Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Dual Diagnosis

The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that around 7.7 million adults struggle with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. A dual diagnosis can be difficult to treat, especially if you don’t seek professional treatment to effectively address both conditions at the same time. Dialectical behavior therapy for dual diagnosis is one example of a treatment that is highly effective for patients struggling with a dual diagnosis. Keep reading to learn more about dbt for dual diagnosis below.

At Arista Recovery, we are a premier Midwest addiction recovery center that’s committed to helping as many individuals lead happier, healthier lives. We understand that no two recovery journeys are ever the same. That’s why we offer a broad range of treatment programs to ensure you receive the best possible care tailored according to your unique recovery needs.

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What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?

Before diving into why dialectical behavior therapy for dual diagnosis can be so effective, it’s critical to understand how dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) works. DBT is a popular form of talk therapy that focuses on helping individuals take accountability for the reality of their life and their behaviors, and learning healthy ways to change these unhealthy patterns they have in their life.

Therefore, dialectical behavioral therapy helps teach people healthy coping strategies they can use to manage their symptoms for the better. This can be especially helpful in individuals who may be doing unhealthy coping strategies, like abusing substances, as a means to try and relieve their symptoms.

Benefits of DBT for Dual Diagnosis

1. Progress Along Your Recovery Journey

One obvious benefit of dual diagnosis DBT is it is highly effective in helping you progress along your recovery journey. DBT is a popular form of talk therapy that can be used for most substance abuse and mental health disorders, making it an effective treatment option for those struggling with both mental illness and addiction.

2. Reduce Your Risk of Relapse

Similarly, dbt for dual diagnosis can help you break free of unhealthy behaviors and learn healthy behaviors you can integrate into your life to lower your risk of relapsing. Relapsing is arguably the greatest threat to achieving long-term sobriety. That’s why it’s important to not only be aware of unhealthy behaviors/ patterns in your life but also focus on building healthy habits in their place.

3. Become More Aware of Your Thoughts & Behaviors

Your thoughts and behaviors can significantly impact your life– for better or for worse. DBT makes you very aware of your thoughts and behaviors which helps you not only eliminate unhealthy behaviors from your life (i.e. abusing drugs or alcohol) but also practice healthy habits. Plus, practicing these healthy habits helps you also manage some of your mental illness symptoms.

4. Address Both Conditions At The Same Time

When treating a dual diagnosis, it’s important to treat both conditions at the same time to ensure you don’t relapse. Dual diagnosis allows you to focus on both substance use and mental health disorders simultaneously so you can effectively progress along your recovery journey.

5. Versatile Treatment Option

Last but not least, DBT for dual diagnosis is a versatile treatment that again is a treatment option that can effectively improve most mental illness symptoms while helping your progress on your sobriety journey. This is important because when you are struggling with 2 conditions (addiction and mental illness), it’s critical you seek treatment to address both conditions.

Top-Rated Midwest Addiction Recovery Center

Now you know more about how dialectical behavior therapy for dual diagnosis can be a highly effective way to treat both your mental illness and substance use disorder at the same time. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and/or mental illness, it’s critical you seek professional help to take back control of your life for the better.
At Arista Recovery, we are a leading addiction treatment center in the Midwest that’s helped many patients safely and effectively progress along their road to recovery. We understand how debilitating a disease addiction can be. That’s why our compassionate team is here to help you every step of the way to take back control of your life for the better. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you on your recovery journey.

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