What is a Dual Diagnosis?
A dual diagnosis is known as a comorbidity, which includes both a mental and physical ailment happening at the same time. Many people in America with drug and alcohol problems experience a dual diagnosis. American mental health treatment has dissipated significantly in the last few decades, and thus, people with mental health diagnoses have been more vulnerable. Ultimately, many people with mental health issues end up with substance abuse issues and are thus in need of a dual diagnosis facility.
When we think of mental health issues, we often become fatalistic and think of the most difficult problems we can imagine. Any mental health professional will tell you that mental health diagnoses are far more common than we realize. Everything from depression to borderline personality disorder and eating disorders exists all across humanity, and no community is immune to mental health troubles. These troubles result in dual diagnoses quite often, especially in areas where the population is struggling with poverty and other forms of social isolation.
As many states defunded their public health programs in the 1980s and 1990s, many people discovered that these untreated mental health issues resulted in increased drug and alcohol abuse. Thus, the escalation of the need for facilities to treat these issues at the back end of patient care became more important. If we are not addressing mental health concerns at their root causes, we are forced to contend with these issues as they manifest themselves in our daily lives. Thus, dual diagnoses (which you can learn more about here: https://www.britannica.com/science/diagnosis) are incredibly common and should be addressed directly.
Why Aurora, Colorado?
Aurora, also known as The Gateway to the Rockies, was a Cheyenne and Sioux stronghold for many centuries. The mountainous landscape provided mental health benefits for all who resided there and in fact, many indigenous tribes pay particular respect to the mountain ranges in the area. When considering a dual diagnosis rehab, one must think of a place that will be the perfect setting to convalesce and regenerate.
Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful mountain paradise. Do you smell that crisp Colorado air? What about those cool breezes that gently caress you as you close your eyes and sip a cup of herbal tea? This might just be a perfect setting for a dual diagnosis rehab.
Imagine you are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of having completed two tours of Afghanistan. Imagine you are battling anxiety disorders after eight contractually obligated years of jumping out of planes. Consider the years of alcohol abuse you may have endured in an attempt to battle the painful experiences you had as a result of being a military professional. Where do you want to convalesce? What is the perfect setting for a person who served their country with valor and vigor, only to struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues after returning home?
Aurora has some of the best medical facilities in the world alongside the beautiful Wetlands once inhabited by the indigenous Sioux. When you are experiencing a comorbidity diagnosis, you need all the assistance you can get to heal and repair at an appropriate pace. It is important that you are healing in a medical facility that has the correct infrastructure to heal both of your diagnoses at the same time. A concurrent diagnosis requires the kind of time and care that a location with robust medical facilities can handle, and thus, should not be taken lightly. A dual diagnosis rehab Aurora facility is likely to be equipped to help you significantly.
It is especially important that you convalesce somewhere that help you battle the urge to abuse alcohol and drugs again. Cravings for substances that harm you mentally and physically are difficult to battle, and it is important to be in an inpatient facility that is able to help you achieve the mental strength to separate yourself from the influences, people, places and things that thrust you into the arms of substances in the first place. That is why when you are looking for somewhere to rehabilitate yourself, you should strongly consider the Gateway to the Rockies.
Treating Dual Diagnoses
It is not just enough to receive the correct prescription medication that will assist you in overcoming a substance abuse habit. The correct medical facility will indeed have the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals and paraprofessionals to administer your medications in a correct and timely fashion. You also need mental health professionals like psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and counselors. Substance abuse counselors tend to be more effective when they have the support of other professionals in the same place.
As a result, dual diagnoses should be treated holistically. Support groups are a key component of this approach. It is important to not just be in a program that will provide tried and true methods of recovery. Click here to read more about 12 Step programs. One must also treat the other diagnosis in tandem, meaning one might straddle multiple concurrent groups that reflect your multiple concurrent diagnoses. In this way, the right treatment facility will have the appropriate support staff as you trod on your journey to consistent sobriety.
It is especially important that you have resources to cope with your mental health and substance abuse issues for the rest of your life. People say they are five and ten years sober because they know they cannot have even a drop of alcohol or any of the gateway drugs that may lead them to using more illicit and harmful drugs. If you relapse, the correct aftercare will help you surmount the struggle of experiencing this addiction again. Many people relapse several times before they are finally free of addiction, and even those who have been addiction-free for decades will still tell you they struggle at times.
That is why it is important to seek a facility that offers tenable aftercare that provides you with the same level of support and holistic treatment that you can access at home. Accessible aftercare should be built into the program you choose. The program should take your geographical location into careful account and help you find support groups, therapists and other forms of holistic care when you leave your facility and arrive home. You should be equipped with the tool kit provided to you at the facility and you should also receive assistance once you are discharged.
