Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers Houston

What Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis treatment is an integrated treatment method that combines substance abuse treatments (for addiction to drugs and alcohol) with treatments for mental illness or a mental health issue. It is important to treat both issues at the same time and in the same treatment programs because these issues are often interconnected in many ways, stemming from the same underlying causes (environmental triggers, genetics, brain responses, exposure to trauma at an early age), or affecting one another. For example, a person with a mental disorder like anxiety may drink alcohol while socializing to overcome their discomfort, or a person who is depressed may use stimulants to self-medicate and feel artificial happiness. Certain drugs can also cause a latent co-occurring disorder to develop, like drug-induced psychosis, for example.