Many individuals suffer from co-occurring disorders or mental health disorders that coincide with substance use disorders. For example, a person may seek treatment for alcohol addiction and, during an assessment, clinicians may discover that the patient also suffers from PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Anxiety and addiction can go hand-in-hand, which is why we offer anxiety and addiction treatment in Mississippi.
Learn more about our anxiety treatment center and how we can help you or a loved one heal and make lasting changes by calling Vertava Health Mississippi today at 844.470.0410.
The Connection Between Anxiety and Addiction
Co-occurring disorders occur when someone who is struggling with an alcohol or substance use disorder is also struggling with a mental or emotional disorder. Not everyone who struggles with substance use has a co-occurring disorder, and not everyone with a mental or emotional disorder will struggle with substance use. However, it’s common for those who struggle with anxiety to turn to substances like alcohol, benzos, opioids, or stimulants to feel relief from challenging symptoms. Common symptoms of anxiety can include:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Fatigue
- Feelings of dread
- Digestive issues
- Sleep issues
- Excessive worry
Not everyone will have these co-occurring mental health and substance disorders start for the same reasons. However, there are certain factors that might make them more likely to develop one and/or both disorders, like genetics, access to addictive substances, and past trauma.
Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America cites a startling statistic that people with anxiety “are two to three times more likely to have an alcohol or other substance use disorder at some point in their lives than the general population.”
Each disorder must then be treated in the context of the other to support lasting sobriety, so treatment plans are crafted that allow therapy to address the issues.
Treatment for Anxiety and Addiction
Anxiety disorders can be difficult to diagnose since they sometimes occur with other mental or behavioral health disorders. When you begin treatment at Vertava Health Mississippi, we will check for underlying medical conditions that might be linked to anxiety symptoms and provide treatment as needed.
Our staff at Vertava Health Mississippi specializes in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which is foundational within both our outpatient and residential therapies.
This approach is a fantastic tool for treating co-occurring disorders because as research suggests, it is not only proven to work in the realm of substance use but also within treatment protocol for mental health concerns.
DBT does share some characteristics with cognitive-behavioral therapy, another therapy that may be beneficial in dual-diagnosis treatment. This is the sense that it helps to teach and direct a person towards changing learned thoughts and behaviors that can be so detrimental to a person struggling with a co-occurring disorder.
However, despite these similarities, DBT is unique in the way that it not only teaches a person to change but to embrace the acceptance that can be key in moving past damaging emotions, behaviors, and patterns that fuel both substance use and mental health disorders.
In addition to DBT, your addiction support team may utilize other treatments and approaches that they deem suitable for your unique needs. These include:
Detox and Rehab
“Rehab” is short for “rehabilitation” and can easily refer to every level of treatment. Detox, however, is much more specific. Short for “detoxification,” this is the process where someone begins total abstinence from the substance they are struggling with. That means they are no longer consuming the substance in any amount, and that is a very delicate situation.
Abstaining from drugs and alcohol is the most important and first step in the recovery process. Abruptly stopping is not only difficult but sometimes dangerous, and even life-threatening. That is why detox is important to do in a professional setting, surrounded and monitored by medical professionals.
A medically-supervised detox is a process by which withdrawal symptoms are safely and medically managed in a hospital setting. This can mean the administration of over-the-counter pain medications to aid with withdrawal side effects like pain and discomfort, but it can also mean the simple presence of a caring nurse or doctor.
Professional detox improves the chances of a successful recovery and makes withdrawal more comfortable. Our caring and licensed medical practitioners monitor your physical and emotional state around the clock to increase your comfort and ease any anxieties you may have.
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy
- Motivational interviewing
- Relapse prevention program
- Nutrition counseling
Reach Out to Vertava Health – Mississippi for Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
Learn more about our approach to anxiety and addiction treatment by reaching out to Vertava Health Mississippi today at 844.470.0410 or by connecting with us online. Through evidence-based treatment in a supportive, welcoming environment, you’ll find hope, healing, and a way forward.
