Need Immediate Help?
If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing a medical emergency, contact emergency services immediately.
All crisis lines are free, confidential, and available 24/7
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Integrated treatment for alcohol use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions
Dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders, means you have both alcohol use disorder and one or more mental health conditions at the same time. This is extremely common - research shows that nearly 50% of people with substance use disorders also have a mental health condition.
Mental health conditions and alcohol use disorder often interact and influence each other. People may drink to cope with symptoms of depression or anxiety, while alcohol use can worsen mental health symptoms. This creates a challenging cycle that requires specialized, integrated treatment.
Depression
Persistent sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, low energy, and thoughts of suicide. Very common alongside alcohol use disorder.
Anxiety Disorders
Generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, or PTSD. Many people drink to self-medicate anxiety symptoms.
Bipolar Disorder
Cycles of manic highs and depressive lows. Alcohol use often increases during manic episodes and as a coping mechanism during depression.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Symptoms following traumatic experiences. Alcohol is often used to numb emotional pain and avoid trauma-related memories.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Difficulty with attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Higher rates of substance use among people with ADHD.
Personality Disorders
Borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and others that affect relationships and emotional regulation.
Eating Disorders
Anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder sometimes co-occur with alcohol use disorder.
Schizophrenia & Psychotic Disorders
Serious mental illnesses involving disrupted thinking and perception. Require specialized dual diagnosis care.
Treating only the alcohol use disorder without addressing mental health conditions - or vice versa - typically leads to poor outcomes and higher relapse rates. Dual diagnosis treatment provides integrated care that addresses both conditions simultaneously.
- Both conditions are treated by the same team
- Understanding how conditions interact and affect each other
- Coordinated medication management for both disorders
- Therapy addresses both addiction and mental health
- Reduces risk of relapse for both conditions
- More efficient and effective than separate treatments
- Better long-term outcomes and quality of life
- Prevents one condition from undermining treatment for the other
- Using alcohol to cope with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues
- Mood swings, irritability, or emotional instability when not drinking
- History of mental health problems that existed before alcohol use began
- Previous treatment for alcohol that failed because mental health issues weren't addressed
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- Difficulty functioning in daily life even when not drinking
- Trauma history or PTSD symptoms
- Family history of both mental illness and addiction
- Taking psychiatric medications while also drinking heavily
- Feeling like alcohol is the only way to feel "normal"
Comprehensive Assessment
Thorough evaluation of both substance use and mental health to create an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.
Integrated Therapy
Evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma-focused approaches that address both conditions.
Medication Management
Coordinated psychiatric medication management alongside addiction treatment medications (if appropriate). One provider oversees all medications.
Individual Counseling
One-on-one therapy addressing the interaction between mental health and substance use, personal trauma, and recovery skills.
Group Therapy
Groups specifically for people with co-occurring disorders where participants understand the unique challenges of dual diagnosis.
Psychiatric Care
Regular sessions with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner for medication management and mental health treatment.
Family Therapy
Involving family in understanding both conditions and how to support recovery.
Continuing Care
Long-term follow-up to monitor both conditions and adjust treatment as needed.
Specialized Inpatient/Residential Programs
Intensive 24/7 care specifically designed for dual diagnosis. Best for severe cases of both conditions.
Dual Diagnosis Outpatient Programs
Outpatient treatment with integrated mental health and addiction services. Allows living at home while receiving coordinated care.
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)
Day treatment programs with intensive dual diagnosis services. Attend treatment most of the day, return home at night.
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
Several hours per week of integrated treatment for both conditions. More flexible than inpatient but more intensive than standard outpatient.
- Addresses root causes of both conditions
- Reduces relapse rates significantly
- Treats the whole person, not just symptoms
- Coordinated care from one treatment team
- Better understanding of your conditions
- Improved mental health and sobriety
- Medication management by one provider
- Therapies tailored to dual diagnosis
- Peer support from others with similar struggles
- Skills to manage both conditions long-term
- Higher success rates than separate treatment
- Better quality of life in recovery