So, you’ve gone through rehab and you’re ready to begin a new life free from addiction—that’s wonderful. You’ve gone through a difficult period in your life, one that you deserve to never have to experience again. Gaining sobriety is a great moment in anyone’s life. However, there’s one word that presents a potential problem: relapse. This problem plagues many people who are trying to recover from addiction, and it’s often heavily influenced by underlying mental health disorders.
Thankfully, it’s possible to avoid relapse with the help of a relapse prevention plan. This incredible treatment option helps address your addictive impulses as well as any mental health problems that may be derailing your life. You deserve to know everything you can about this vital and effective treatment. To learn more about relapse prevention therapy, call us today at 662.222.2989.
What Are Co-Occurring Disorders?
Co-occurring disorders are a relatively easy process to understand. Basically, it’s the simultaneous treatment of mental health concerns and addiction. The treatments for these conditions will vary depending on the severity and condition of each. For example, cocaine addiction won’t require the opioid withdrawal treatments necessary for heroin addiction. Likewise, different mental health problems will require specific and fine-tuned treatments.
People who suffer from severe depression receive no benefits from medications designed to treat psychotic mentalities. That’s why it’s important to diagnose your mental health disorder as soon as possible. Typical mental health concerns that may contribute to addiction include:
- Depression
- Social anxiety
- Borderline personality disorder
- PTSD
As you work with your therapist, they’ll be able to diagnose and create a relapse prevention plan that is tailored specifically to you.
How a Plan Can Help You Avoid Relapse in Recovery
When you relapse, you are typically responding to addiction triggers that forced you to use in the past. Many of these triggers will be associated with the mental health concern that is impacting your life. Imagine the impact untreated depression symptoms will have on your desire to use. The withdrawal pain of quitting drugs combined with the negative mental impact will leave you desperate for relief. As a result, you may quickly turn back to drugs in order to feel a sense of stability. Even though you know it’s not healthy, it’s at least some type of structure.
Co-occurring disorders treatment helps avoid this problem by treating your mental health concern and removing it as an influence on your addiction. It also helps adjust your behaviors to steer you away from falling back into patterns of use. Remember, the mind craves structure and will fall back into a routine easily without correction, even if it’s negative.
Essentially, dual diagnosis gives you the personal strength that you need to begin a healthy and happy life. You won’t feel the pain of depression or the compulsiveness of borderline personality disorder. Instead, you’ll feel a sense of calm, purpose, and joy. The idea of using drugs again will go against this happy structure, keeping you safe from relapsing.
The Most Effective Treatments for Co-Occurring Disorders
Co-occurring disorders treatment uses a variety of techniques to help treat addiction. This diversity of approach helps ensure that people with multiple problems can get the help they need. It also fine-tunes therapy to find the treatment type that works for you. Typically, a dual diagnosis will include treatments like:
Withdrawal Therapy
This approach gradually weans you off your substance in a healthy and controlled manner. It employs replacement medicines to minimize withdrawal symptoms and reduce the risk of dangerous physical reactions, ensuring a safer transition to sobriety.
Dietary and Medical Treatments
These treatments address a variety of health problems, such as malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, that may be affecting your life. They offer guidance on how to adopt a balanced diet and establish healthier lifestyle habits, empowering you to take better care of your body and mind.
Personal, Group, or Family Therapy
These therapeutic sessions help you delve into the underlying causes of your mental health concerns, tracing how they relate to and influence your addiction. By involving family members or peers, you create a support network that can aid in your healing journey.
Talk Therapy
Through talk therapy, you can learn effective coping strategies for managing symptoms of depression and mania. This form of therapy provides a safe space to express yourself and work through emotional challenges with the guidance of a trained therapist.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT enables you to discover new coping mechanisms for mastering your mental health concerns and resisting cravings. It focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns that contribute to your addictive behaviors.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Specifically designed for individuals with borderline personality disorder, DBT helps you develop emotional regulation skills, distress tolerance, and improved interpersonal relationships, providing a comprehensive approach to mental health management.
12-Step Programs
These programs offer a structured and thoughtful guide for regaining sobriety. By following a series of steps, you can find spiritual support, connect with a community of individuals facing similar challenges, and work towards a fulfilling and substance-free life.
Get the Help You Need Today at Woodland Recovery Center
There’s nothing quite like taking your care into your own hands and working to regain a life that is happy and far from the influence of drugs. A growing number of drug rehab centers are turning to co-occurring disorders treatment as a means of treating addiction and ensuring that sobriety lasts the rest of your life. At Woodland Recovery Center, we help those in our care work through their mental health symptoms during treatment to give patients their greatest chance of finding lasting recovery. Call us today at 662.222.2989 or use our online contact form to learn more.
