes altered brain chemistry that can aggravate depression symptoms.
Anxiety and Benzodiazepines
Anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder, are conditions that cause symptoms like feelings of dread, panic, or impending doom; irritability; intrusive thoughts; avoidance; restlessness; and more. People with anxiety often misuse benzodiazepines, which are central nervous system depressants that provide fast-acting, calming effects. Since these drugs help relieve anxiety symptoms, people may use them more than necessary or develop a dependence on them. This dependence can lead to misuse or addiction.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Opioids
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that can be triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as a sexual assault, natural disaster, or combat. It causes symptoms like intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, and negative changes in mood and behavior.
According to some studies, people with PTSD use opioids at roughly triple the rate of the general population. This is often because of self-medication, where people use opioids to help relieve symptoms. At the same time, using or withdrawing from opioids can overstimulate the nervous system and worsen PTSD symptoms.
Bipolar Disorder and Stimulants
Bipolar disorder causes cycles of manic and depressive episodes. Manic episodes feature high energy, happy moods, and impulsiveness, while depressive episodes are marked by sadness, fatigue, and isolation. To cope with these cycles, people with bipolar disorder often use cocaine and other stimulants like Adderall. These substances can help the individual feel better in the short term, but they can also significantly increase bipolar symptoms in the long run.
What Should Someone Look for in a Dual Diagnosis Program?
If you’re looking for dual diagnosis treatment, you should look for the following features:
- Evidence-based care: You want to ensure that your mental health disorder and SUD will be treated with evidence-based therapieslike cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Our team uses a wide range of modalities to help you address the root causes of your disorders and develop better coping skills.
- Holistic therapies: Facilities that incorporate holistic modalitiesinto treatment are ideal because they help heal the whole person, not just the surface-level symptoms. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we offer holistic therapies like breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, and more.
- Personalized treatment plans: Every patient is unique, so their treatment plans should be, too. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we tailor each patient’s treatment plan to their diagnoses, symptoms, and treatment goals.
- Unified care team: Be sure that the facility you choose has a unified care team with experience in dual diagnosis care.Our team at Rubicon Recovery Center includes master’s-level clinicians, mental health professionals, addiction counselors, and support staff.
- Insurance acceptance: Insurancecoverage is often a factor in the facility you choose. At Rubicon Recovery Center, we accept most major insurance providers, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare.
Looking for these factors can help you find a trusted facility for dual diagnosis care. To learn more about why patients choose Rubicon Recovery Center, read our alumni testimonials.
Get Started with Dual Diagnosis Care Near You in NJ, PA, & NY
If you have a co-occurring condition, you need specialized dual diagnosis care. Find it at Rubicon Recovery Center, where we serve individuals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania with integrated treatment plans for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Contact us today to learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment near you in New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dual Diagnosis
What is dual diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis, also referred to as a co-occurring condition, is when an individual has both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time.
Why does treating addiction and mental health separately often fail?
Treating addiction and mental health separately often fails because it ignores the fact that the two conditions are highly related. It also creates gaps in care, allows for conflicting medical advice, and increases the risk of relapse.
What are some common mental health and substance use combinations?
Common co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders include depression and alcohol use, anxiety and benzodiazepine use, PTSD and opioid use, and bipolar disorder and stimulant use.
Do I need a psychiatrist for dual diagnosis treatment?
It depends. Some programs may have psychiatrists on staff, while others have other master’s-level clinicians like licensed counselors, psychologists, or psychiatric advanced practice nurses.
Can outpatient programs handle dual diagnosis?
Yes. Outpatient programs like Rubicon Recovery Center can effectively handle dual diagnosis care, as long as they are equipped to treat both mental health disorders and SUDs simultaneously.
Does insurance cover dual diagnosis treatment?
Most plans cover dual diagnosis treatment at least partially under federal mental health parity laws. However, whether your insurance covers dual diagnosis will ultimately depend on your insurance provider and plan.
What if I am not sure if I have a mental health condition?
Each patient undergoes a thorough clinical assessment at the start of treatment, so we can confirm or exclude a mental health diagnosis.
Is detox part of your dual diagnosis treatment?
Yes, detox is a vital aspect of our dual diagnosis treatment. When clinically necessary, we refer patients to safe, medically supervised detox facilities, though we don’t provide detox services ourselves.