How many people with addictions recover fully from their substance use disorder?
Not as many as you might think.
The reason? Addiction doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Most people who struggle with drug or alcohol abuse also suffer from a mental illness. Treating one and not the other is a setup for failure.
Let’s back up…
Dual diagnosis treatment centers addiction and mental health together.
Treating someone’s mental illness and substance abuse concurrently is the only way to effectively treat addiction long-term. When you address mental health and addiction, you identify what’s causing the addiction.
What you’re about to learn:
- What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
- Why Behavioral Therapy Is Essential For Addiction Recovery
- Addiction and Mental Health Are Connected
- 5 Core Components of All Great Dual Diagnosis Programs
What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
Dual diagnosis treatment means addressing addiction and mental illness simultaneously. Instead of going to one program for drugs and another for depression… You get treated for everything at once.
Dual diagnosis is important because most people who suffer from addiction also experience another mental illness. Data from SAMHSA’s 2024 national survey found that over 21 million American adults had both mental illness and substance use disorder.
Those numbers are hard to wrap your head around.
Even worse….
Substance abuse behavioral therapy treatment that only focuses on addiction tends to have low success rates. If you don’t address the root cause of the addiction (i.e.- the mental health disorder) the person will likely relapse. That’s why so many inpatient rehab New Jersey facilities offer today are dual diagnosis oriented. When you treat both conditions together you get better outcomes.
The moral of the story? Addiction doesn’t happen without a mental health disorder playing a role somewhere. Addressing both together is the best way to overcome both.
Why Behavioral Therapy Is Essential For Addiction Recovery
Behavioral therapy for addiction is the foundation of any treatment program.
Why? Because it works. If your substance abuse treatment program isn’t using some form of behavioral therapy… It’s probably not going to be very effective.
Behavioral therapy works by stopping the negative thought patterns that lead to substance abuse. Once someone understands why they abuse substances they can start to control the behavioral patterns that keep them out of recovery.
Some common types of behavioral therapy used for addiction include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. Let someone recognize negative thought patterns and find more constructive ways to think. This is common in most dual diagnosis centers.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT. Focuses on offering strategies to cope with difficult emotions. DBT is especially helpful for people who struggle with anxiety or personality disorders.
- Motivational Interviewing. Using an individual’s own motivation to conquer substance abuse. Most behavioral therapy programs are variations on these three main types.
Behavioral therapy helps people recover from addiction… But it also does so much more. Ongoing therapy after the program ends can significantly reduce the chance of relapsing.
Addiction and Mental Health Are Connected
Addiction does not exist without mental illness. There’s a reason why substances make us feel a certain way.
Someone who suffers from depression may drink to feel happy. After repeated use they become physically dependent on alcohol to function. Now they have a mental health problem and a substance abuse problem.
Add enough alcohol to the mix and you worsen both problems. How?
Well, the brain produces happy chemicals like dopamine naturally. When you drink… The brain stops producing those chemicals naturally because alcohol is doing the job for you.
The same thing can happen in reverse. Substance abuse can cause someone to feel anxious or depressed. Either way you have a dual diagnosis that needs to be treated together.
Studies show that only 1 in 5 people who needed treatment for a substance use disorder received treatment in 2024. Even less people received treatment for both co-occurring conditions. Something has to change.
With that said… Here are some of the most common mental illnesses that come with addiction.
- Depression
- Anxiety Disorders
- PTSD
- Bipolar Disorder
- ADHD
All of these mental illnesses require mental health treatment.
5 Core Components of All Great Dual Diagnosis Programs
You know that dual diagnosis treatment is the way to go. But how do you know if a program is any good?
Like anything else, some programs are better than others. Here are the five tell-tale signs that a program uses an integrated approach to treating mental illness and addiction.
1. Comprehensive Assessment
An extensive evaluation of your physical, mental and emotional health is step one. If a treatment center attempts to rush you through assessment… Look elsewhere!
2. Integrated Treatment Plan
A quality program will tackle your addiction and mental health simultaneously. Everything from therapy to medicines should be treated as part of one big plan.
You wouldn’t try to fix your head without treating your heart. Dual diagnosis treatment works the same way.
3. Evidence-Based Therapies
Behavioral therapy for addiction is crucial. But everything from group sessions to individual therapy should be rooted in proven strategies.
‘Luxury rehab’ doesn’t equal effective rehab. Don’t fall for it.
4. Medication Management
For many recovering addicts, medicine is part of the recovery process. Antidepressants, anxiety medications, and opioid treatment should all be managed by your treatment provider.
5. Aftercare and Prevention
Addiction doesn’t end when you leave treatment. Quality rehab facilities take aftercare seriously. Without a plan for what happens next you run the risk of relapsing.
Good aftercare includes:
- Continuing therapy
- Support group meetings
- Check-ins with your provider
- Access to a crisis hotline
Bringing It All Together
Seeking addiction treatment as soon as possible always leads to better results. If you suspect that you or a loved one has a problem with drugs or alcohol… Don’t wait to get help.
So you now know how dual diagnosis treatment works. Let’s do a quick review:
- Dual diagnosis treatment treats addiction and mental health together.
- Behavioral therapy programs treat the root cause of addiction.
- Addiction often causes mental health disorders and vice versa.
- All great dual diagnosis treatment programs have 5 key components.
Dual diagnosis changed the game for addiction treatment. Addressing mental health along with substance abuse allows people to identify why they use it in the first place. Breaking that cycle is the first step towards lifelong recovery.
