Everyone experiences a certain amount of anxiety from time to time, but anxiety disorders are much more severe and have serious consequences on a person’s ability to live a normal life. Because of this, some people who suffer from an anxiety disorder such as General Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Phobia or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) will attempt to self-medicate their symptoms by turning to alcohol or drugs. Using substances may provide a temporary escape, but it does not solve the underlying problem. In fact, abusing drugs or alcohol will only increase the severity of a person’s anxiety symptoms over time.
If you suffer from an anxiety disorder and have developed an addiction to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with it, you have what is called a dual diagnosis. This is a common diagnosis among people with mental health issues, and one you should not be ashamed of. In fact, there are many drug and alcohol rehabs that specialize in dual diagnosis treatment and are ready to help you get your life back on track.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Anxiety Disorder
One of the most effective ways to treat co-occurring disorders is through residential substance abuse treatment programs. During residential treatment, the patient will receive several hours of intensive treatment each day or each week that includes substance abuse treatment and mental health support. This treatment typically includes individual and group counseling, cognitive-behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, 12-step programs, and other mental health services.
Another highly effective form of treatment is holistic dual diagnosis treatment. Holistic dual diagnosis treatments seek to heal the person as a whole — mind, body and spirit.
Instead of treating the substance addiction and the underlying disorder separately, a holistic approach treats all the issues as one. Since most addictions are a symptom of an underlying problem, thus making them an interconnected web, holistic treatments for dual diagnosis are often much more effective. The most common forms of holistic dual diagnosis treatments are massage, yoga, acupressure, herbal medicines, and diet and nutritional counseling.
If you or someone you know has dual diagnosis symptoms of anxiety disorder and substance abuse, a dual diagnosis rehab can finally put you or loved one on a healing path to recovery.
Call Casa Palmera today and ask how their dual diagnosis program can work for you.
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