Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Joliet, IL

A dual diagnosis is a medical condition where a person experiences both a mental illness and an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Addiction experts may also call a dual diagnosis a co-occurring disorder. According to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, an estimated 30 percent of adults in the United States with a serious mental illness (such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia), also have a mental health disorder. While a significant number of people in Joliet and the United States as a whole have a dual diagnosis, very few seek treatment. More than half of all the people in the United States who suffer from a dual diagnosis do not seek treatment either for their addiction or for their mental illness. By seeking dual diagnosis treatment in Joliet, a person can experience an overall level of better health while also becoming sober.

Unfortunately, a dual diagnosis is traditionally more difficult to treat as compared to a person who only has a substance abuse problem. This can be for many reasons, but it does make seeking drug abuse rehabilitation even more important.

Dual Diagnosis and Addiction -- Why the Two Go Hand-in-Hand

There are many reasons why dual diagnosis and addiction can go together. First, sometimes a person uses drugs and/or alcohol as a means of "self-medicating" their problem. They may try to use these drugs to stop obsessive or depressive feelings. While drugs may provide a very temporary distraction from a person's condition, they are not an effective treatment for mental illness.

In other people, drug or alcohol abuse can cause mental illness symptoms to arise. A person can experience feelings of hopelessness or helplessness related to their substance abuse problem. They can also have significant anxiety that others will find out about their condition or other side effects related to their abuse. This is why seeking a reputable treatment center that offers dual diagnosis treatment in Joliet is imperative.

Types of Mental Health Disorders

A dual diagnosis is a "blanket term" for a number of addiction types as well as mental health disorders. While all mental illnesses are serious because they can impair a person's quality of life and daily activities, some are considered more serious than others because of the way they impair a person's perception of reality or ability to survive in the daily world. Examples of some of the medical conditions that a person may have when they experience a dual diagnosis include:

Bipolar disorder: This is a serious mental illness that causes a person to fluctuate between the highs and lows of personality. They may be very depressed for weeks at a time, then experience a sudden manic phase where they engage in risky behaviors. If left untreated, bipolar disorder can affect a person's daily functioning as well as put their overall health at risk.

High-anxiety: While every person experiences some anxiety from time to time, those with high anxiety have unusually heightened states of fear and reaction related to their circumstances. What may feel like a normal day and activities for a person can send a person with high anxiety into overdrive.

Schizophrenia is a condition where a person loses touch with reality and will experience hallucinations, meaning they hear, see, smell, and feel things that are not there. This is a serious mental illness that requires treatment.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): OCD causes a person to become fixated on certain thoughts and behaviors, such as washing hands, locking doors, and/or checking to see if the oven is on. A person can also become fixated on unwanted thoughts, such as thoughts of harming themselves. Although they do not want to have these thoughts, they cannot escape them due to their mental illness.

Depression: This condition causes a person to experience feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness. These thoughts can even cause a person to feel as if life is not worth living.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): This condition occurs after a person suffers from a traumatic event, such as a military battle or abusive childhood. A person with PTSD may frequently have flashbacks, where they relive times when they were in a difficult situation.

Dual diagnosis treatment in Joliet can provide treatments for these mental illnesses and a variety of addictions. All people who struggle with a co-occurring disorder can benefit from therapies such as counseling and group therapies after they've completed the process of drug detox in Joliet.

If a friend or loved one has suddenly withdrawn from friends or family or has experienced sudden changes in behavior, these could be symptoms they may be using drugs. A person may do activities they wouldn't normally do just to maintain their habit, such as stealing. If these are symptoms a loved one is displaying, Joliet Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers may be able to help (877) 804-1531.