Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, OH
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Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program Near You
KAV Mental Health & Psychiatry is an outpatient clinic that offers virtual treatment for addiction and mental health disorders for individuals from the greater Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, OH areas. Our experienced team uses proven clinical and medical methods to help patients understand their dual diagnosis and find effective ways to manage it.
We understand how difficult living with the complicated symptoms of a dual diagnosis is. We focus on each condition in a patient’s dual diagnosis on its own terms, providing personalized treatment plans to manage symptoms. Learn more about dual diagnosis and how KAV Mental Health & Psychiatry can help people suffering from co-occurring disorders.
What Is a Dual Diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis, also known as co-occurring disorder, is a term for when a person is suffering from a substance abuse disorder (SUD) and a mental health disorder. Unfortunately, these combinations of mental health disorders are common – according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, almost 40% of Americans with an addiction also have a mental health disorder. Even though there’s clearly a lot of correlation, this does not necessarily mean one caused the other, even if one condition appeared first.
Mental health disorders and addiction feed into each other in complex ways. It’s important to identify and treat each condition, because recovery is challenging if one is treated but not the other. For example, if you address someone’s anxiety but not their addiction, substance use may retrigger their anxiety. On the other hand, if you only treat the SUD, then anxiety may lead them back to substance abuse.
Types of Dual Diagnoses
Addiction can accompany any mental health disorder, but there are some disorders that are more common than others in dual diagnosis:
Those with bipolar disorder will have varying symptoms depending on the subtype of disorder they have and whether they’re in a depressive or manic episode. Age can also affect some symptoms.
- Anxiety, depression
- Fatigue, low energy
- Insomnia
- Mood changes or uncontrollable emotions
- Neglecting hygiene
- Poor health, fluctuating weight
- Legal or financial problems
- Panic attacks, unfounded feelings of paranoia
- Difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships
- Stealing from friends or family
- Avoiding hobbies and activities they used to enjoy
- Trouble with concentration
Causes and risk factors vary by condition, but include stress, genetics, and the patient’s environment. Trauma or traumatic life events can also lead to a dual diagnosis, as the person may turn to substances to cope, particularly if they have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some conditions in a dual diagnosis, such as depression or anxiety, increase the risk of the patient turning to alcohol or substances to ease their symptoms, known as self-medicating. Other times, events related to substance abuse, or the substance itself, can lead to the development of mental illness. But often, the substance abuse and the mental illness can first appear at the same time.
Those with bipolar disorder will have varying symptoms depending on the subtype of disorder they have and whether they’re in a depressive or manic episode. Age can also affect some symptoms.
- Anxiety, depression
- Fatigue, low energy
- Insomnia
- Mood changes or uncontrollable emotions
- Neglecting hygiene
- Poor health, fluctuating weight
- Legal or financial problems
- Panic attacks, unfounded feelings of paranoia
- Difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships
- Stealing from friends or family
- Avoiding hobbies and activities they used to enjoy
- Trouble with concentration
Causes and risk factors vary by condition, but include stress, genetics, and the patient’s environment. Trauma or traumatic life events can also lead to a dual diagnosis, as the person may turn to substances to cope, particularly if they have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some conditions in a dual diagnosis, such as depression or anxiety, increase the risk of the patient turning to alcohol or substances to ease their symptoms, known as self-medicating. Other times, events related to substance abuse, or the substance itself, can lead to the development of mental illness. But often, the substance abuse and the mental illness can first appear at the same time.
Signs & Symptoms of a Dual Diagnosis
The signals of a dual diagnosis can be complicated to identify, as many symptoms overlap between conditions. Some common symptoms that could indicate a dual diagnosis include:
- Anxiety, depression
- Panic attacks, unfounded feelings of paranoia
- Fatigue, low energy
- Insomnia
- Mood changes or uncontrollable emotions
- Neglecting hygiene
- Poor health, fluctuating weight
- Legal or financial problems
- Difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships
- Stealing from friends or family
- Avoiding hobbies and activities they used to enjoy
- Trouble with concentration
Causes & Risk Factors of a Dual Diagnosis
Causes and risk factors vary by condition, but include stress, genetics, and the patient’s environment. Trauma or traumatic life events can also lead to a dual diagnosis, as the person may turn to substances to cope, particularly if they have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some conditions in a dual diagnosis, such as depression or anxiety, increase the risk of the patient turning to alcohol or substances to ease their symptoms, known as self-medicating. Other times, events related to substance abuse, or the substance itself, can lead to the development of mental illness. But often, the substance abuse and the mental illness can first appear at the same time.
Long-Term Effects of a Dual Diagnosis
For people with a dual diagnosis, it is very difficult to overcome a mental health disorder without also addressing the substance abuse, and vice versa. Often, the SUD and the mental health disorder will feed into each other — for example, when a person with anxiety turns to substances to calm themselves, but then finds themselves increasingly stressed by issues stemming from their substance abuse.
This cycle of both conditions feeding into each other can make the symptoms of either disorder much harder to manage, and impact one’s ability to maintain relationships, a job, or their own wellbeing. Due to the complexities of a dual diagnosis, people with one are more likely to experience homelessness, social isolation, incarceration, antisocial behavior, and self-harming or suicidal tendencies.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment & Therapy at KAV Mental Health & Psychiatry
We provide compassionate, personalized care and a comprehensive approach to each condition, often with a combination of medication and counseling. We also use medicated-assisted treatment (MAT) in the form of Suboxone for opioid addiction, as it allows the patient to bypass the difficult detox process and begin recovery sooner.
We offer comprehensive individual counseling where patients can work one-on-one with licensed counselors to disentangle the individual issues of their dual diagnosis and understand how each condition feeds into each other, as well as learn to manage negative thoughts with healthier coping mechanisms. Patients can also participate in group therapy, where they can connect with other people struggling with their dual diagnosis and reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness in recovery.
Our HIPPA-complaint online services provide all the benefits of our in-person treatment from the comfort of your home. Our doctors take appointments 6 days a week with same-day appointments available, so no matter what you’re struggling with, you won’t have to wait long for help. Our addiction and mental health doctors will help monitor your progress at your own pace.