Taking an assessment for dual diagnoses may answer a lot of your questions about your addiction.
The majority of women with drug or alcohol addictions also suffer from co-occurring disorders.
You may or may not be aware that you have one. It’s possible that you’re not even completely
sure what these terms mean.
Co-occurring disorders are usually the issues that drive women to use drugs or alcohol as
a coping mechanism. They’re debilitating, and they make it much harder to recover from the addiction.
What are Co-Occurring Disorders?
A co-occurring disorder is a mental illness that can occur alongside alcohol or drug addiction. Sometimes
these conditions appear prior to the substance abuse. However, there are cases when they happen
afterward. Either way, they need to be treated in an appropriate manner.
Unfortunately, so many women feel ashamed when they learn they have a co-occurring disorder. This
might be the feeling you’re experiencing as well. You should know that about half of all female
addicts suffer from them, so it’s actually quite normal.
There are a lot of different types of dual diagnoses. They include:
- Bipolar disorder
- Bipolar 2 disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- ADHD or ADD
- Schizophrenia
- Dysthymia
- Personality disorders
You should never attempt to self-diagnose if you think you have a dual diagnosis.
Based on your symptoms, you may think you know what you are dealing with. It’s
even possible that you’re correct. However, it’s better to talk with a professional
to get the help you need.
Dual diagnosis treatment can help you by providing you with the type of treatment
you need for your addiction. Many years ago, the two conditions were never treated
at the same time. Patients would detox from substances, and then they would receive
therapy for their mental illnesses. Keeping the two types of treatment separate
didn’t allow for any collaboration between providers. The women never learned
that their
mental illnesses were contributing to their addictions. As a result, proper
healing didn’t take place.
Today, we know that the two conditions often coincide, so they must be treated together.
Dual diagnosis treatment offers you hope because it addresses all aspects of
co-occurring disorders. It’s definitely something that you should consider.
Where Can Women Turn When They Need Dual Diagnosis Treatment?
If are in need of dual diagnosis treatment, we can help you here at
Women’s Recovery. We know how it feels to believe that you need to self-medicate your feelings
away. At this point, using drugs or alcohol might be the only way you know to cope. We want you
to know that there are other ways, and that healing is possible.
We offer the best help for co-occurring disorders for women in Colorado. We’d love nothing more than
to talk with you about your condition and explain our services. We’re confident that you can
reach your recovery goals.