Co-Occurring Disorders Archives - Freeman Recovery Center

Treatment Centers for PTSD

Written by Freeman Recovery on January 5, 2024. Posted in Addiction Recovery, Co-Occurring Disorders, Dual Diagnosis, Inpatient Rehab, Mental Health.

Researchers find trauma is the common thread in the development of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders. As a result, treatment centers for PTSD are addressing the needs of those with a dual diagnosis.

Dual diagnosis is the condition for someone diagnosed with a mental health condition and a subsequent substance use disorder. Fortunately, professionals have found trauma therapy an essential component in addressing the roots of both conditions. Thus PTSD treatment centers are key to healing.

PTSD: How and Why It Occurs

PTSD is a complex mental health condition occurring as the result of a traumatic experience. Mental health researchers continue to build a better understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma to include individual trauma therapy as a beneficial treatment option.

Co-occurring disorders, such as PTSD and substance use disorders, find their roots in trauma, and each needs to be a consideration when seeking treatment. An initial evaluation is essential in correctly diagnosing new patients in treatment centers.

Trauma experiences such as war, natural disasters, sexual assault, physical abuse, severe accidents, or being a victim of a violent crime are often initiators in the development of PTSD.

Diagnosis must occur at least 30 days after a traumatic event, but in some cases, symptoms do not appear until months or even years later. Three parts of the brain have a connection to processing trauma. Finally, hormones, or neurotransmitters, also have a contributing effect on coping with trauma.

PTSD, Trauma, and The Brain

Below are facts about trauma and the brain:

The amygdala helps control emotions, survival instincts, and memory. Responsible for the fight or flight response. It can become hyperactive, causing a person to experience hypervigilance, an intense awareness of everything around them. This protective force makes sleeping, relaxing, or finding joy challenging.
The hippocampus aids in learning and memory. Studies have found that people who have a trauma may have a smaller hippocampus than those who have not. The constant high levels of stress hormones may damage or destroy cells in this area of the brain. People who have PTSD find it difficult to form memories but have vivid memories of their trauma.
The prefrontal cortex is responsible for the regulation of emotions and helps the amygdala maintain control. Helping to calm the fight or flight response when understanding safety is present for most people, those affected by trauma find disruptions in the ability of the prefrontal cortex to regulate fear and other emotions, leading to feelings of panic, anxiety, and dysfunctional out-of-place reactions.

Treatment centers for PTSD therapy have a solid grasp of the mind-body connection and how trauma affects people in different ways. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of PTSD is vital during the evaluation process and confirming dual diagnosis.

Many symptoms of trauma are similar to the symptoms of PTSD. Unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance use, are common for finding relief from uncomfortable PTSD and trauma symptoms.

The following symptoms stand out in the assessment of patients’ mental health and experiences with trauma:

Intrusive thoughts and memories
Hypervigilance and hyperarousal
Loss of interest in once-important activities
Avoidance behaviors
Unhealthy coping mechanisms

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Continual advances in research have found that C-PTSD, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, shares many of the symptoms common with PTSD. The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies finds that people with C-PTSD also have problems with regulating emotions and managing feelings.

Another symptom is having a negative self-concept and feeling different from others, which breeds issues in maintaining a positive self-image. Lastly, interpersonal problems stand out, including challenges in trusting other people.

PTSD Treatment Centers Offering Trauma Therapy with Treatment

Typically, people who are uncomfortable or in distress look to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to escape. Trauma experiences and PTSD carry severe symptoms that are difficult to escape from.

Treatment centers for PTSD utilize new evidence-based therapies, such as trauma therapy, to empower patients to investigate their past trauma. In conjunction with other behavioral therapies, new coping mechanisms grow stronger with the new understanding of how trauma works and how to heal from it.

Individual and Group Therapy in PTSD Treatment Centers

Evidence-based therapies are essential in substance use treatment for changing behaviors and forming new, healthy, sober mindsets. Individual cognitive-behavioral and group therapies offer crucial tools for incorporating new healthy coping mechanisms and finding peer support.

Building trust in group therapy sessions by learning how to share insecurities and past experiences that may be painful initiates personal growth. These therapies are beneficial in combination with trauma therapy for those with PTSD and a co-occurring substance use disorder.

Risk Factors for Trauma and PTSD

The risk factors for trauma and PTSD can lie in family history, dysfunctional family relationships, and those with a military or combat background. The symptoms of PTSD can trigger someone to self-medicate with substances, especially if there is a family history of substance use.

People exposed to domestic violence—including children—may have escalating symptoms from unresolved traumas that lead to substance use. People with anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions may need an evaluation to check for PTSD as well.

Signs of PTSD

Not all people who experience traumatic events develop post-traumatic stress disorder. About a month after experiencing a trauma, symptoms can intensify and become distracting or uncomfortable. For others, symptoms may appear months or a year later.

It is imperative to seek professional mental health before symptoms become unmanageable. Those with concerns must contact a medical or mental health professional.

The following are signs of PTSD:

Intrusive or negative thoughts, flashbacks, or nightmares
Avoidance behaviors cause people to avoid people and places that may be associated with trauma
Changes in behavior
Mood swings
Uncomfortable physical symptoms

Transform Trauma in Tennessee and Live the Life You Deserve

The after-effects of untreated trauma experience may be apparent in the challenging symptoms of PTSD and a substance use disorder. Trauma specialists with Freeman Recovery Center in Tennessee are changing the treatment options for people with trauma in their pasts. A thorough evaluation is a phone call away to begin a journey to wellness.

Contact Freeman Recovery Center to ask any additional questions that may remain.

woman with dual diagnosis of substance use and mental health disorder

What Does Dual Diagnosis Treatment Include?

Written by Freeman Recovery on June 2, 2023. Posted in Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment, Co-Occurring Disorders, Dual Diagnosis, Mental Health.

Those diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorder may be interested in dual diagnosis treatment. It is not uncommon for those with a substance use disorder to also be experiencing a co-occurring mental health disorder. Therefore, finding a treatment center that offers evidence-based therapies for both diagnoses must be a significant priority. Those seeking treatment must consult a medical or mental health professional for a correct diagnosis.

Treatment centers offer the most up-to-date therapies for both conditions in one comprehensive plan. Some centers concentrate only on substance use disorders. Dual-diagnosis treatment experts realize substance use disorders can stem from mental health issues. Thus, evidence-based therapies will complement each other.

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis concludes the diagnosed person has both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health condition at the same time. For example, this can include someone who abuses alcohol and has depression. Symptoms of both disorders could be confused, and it can also be challenging to determine which disorder came first.

However, more than 50% of those with a significant mental health disorder are also diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Therefore, finding dual diagnosis treatment is imperative to treat the whole person and both disorders. The most common dual diagnoses include substance use and anxiety or mood disorders.

However, more than half with a substance use disorder suffer from an emotional, psychological, or psychiatric condition. Dual diagnosis treatment provides experienced mental health professionals who understand how the 2 disorders are linked. On the other hand, ADD, ADHD, schizophrenia, and some personality disorders cannot be excluded.

Mood and anxiety disorders often co-occur with a substance use disorder. Someone can abuse drugs or alcohol while experiencing any of the following:

Bipolar disorder
Major depressive disorder
Dysthymia disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder

The Dual Diagnosis Process and Timelines

An assessment or evaluation from a medical or mental health provider will provide a diagnosis for dual diagnosis treatment. The assessment will include a wide range of screening tools a healthcare provider uses. However, it is helpful for the patient to be honest during the evaluation to have all pertinent data in forming the diagnoses. Unfortunately, a 2002 study found that only 12% of the 4 million dual-diagnosis adults received treatment for both conditions.

Medical professionals must make a thorough assessment for a substance use disorder because alcohol, drugs, and other substances can change brain chemistry and function. Conversely, those experiencing an undiagnosed mental health disorder may begin using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate.

Mental health disorders have affected the brain’s reward center, increasing the probability of addiction. It is difficult to establish which diagnosis came first, but dual diagnosis treatment offers the best chance for recovery.

After completing an assessment and confirming the diagnosis, the dual diagnosis treatment timeline includes several processes. Once the admissions process is complete, the results from the review allow for a comprehensive treatment plan. However, detox must occur before further treatment can begin. The decision for inpatient or outpatient treatment after detox determines the length of the program.

Who Is A Dual Diagnosis Treatment For?

Dual diagnosis treatment is for people with a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder. Unfortunately, establishing treatment for only one disorder almost always meant that the second condition was often left untreated. Therefore, 2 or more diagnoses are the qualifiers for dual diagnosis treatment. Quite often, depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder all exist together.

What Are the Benefits Of Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Studies have proven that dual diagnosis treatment is most successful when both conditions treat simultaneously, as one condition feeds off the other. In addition, the separate issues often feed off one another, making it essential to address both for success. Consequently, each type of therapy for both diagnoses supports the other for a successful long-term recovery and prevention of relapse.

Signs and Symptoms of A Dual Diagnosis Disorder

Drug tests offer a definitive answer concerning the type of substances with a substance use disorder; determining what mental health disorder is involved is more challenging. However, signs and symptoms can be shared with many mental health disorders, so screening tools are available for mental health professionals to diagnose. Finally, with dual diagnosis treatment, the symptoms of both conditions can be similar.

The signs and symptoms of a mental health condition could include any of the following:

Mood swings
Confusion
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Withdrawal from relationships
Suicidal thoughts

The symptoms of drug or alcohol abuse could include any of the following:

Risky behavior
Isolation from friends and family
Changes in behavior
High tolerance for the substance
Withdrawal symptoms
Continually using the substance despite the dangers
Feelings of needing to be on the substance to function normally

Effects of Undiagnosed Dual Diagnosis

When a dual diagnosis is not correctly identified, the patient can suffer substantial physical and mental consequences. For example, those who have substance use disorder and depression have a much higher risk of developing suicidal thoughts and overdose. On the other hand, an untreated mental health disorder can lead to unemployment, disability, homelessness, poor quality of life, and even incarceration. Many social problems begin with mental health disorders left untreated.

Both substance use disorder and mental health conditions left untreated can negatively affect relationships with friends, families and coworkers. Physical health can be adversely affected due to a lack of self-care and the ability to recognize the seriousness of symptoms. Escalation of either condition could have very dire results. Therefore, dual diagnosis treatment is essential for seeking help in recovery.

Explore the Importance of Treating Dual Diagnosis in Tennessee

If you are experiencing a substance use disorder and are seeking treatment, our experts can help determine if you have a dual diagnosis. Freeman Recovery Center in Tennessee offers a comprehensive treatment plan and a compassionate staff who understand the difficulties 2 diagnoses can present. Visit our website and see the beautiful location of our center. While you are gathering more information, fill out an inquiry form to allow us to contact you for answers to your questions.

Call today.

Insurance Paperwork for Carelon Rehab in Nashville, TN

Employee Assistance Programs for Addiction

Written by Freeman Recovery on May 12, 2023. Posted in Addiction Recovery, Addiction Treatment, Co-Occurring Disorders, Mental Health, Uncategorized.

A surprising statistic from Harvard Health states over seventy percent of people with a substance use disorder are employed. Subsequently, employers can no longer ignore these numbers and the effects of employees working with decreased productivity.

Furthermore, solutions to the consequences of affected company profitability include benefits such as Employee Assistance Programs for addiction. But, most importantly, the company supports its employees and maintains productivity.

Understanding Employee Assistance Program for Addiction

Employee Assistance Programs for addiction assist employed employees in trauma or crisis. For example, short-term counseling and other options can treat behavioral health, personal issues, grief, workplace violence, and substance use disorders. However, the benefits are state coverage for substance use disorder treatment.

Fortunately, for those who are actively addicted, recovering from a substance use disorder, or need aftercare, the human resources department may provide an EAP to access support. Employee Assistance Programs for addiction are available to resolve the substance use disorder for the employee and ensure workplace viability for the employer.

In addition, EAPs help employees resolve issues that are affecting their job performance. Furthermore, confidential counseling or therapy and referrals for outside resources and treatment are available for employees. Finally, by offering benefits, EAPs address the company’s overall productivity, profitability, employee morale, and culture.

Some of the most common consequences of substance abuse in the workplace include:

Decreased productivity through absenteeism, distractions, and reduced quality of work
High turnover rates, reduced employee morale, engagement, and trust
Workplace theft
Rise in workplace injuries and fatalities

How Do Employee Assistance Programs Work?

Employers have found that forming Employee Assistance Programs for addiction benefits employees and the company. In addition, this benefit offers free and confidential services to help an employee experiencing a substance use disorder. However, employers do not need to be aware of the problem; the EAP works to assist employee confidentiality. Finally, this process protects the employer in keeping a safe workplace and the employee receiving treatment for the SUD.

Once an employee encounters a problem, contact with the EAP occurs. Secondly, the program performs an assessment or evaluation of the situation. In addition, the professional component advises the employee who needs treatment. Finally, Employee Assistance Programs for addiction treatment will refer employees to a treatment center to meet their needs.

To make the process transparent, the Employee Assistance Programs for addiction are the facilitators of the process only. Consequently, the employee’s insurance coverage pays for treatment and some of the costs of rehab facilities.

In addition, it is the responsibility of the employee to find financing or other means to pay the costs of treatment insurance will not cover. Most importantly, employees who experience a substance use disorder can rely on a professional advisor through employment to recapture their lives.

Common Types of EAPs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) attests to three types of Employee Assistance Programs for addiction. However, in determining how to face the challenges of seeking treatment for a substance use disorder, EAPs can facilitate helpful information to stay employed and receive help. In addition, families can receive support as well for family therapy. Fortunately, the pressure of losing employment at such a vital time is not a threat.

Common types of Employee Assistance Programs include:

Internal Employee Assistance Programs working on-site at the workplace to access in person
External Employee Assistance Program works off-site of the company, including access by a toll-free phone number
Blended Employee Assistance Programs have representatives on and off-site of the employment
Management-Sponsored Programs use management as a sponsor instead of a union, but some extend by using both entities
Member Assisted Programs process through a union
Peer-Based Programs: Sponsors include peers and co-workers

The Pros and Cons of Employee Assistance Programs

Employment protection in times of crisis is the goal of EAPs, while also serving the employees and their families respectfully. Consequently, those struggling with a drug or alcohol use disorder must stay employed to keep their medical benefits and afford rehab. However, weighing out the pros and cons of utilizing an Employee Assistance Program for addiction is an intelligent way to make decisions. Finally, keeping focused on the goal of sobriety is paramount.

The pros of an Employee Assistance Program for addiction could be any of the following:

First, the EAP is a free service and confidential.
Secondly, an objective third party assesses and evaluates to find the best treatment plan.
Third, family members are eligible for counseling services.
Finally, EAPs can facilitate a leave of absence from work for treatment.

The only cons in utilizing an Employee Assistance Program for addiction is that the free and confidential advice can only go so far. However, once the employee contacts the treatment facility from the referral, the employee must advocate for themself. In addition, financial decisions are the responsibility of the employee. Consequently, the EAP is the driving force for seeking help in the initial crisis stage.

Specific Benefits of EAPs

Each Employee Assistance Program for Addiction has its own rules and regulations. But programs always benefit a company’s employees and their family members. Furthermore, EAPs include a variety of vital services for employees. The following list of services in most EAPs consists of the following components.

The services commonly provided are listed below:

Addiction treatment referrals
Substance abuse treatment
Employee education and training
Individual counseling
Legal assistance and referrals
Elder care service referrals
Adoption assistance

Learn About Employee Assistance Programs in Tennessee

If you or a loved one are experiencing a substance use disorder and trying to maintain employment, Freeman Recovery Center in Tennessee can assist you. In addition, if the Employee Assistance Program in your workplace is trying to refer to an experienced and professional treatment center to begin recovery, our intake staff can participate in facilitating your entry. Our compassionate team understands the struggle of maintaining employment while finding help.

Contact our specialists today.

woman struggling with co-occurring conditions of anxiety and substance abuse

Addiction’s Most Common Co-Occurring Conditions

Written by Freeman Recovery on March 3, 2023. Posted in Addiction Treatment, Co-Occurring Disorders, Dual Diagnosis, Mental Health.

Co-occurring conditions refer to experiencing a mental illness while locked in a substance use disorder. While many combinations are possible, some are more common than others. Therefore, when seeking treatment for a substance use disorder, it is vital to simultaneously receive treatment for the co-occurring mental health disorder. In addition, educating yourself on the warning signs will help you understand the difficulties faced in treatment.

Mental health disorders and addiction coexist because those struggling with depression or extreme anxiety may resort to drugs or alcohol for relief. On the other hand, those struggling with an addiction can become depressed because of their helplessness. Co-occurring conditions are often referred to as dual-diagnosis. Damaged mental health is common for those experiencing a substance use disorder.

Why Mental Health Disorders Co-Occur with Substance Use Disorders

There are some possibilities for why co-occurring conditions exist between mental health and substance abuse disorders. However, it’s not always true that one caused the other, and it can be difficult to discern which disorder occurred first. Both mental health disorders and substance use disorders can develop from the same genetic and risk factors. In addition, each type of disorder can trigger the other to occur through self-medication. Finally, altered brain functioning with addiction can, in turn, cause the development of a mental health disorder.

Different substances tend to be co-occurring conditions with certain mental illnesses. Alcohol use disorders are closely linked to anxiety-related disorders at a rate of twenty to forty percent. Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder are the most common co-occurring mental disorders with an alcohol use disorder. Because alcohol is so easily obtainable, alcohol use disorders occur more frequently and can be a coping mechanism for extreme anxiety.

Many people with a substance use disorder use drugs to cope with mental health disorder symptoms. Dual diagnosis is a broad category of situations with co-occurring conditions. Determining this diagnosis before choosing a treatment center is crucial to treat both conditions simultaneously. Discussing this during intake phone calls can clear up any confusion and be sure all needs are met.

Common Co-Occurring Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Just as some anxiety disorders facilitate the development of an alcohol use disorder, PTSD is similar. Struggling with symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, high anxiety, and quickly triggered fearful episodes, many with PTSD reach out to alcohol to cope. The inability to understand or resolve past trauma is often the cause of addictions, but trauma therapy can address and treat this disorder. Co-occurring conditions feed each other in more ways than one.

Alcohol use disorders can interrupt the ability to discern how to navigate through life without inviting life-threatening and traumatic events. In addition, co-occurring conditions can erupt in the inability to sleep properly, cope with troubled thinking, and resolve memories that continually erupt in turbulence in emotions. Treatment for alcohol use disorder and PTSD helps to resolve old traumas and end the need for harmful coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, veterans and abuse victims have a high percentage of these co-occurring conditions.

Alcohol Use Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder

A very high percentage of those with an antisocial personality disorder also have a substance use disorder, with alcohol being the most common drug. These co-occurring conditions are fed by an inability to relate to people healthily. Quite often, those with antisocial personality disorder have abnormal or destructive behaviors. Using alcohol in excess only exacerbates the mental health disorder.

Substance Use Disorders and Mood Disorders

Among the most common co-occurring conditions are substance use disorders and mood disorders. Major depressive and bipolar disorders are the most significant disorders affecting behavior. Wrought with challenging behaviors, dysfunctional mood levels, energy, and sleep disruptions, mood disorders cause a need for relief. Substance use is the easiest way to deal with these signs and symptoms.

Increasing the possibility of dysfunctional relationships and substance use disorders with co-occurring mood disorders prolongs the signs and symptoms of each entity. In addition, experiencing long-term co-occurring conditions here increases negative thinking and the chance of suicide. The mood disorder causes a need for relief and results in more drug use. Treatment facilities are most likely able to treat this combination of disorders.

Cocaine Addiction and Anxiety Disorder

Cocaine is responsible for influencing the development of almost ten psychiatric problems. Inducing feelings of paranoia, users can participate in violent behavior patterns. Symptoms of cocaine addiction include hallucinations, insomnia, paranoia, and more. This can spur anxiety and eventually cause the co-occurring condition of an anxiety disorder.

Heroin and Depression

Depression and heroin usage are hazardous because of the changes in brain chemistry. These co-occurring conditions counteract the production of neurotransmitters in the brain and reap the inability to experience happiness without the drug. This combination is, unfortunately, debilitating. In addition, there is a high probability of overdose and suicide with this combination.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Conditions

Treatment for co-occurring conditions is possible and essential to treat simultaneously. Once detox has been completed, treatment must begin immediately. When seeking a treatment center, inquire about their programs for dual diagnosis. Mental health professionals typically resort to behavior modification therapies to change coping mechanisms. Delving into past traumatic experiences to resolve them is crucial for those with those backgrounds.

Find Help with Addictions Most Common Co-Occurring Conditions in Tennessee

Find help with your loved one’s addiction and co-occurring condition if you are in Tennessee by contacting Freeman Recovery Center in Nashville, TN. We are very familiar with how one disorder interacts with a co-occurring condition to escalate the symptoms. We have current treatment protocols and use best practices to treat both the SUD and mental illness. Contact us for more information.