Co-Occurring Disorders: Why Treating Mental Health and Addiction Together Is Crucial

You may have heard of the term’ co-occurring disorders’, which refers to a condition where someone has both an addiction and a mental health disorder at the same time.

For instance, a person could be dealing with anxiety and substance use disorder or bipolar disorder and alcoholism.

These are not isolated cases but common examples of co-occurring disorders that many individuals face.

Dealing with both mental health and addiction is a complex process that necessitates professional help and guidance. You should not attempt to navigate this journey alone, and there are professionals ready to support you.

It’s important to understand that it’s not unusual for one condition to intensify the other, making the healing process more intricate than dealing with isolated mental health and addiction disorders.

For instance, someone grappling with an anxiety disorder may use alcohol to manage their symptoms.

Or an individual may develop anxiety symptoms as a result of chronic drinking.

This article explores why treating mental health and addiction at the same time is crucial for those seeking lasting recovery.

If you need help and support for a co-occurring disorder, our professional team at White River Manor is here to help.

No matter your struggles, you are not alone. Help and guidance are available; you don’t need to suffer in silence.

Please speak to one of our friendly professionals today to learn more about our addiction and mental health treatment programmes.

Co-occurring disorders: Why treating mental health and addiction together is crucial

Addiction and mental health disorders often go hand-in-hand.

When a person struggles with both, they are often diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder, a condition that is sometimes referred to as ‘dual diagnosis’ or ‘concurrent disorder’.

As mentioned, treating these disorders together is essential for lasting wellness and recovery.

Here’s why:

1. One condition fuels the other

Individuals often self-medicate to help them cope with the symptoms of a mental health condition like depression or anxiety.

They may use drugs like opioids or cocaine or self-medicate through other substances like alcohol or marijuana to manage their symptoms, which can offer temporary relief from their suffering.

On the other hand, substance abuse can worsen mental health symptoms, which can create a cycle of dependence and emotional distress.

For instance, someone who drinks to ‘drown their sorrows’ may find relief from their discomfort in the short term.

However, once the alcohol wears off, so does the comfort and reassurance one experiences when under the influence.

In this way, both addiction and mental illness fuel each other.

2. Treating only one disorder leads to relapse

Nowadays, most mental health and addiction rehab centres provide co-occurring disorder treatment to clients, as research continually shows that if only one condition is treated, relapse is far more likely to occur.

For instance, if only the addiction is treated, an individual’s underlying mental health struggles may trigger relapse in the future.

Let’s say someone with a mental health condition like PTSD engages in treatment for alcohol abuse, but their trauma symptoms remain unaddressed.

After some time, their flashbacks, nightmares, and symptoms of hypervigilance become so intense and distressing that they end up reaching for the bottle to manage or numb these symptoms.

Hence, the cycle of addiction and emotional distress continues to spiral.

Conversely, if only the mental health condition is treated but substance abuse continues, it can delay or interfere with medications, therapy, and overall progress.

Mental health and addiction disorders must be treated simultaneously through a root-cause-focused approach that explores the origins of both conditions, including trauma history, triggers, belief systems, and the individual’s unique coping mechanisms.

3. More effective, personalised treatment

Integrated, holistic treatment programmes provide dual-focused therapy to help individuals with co-occurring disorders overcome both conditions.

This may include talk therapy like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which allow individuals to explore and address maladaptive thoughts and beliefs that may cause or worsen their substance use.

These therapies provide psychoeducation to individuals with co-occurring disorders to help them better understand their addiction triggers and behaviours, replacing unhealthy coping skills with healthier alternatives.

Dual-focused therapy programmes also include medication management, medical detox, and trauma-informed treatment like EMDR therapy (eye movement desensitisation reprocessing) to help individuals reprocess past traumatic experiences in a safe, more empowering way.

Once an individual reprocesses their trauma, they become desensitised to the experiences that once caused them distress, including the emotions and coping mechanisms tied to these events, such as substance abuse and other self-sabotaging behaviours.

4. Improves long-term stability

Treating mental health and addiction issues together can help improve long-term stability for individuals with these disorders, enabling them to cultivate better emotional regulation skills and avoid relapse.

A good co-occurring disorder treatment cultivates overall well-being, fostering better relational dynamics, employment opportunities, and greater potential for personal growth and recovery.

Moreover, ongoing therapy, peer support, and self-exploration enable individuals to foster better self-care routines and compassion as they draw on the resources and guidance from their treatment team and support group.

These comprehensive recovery programmes provide a holistic framework where individuals engage in a process of multidimensional healing, including mind, body, and spirit.

Addressing these aspects is vital, as both addiction and mental health issues are not just rooted in the mind; they live in the body, impacting our belief systems, including our perception of safety and containment in the world.

Dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder treatment provides those in recovery with the long-term stability and support required to navigate life after treatment, leading to more favourable outcomes and lower relapse rates.

5. Streamlined treatment and care

Integrated approaches like dual-focused therapy offer more of a streamlined treatment, ensuring comprehensive programmes are provided without gaps.

For instance, co-occurring disorder treatment incorporates a multidisciplinary approach. 

Clinicians from various disciplines and backgrounds bring their expertise and knowledge into a programme to ensure an individual’s needs and preferences are integrated into their recovery plan.

For example, an individual with post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction may require a specific type of trauma-informed treatment and addiction therapy to ensure their needs and goals are tailored to their unique history, symptoms and challenges.

Co-occurring disorder treatment ensures a coherent approach to recovery by addressing all the various parts that need to be unpacked and worked through for an individual to achieve lasting sobriety and a seamless recovery experience.

Co-occurring disorder symptoms

Symptoms of co-occurring disorders vary and can depend on the specific mental health condition and substance use disorder you have.

However, common symptoms can include:

• Anxiety, such as excessive worry, restlessness, panic and fast heartbeat.

• Depression. Symptoms may include chronic fatigue, persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, and a loss of interest in the hobbies and activities you once enjoyed.

• Flashbacks, hypervigilance, and nightmares are common symptoms in individuals with PTSD.

• Increased tolerance means you need more substance to achieve the same effect.

• Withdrawal symptoms when not using the substance, such as nausea, shaking, anxiety, and sweating.

• Loss of control – needing more of a substance than intended or being unable to cut down or stop your intake of a substance.

• Risky behaviour. This may involve driving dangerously or while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

• Isolation and withdrawal from loved ones.

• Poor self-care and hygiene.

• Impaired decision-making and high impulsivity.

• Suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

The bottom line

Mental health and addiction are deeply intertwined, and treating both conditions together gives you a much better chance at lasting wellness and recovery.

Compassionate, supportive, integrated care is the key to helping you break the cycle of addiction while improving your emotional health and well-being.

Effective treatments that can help you achieve this include:

• Integrated dual diagnosis treatment includes behavioural therapy like CBT and DBT and motivational interviewing (MI).

• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including antidepressants or mood stabilisers for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. This may also involve addiction medication to help reduce cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms.

• Trauma-informed therapy, such as EMDR, helps you process past experiences that may contribute to substance use.

• Peer support groups. This may include group therapy, family support, and other support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

• Holistic therapies, such as yoga, mindfulness, art therapy, and equine therapy, help you feel more balanced, emotionally regulated, and in control of your life.

• Aftercare and support programmes. These approaches can help you navigate life after inpatient treatment, helping you cultivate healthy coping mechanisms, manage triggers and cravings, and avoid relapse.

How we can help: Co-occurring disorder treatment in South Africa

At White River Manor, we provide comprehensive, personalised treatment to clients with a range of addiction and mental health issues, including co-occurring disorders.

Our holistic programmes blend evidence-based treatment with experiential approaches to ensure the best recovery outcome possible. 

These include behavioural therapy, trauma-focused treatment, a comprehensive 12-step programme, and ongoing aftercare and support.

Our approach ensures our clients get the breakthrough and results they need to begin living a healthier, more fulfilling, substance-free life—a life they could have only envisioned at the beginning.

To learn more about our mental health and addiction programmes, contact our professional team in South Africa today, who will gladly help.

Recovery is just a phone call away.