Mental Health

What mental health conditions co-occur with addictions?

A co-occurring disorder, also known as a dual diagnosis, refers to having a substance use disorder together with a mental health disorder. You could have any type of addiction combined with one or more co-occurring disorders, such as:

• Anxiety disorders
• Major depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Conduct disorders
• Personality disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

First Step Recovery Center provides comprehensive care by including mental health counseling as an integral part of addiction treatment. Treating your mental health disorder is important for preventing a relapse after you detox and move into recovery.

What symptoms indicate I have a mental health condition?

Each type of mental health disorder has its own unique symptoms. These are some of the symptoms from among the different types:

• Feeling hopeless and worthless
• Eating or sleeping more or less than normal
• Dropping activities you once enjoyed
• Experiencing emotional highs and lows
• Having difficulty thinking or focusing
• Feeling irritable or worried
• Having a higher or lower sex drive
• Isolating yourself from family and friends
• Failing to maintain personal hygiene
• Having hallucinations or delusions
• Engaging in risky behaviors like substance use
• Thinking about suicide or attempting suicide

Many of these symptoms overlap with the signs of a substance use disorder or an addiction. For this reason, it’s important to have a professional psychological evaluation.

How is a mental health condition diagnosed?

As part of your initial evaluation, or after your detox, depending on the severity of your substance use disorder, the team at First Step Recovery Center completes a psychological evaluation.

The goal of a psych evaluation is to learn about your symptoms, including when and how frequently they occur. They also talk with you about your emotions and challenging behaviors such as anger, aggression, and violence.

With this information, they can determine if you have a mental health disorder and create a treatment plan that helps you overcome your challenges.

What type of mental health treatment might I receive?

The team at First Step Recovery Center develops a treatment plan that includes psychotherapy (talk therapy), medication, or both, depending on your mental health diagnosis.

They integrate your mental health care with addiction medicine and addiction counseling. People with an addiction who take part in integrated treatment are more likely to stay sober, hold down a job, and develop satisfying personal relationships as their recovery progresses.

To learn more about mental health care, call First Step Recovery Center or schedule a consultation online.