Treatment Options

The most appropriate treatment will depend on the severity of the addiction when compared to the severity of the underlying mental health problem. Many people may find effective treatment at a conventional drug and alcohol rehab facility, while those with more serious underlying mental health issues may need to be hospitalized in a facility more organized for psychiatric treatment. In either case, appropriate diagnosis and assessment is crucial, and the diagnosis should involve care and caseworkers in the patient's history, as well as mental health and addictions specialists at the period of pre intake evaluation.

The treatment required will again vary depending on the type of concurrent disorder, and often pharmaceutical psychiatric medications can be used to reduce mental health symptoms, allowing the addicted person to effectively participate in a residential rehab facility for their substance abuse problems.

Addicts deemed appropriate candidates for conventional residential rehab facilities will benefit from the normal comprehensive addictions treatment programming, provided they are offered additional mental health services, additional therapies, and offered appropriately monitored psychiatric and pharmaceutical treatment during the period of residential rehabilitation.

Specific therapies for concurrent mental health and addiction problems

If during the pre intake assessment, it is determined that the addict's mental health problems can be adequately controlled through compliance with psychiatric medications, and they are considered an appropriate candidate for a residential rehab facility, then they will undergo a conventional rehab experience, with additional programming designed to meet the needs of their additional challenges. Rehabilitation for people with concurrent mental health and addictions disorders is certainly possible, but it tends to require longer and more intensive rehab and therapy than when dealing with addictions alone.

People dealing with concurrent mental health and addiction difficulties generally recover better if the addiction and substance abuse is treated first, but if at any point in the rehabilitation the mental health problems get significantly worse, the focus of treatment may need to be shifted back towards the mental health problems.

The treatment for mental health problems and addiction problems are primarily fourfold and are, pharmaceutical management of mental health symptoms, individual and group therapy, education and cognitive therapy, and family involvement. With the exception of pharmaceutical psychiatric symptoms management, the rehabilitation treatment is not substantially different than for those people with addictions alone, but is undertaken with an awareness and consideration of the concurrent disorder.