It’s not unusual for people who suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction to also have underlying mood disorders that may be contributing to the need to self-medicate or escape with the use of alcohol or drugs. The term co-occurring disorder (also commonly referred to as dual diagnosis) is used for someone who has alcoholism or drug addiction coupled with a mental imbalance or illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bi-polar disorder, clinical depression or anxiety. Drug rehab for co-occurring disorders is a necessity for anyone who has problems with drugs and alcohol coupled with an underlying mood disorder.

Alcoholism or drug addictions of any sort always have a cause beyond the genetic predisposition and the addictive qualities of the drug or drugs being abused. Most often the underlying cause of substance abuse and addiction are rooted in depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any other nature of chemical imbalance. It is estimated that up to 70% of people enter drug rehab for co-occurring disorders. Addiction is best cured through efforts within the framework of specialized programs that include clinical therapy, education and group support.

At SouthCoast Recovery in Dana Point, California, we provide programs during inpatient drug rehab for co-occurring disorders. Our clinical therapist has 47 years experience in diagnosing and treating underlying disorders associated with alcoholism and drug addiction.

Depending on what disorder is present, the symptoms of a dual diagnosis patient can be different.some of these disorders include: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder, narcissistic personality, and depression. What takes time to find out is if the presenting symptoms were created from the drug and alcohol use or were present all along.

To avoid reversion, the dually diagnosed person must keep their disorder in check and take their prescribed medication, and to avoid the deterioration of the psychiatric disorder, the addict must not return to the use or abuse of drugs/alcohol.

People with dual diagnosis are often in denial. They may ignore their issues completely or not take their problems as seriously as they should. Often, family and friends must resort to having a professional intervention in order to get the person into a dual diagnosis treatment program so the recovery process can begin.