Both mental health and substance abuse disorders affect your brain chemistry and cause neurotransmitter imbalances. Among the most common mental health problems, those with addiction issues have anxiety and depression. Coping with anxiety and depression is important during the recovery process because negative emotions can increase your risk of relapsing.
Mental health disorders impact roughly 20% of Americans each year, making mental health problems one of the most common issues in America. When left untreated, mental health disorders can cause widespread and disabling symptoms. Mental health also plays a significant role in addiction because as many as half of all people suffering from a substance abuse disorder have a co-occurring mental health disorder, which is why they may attend a dual diagnosis treatment center in Mclean VA.
What is a Co-Occurring Disorder?
A co-occurring disorder is when you have both a mental health disorder and a substance misuse disorder. You can have both conditions at the same time, or one right after another.
Examples of some of the most common mental health co-occurring disorders include:
- Anxiety
- Depression and Major Depression Disorder
- Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
When you have a co-occurring disorder, it is important to receive treatment for both conditions. During addiction, your brain chemistry changes when you become dependent on drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol cause your brain to release excessive amounts of neurotransmitters, which ultimately creates an imbalance as your brain becomes depleted of neurotransmitters when the effects of psychoactive substances wear off.
When you have an underlying mental health disorder, your symptoms worsen during addiction. Many mental health disorders cause excessive or inadequate neurotransmitter levels, so when you abuse drugs and alcohol your mental health can significantly degrade. Coping with anxiety and depression during recovery is important in order to fully recover from addiction.
Coping with Anxiety and Depression?
Dealing with anxiety and depression is especially difficult during recovery from a substance abuse disorder. Coping with anxiety and depression requires learning how to deal with complex thoughts and feelings. Cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapy both offer tools and strategies for coping with anxiety and depression.
During treatment, you will learn how to identify and change negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Treatment centers also give you the tools to learn new, healthy coping strategies that allow you to combat things like anxiety and depression without the use of drugs and alcohol.
A dual diagnosis program specializes in treating co-occurring disorders and offers you access to both addiction and mental health professionals. This can make it easier to adjust medications and manage your mental health symptoms, which improves your ability to successfully recover.
Finding a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center Today
If you or a loved one is struggling with a co-occurring disorder or a substance abuse problem, coping with anxiety and depression is an important step during the recovery process. Sagebrush Treatment Centers, home to the best dual diagnosis treatment center McLean VA offers, is here to help you achieve your recovery goals. Call us today at 866.488.1156 to learn more about your treatment options.
