Dual Diagnosis Treatment At Spring Hill

It’s not uncommon for people facing addiction to be experiencing another mental health disorder, also known as a dual diagnosis. Through our residential program at Spring Hill, you can receive the integrated dual diagnosis care and support that is proven to deliver the best outcomes, helping people achieve lasting recovery.

This includes the development of a personalized treatment plan based on your individual needs, with treatment solutions that include psychological evaluation, evidence-based therapies, psychoeducation for you and your family members, peer support, holistic treatment options, and more.

Residential Treatment For Dual Diagnosis Recovery At Spring Hill

Our compassionate care team offers the leading dual diagnosis treatment approaches in a serene, natural setting among the mountains and forests of central Massachusetts. All treatments and support services are client-centered, based on your individual needs and recovery goals. Our residential setting with a strong focus on community-building is conducive to learning and strengthening healthy habits and coping skills for a lifetime of success in recovery.

Detox Connection

As part of our comprehensive recovery services, we can connect clients in need of drug and alcohol detox services with our sister facility near Boston or another nearby medical detox provider before beginning residential treatment at Spring Hill. This includes arranging transportation to Spring Hill once your withdrawal symptoms have subsided and you have stabilized.

Evidence-Based Therapies

Our compassionate clinicians provide therapies that are scientifically proven to help people with dual diagnoses achieve recovery, including the following:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): for identifying and addressing negative thought patterns that lead to substance use and mental health symptoms
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): a behavioral therapy that is particularly beneficial for people who experience emotions intensely
• Group therapy: for a sense of community and belonging, and opportunities to discover and develop coping skills, communication skills, and other recovery-focused skills
• Motivational interviewing (MI): a therapy technique that helps people identify their own motivation for recovery
• Solution-focused therapy (SFT): for drawing on the strengths that a person already has in developing solutions for recovery

Art and music therapy are also available, allowing you to explore your creativity and the healing benefits this offers.

Family Psychoeducation & Therapy

In many cases, family members and/or spouses can play a critical role in their loved one’s recovery journey, while receiving support for their own well-being at the same time. Psychoeducation courses can help with this. Spring Hill’s virtual five-week family education series helps families understand and participate in the recovery process. Family therapy and couples’ therapy are also available when further support is needed.

Peer Support, MAT, & Other Treatment Options

We also provide clients with peer support options for building other avenues of connection and support. Other treatment options include case management, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options for clients facing alcohol or opioid use disorder, aftercare planning (including the option of continuing care at our outpatient treatment center in Quincy, MA), and more.

You will also have the opportunity to experience the healing benefits of nature on our over 70-acre campus, with walking paths, sports fields, a meditation garden, weekly bonfires, yard games, and more. Additional amenities include gender-separate residences, chef-prepared meals, an onsite fitness room and yoga studio, and more.

Our unique combination of evidence-based treatments and a serene healing environment makes us a leading treatment provider in New England.

Learn More About Dual Diagnosis

“Dual diagnosis” is a common term used when substance use disorder (SUD), or addiction, and another mental health disorder occur together, also known as co-occurring disorders. However, co-occurring disorders can refer to any two mental health disorders that occur together, not just those involving an SUD, such as PTSD and depression.

There is a strong link between addiction and other mental health disorders, but not necessarily because one causes the other. These disorders also share many of the same risk factors, including family history, trauma, etc.

However in some cases, drugs or alcohol may be used to self-medicate symptoms of a mental health disorder, and an addiction eventually develops. Addiction comes first in some other cases, with substance use triggering changes in the brain that make the person more susceptible to another mental health disorder.

Dual diagnoses are common. About a third of people with mental illnesses also experience an SUD, and about a third of people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), and more than half of people with drug addictions, also have a mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Addiction And Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, with almost a third of U.S. adults expected to experience one at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Having an anxiety disorder and addiction is also common.

Common co-occurring substance abuse and anxiety disorders include:

• addiction and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• addiction and social anxiety disorder
• addiction and panic disorder
• addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Addiction And Stress-Related Disorders

Stress disorders occur after a person has experienced a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events. Similar to anxiety disorders, stress disorders can cause fear, dread, and avoidance. They can also cause insomnia, flashbacks, a heightened startle response, and other distressing symptoms.

Some of the most common stress disorders co-occurring with addiction include:

• addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• addiction and acute stress disorder (ASD)

Addiction And Mood Disorders

According to research on co-occurring disorders, mood disorders are among the most common disorders that co-occur with substance use disorders. While many drugs create an immediate euphoric high, long-term substance use can lead to mental health issues such as depression. Likewise, depression and other mood disorders may cause people to seek relief through drugs and alcohol.

Common co-occurring substance abuse and mood disorders include:

• addiction and depression
• addiction and bipolar disorder

Addiction And Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders are conditions that originate from non-typical brain development. These conditions can impact thought patterns, behavior, and communication.

Some common neurodevelopmental disorders that co-occur with addiction include:

• addiction and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• addiction and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• addiction and Tourette syndrome (TS)

Addiction And Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are disorders that impact how people think, respond emotionally, and interact with other people. Personality disorders result in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that cause distress.

Research suggests that people with personality disorders experience higher rates of substance use disorder than the general population.

Common co-occurring substance abuse and personality disorders include:

• addiction and schizophrenia
• addiction and antisocial personality disorder (APD)
• addiction and borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• addiction and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)

Addiction And Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are mental health conditions that impact people’s relationship with food. Two of the most common are anorexia and bulimia, both of which stem from a negative self-image.

Anorexia causes highly restrictive eating patterns. People with anorexia may avoid food entirely or severely limit their food intake. Bulimia causes people to eat large amounts of food and then purge the food shortly afterward, either by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives.

There are several connections between substance use disorder and eating disorders.

Common links between these disorders include:

• Effects of alcohol: People may avoid food so they can drink alcohol on an empty stomach, thus heightening the effects.
• Self-medication: Many people with eating disorders also deal with intense anxiety over their appearance or body dysmorphia. Some may use drugs and alcohol as a way of self-medicating that anxiety.
• Appetite suppressants: Stimulant drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine can cause weight loss by suppressing the appetite. People with eating disorders may use these drugs as a way to further restrict calories.

Signs Of Co-Occurring Addiction And Mental Health Disorders

Signs of addiction often overlap with signs of other mental health conditions. For example, insomnia and lethargy are both common symptoms of depression and SUD, even when these conditions do not overlap. However, when a person deals with both addiction and another mental health disorder, the two conditions may reinforce each other and cause more pronounced symptoms.

Signs of addiction and a co-occurring disorder may include:

• sleep disturbances (insomnia, hypersomnia, or nightmares)
• personality changes
• social changes (isolation or switching friend groups)
• using drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism
• loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
• poor hygiene
• weight changes (extreme loss or gain)
• risky, erratic, or aggressive behavior
• energy changes (lethargy or hyperactivity)
• malnutrition
• worsening symptoms of previously diagnosed mental health conditions
• poor cognition

Challenges Of Co-Occurring Disorders

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends that healthcare providers screen for other mental health conditions while treating substance use disorders. SAMHSA notes that people with co-occurring disorders are more likely to be hospitalized than people with just one disorder.

When co-occurring disorders go unrecognized, these clients face particular risks and complications during the treatment process. One notable risk is drug or alcohol relapse due to unaddressed underlying causes. For example, if a person has an anxiety disorder and an opioid use disorder, that person may be using opioids as a way to cope with their anxiety. If that person’s addiction treatment never addresses their co-occurring anxiety disorder, they will be more likely to experience a relapse.

Dual Diagnosis FAQs

If you have questions about dual diagnosis and recovery, answers to the following frequently asked questions may provide the information you’re looking for.

What Is The Best Treatment For Dual Diagnosis?

The best treatment varies from person to person, as each person has different diagnoses, care needs, and recovery goals, but will always address both the addiction and the co-occurring disorder at the same time.

This is known as integrated dual disorder treatment, and it is available in various treatment settings:

• Residential treatment: People with more severe disorders often benefit most from the 24/7 access to care and support, daily structure, substance-free environment, and other benefits that residential dual diagnosis programs provide.
• Outpatient rehab: People with milder disorders, or who have completed residential treatment, are good candidates for outpatient treatment, which allows clients to live at home or in a sober living home while continuing treatment at varying levels of intensity, including PHP and IOP.

Treatment options may include medical detox, medication management, group therapy, individual therapy, case management, peer support, aftercare planning, and more.

What Is The Difference Between Co-Occurring Disorders And Dual Diagnosis?

Often, the terms “co-occurring disorders” and “dual diagnosis” are used interchangeably in addiction care. They refer to when a person is experiencing both an addiction and another mental health disorder, such as depression, an anxiety disorder, PTSD, a personality disorder, etc.

Which Mental Disorder Most Commonly Co-Occurs With Alcoholism?

Many people with an alcohol addiction also have another mental health condition. Some of the most common co-occurring disorders with alcohol addiction include depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder.

Is Gambling A Concurrent Disorder?

Gambling can become a behavioral addiction, or an addiction to a specific action rather than a substance. Gambling addiction can occur alongside substance use disorder.

Some of the same therapies proven to help people achieve recovery from drug and alcohol addiction have also been shown to help people recover from gambling addiction, including CBT, family therapy, and others.

Why Is It Important To Treat Addiction And Co-Occurring Disorders At The Same Time?

The relationship between addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders is complex, and care providers trained in treating both conditions at the same time are proven to provide the best results. Without addressing both disorders, the chance of a relapse increases greatly, which can also result in an overdose.

Is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Available In Massachusetts?

Yes, dual diagnosis treatment is available in Massachusetts, including at Spring Hill Recovery Center in beautiful Ashby, MA.

Learn More About Dual Diagnosis Treatment At Spring Hill Recovery Center

Residential dual diagnosis treatment at Spring Hill can help you or your loved one achieve recovery and well-being in the long term. Please call to speak with one of our care team members if you have any questions about our program or your insurance benefits.