Vigorbuddy.com | 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center | Battling addiction is a difficult, painful process, no matter what else is happening in your life. For many people, that fight is further complicated by the presence of a mental health disorder.
If you are struggling with addiction and mental illness such as depression, you’re not alone. However, a standard rehab center may not have the tools to help you.
What you need is a dual diagnosis treatment center.
What is dual diagnosis treatment? It’s a way of treating addiction while also addressing underlying mental health issues that can exacerbate the patient’s substance abuse or make standard treatment less effective.
A dual diagnosis treatment center can help you deal with two major challenges at the same time. Read on to learn how to pick the best dual diagnosis treatment center for your needs.
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Make Sure They’re Licensed
One of the first things to do when looking for a dual diagnosis treatment center is to make sure that the center you choose is licensed. An unlicensed center isn’t likely to provide you with the treatment you need.
Check for accreditation with one of the three major accrediting bodies of the mental health industry: CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), the Joint Commission (JCAHO), or the Council on Accreditation (COA).
Proper licensing and accreditation points to a facility being trustworthy and effective.
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Average Length of Stay
When treating addiction, most facilities have an average stay of 30 days. Dual diagnosis treatment may take longer, though, since it’s addressing both addiction and mental illness.
Find out how long a program is before enrolling and don’t jump on a 30-day program just to get things done quickly. The best rehab program for a dual diagnosis is likely to be 60 or 90 days.
A center may offer multiple programs of different lengths; find one that’s the right fit for you!
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Continuum of Care
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a dual diagnosis treatment center is the continuum of care. In other words, how much support does the program actually offer?
There are three pillars of addiction care that a drug rehab center should address: detoxification, treatment, and aftercare.
Detoxification is an important first step, followed by the actual treatment (which can be either inpatient or outpatient). Most dual diagnosis treatment centers will offer both of those.
What you should look out for is a robust aftercare program to help you stay on track after being discharged.
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Therapies Offered
Therapy is a crucial part of any drug rehab program. A few of the therapies that are most effective for treating addiction and mental illness are cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.
Both therapies are meant to help you reshape your negative thinking patterns and deal with your emotions in a healthier, more positive way.
Of course, individual and group therapies are also important things for a program to offer. Talking about your struggles, in a group or one-on-one, can make a huge impact on your mental health.
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Personalization
Your diagnosis is just that: yours. It’s a unique, personal diagnosis, which means it needs unique, personal treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment needs to address different mental health issues for each patient.
As a result, you should look for a drug rehab center that will be able to give you a personalized set of treatments. That includes therapies and other treatments that target your specific mental health needs.
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Are They Equipped?
A dual diagnosis treatment center has different needs than a standard drug rehab program. For one thing, it needs staff that are trained and effective at treating a wide variety of mental illnesses.
It also requires a larger staff than usual. Patients need more specialized and personalized treatment; as a result, staff needs to spend more time developing and implementing treatment plans.
If a small center is taking on too many patients for dual diagnosis treatment, they’re likely to spread themselves too thin, resulting in less efficient care for the patients.
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Price
Price is a tough thing to consider when looking for a dual diagnosis treatment center. The best rehab program may not always be the most affordable.
No price is too high for your health and safety, but you also need to find a program that you can afford.
Take a hard look at your finances and figure out what you can pay for, and don’t forget to check that the facility you’re interested in accepts your insurance.
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Recovery Rates
Before spending any money, you need to make sure that the treatment you’ll receive is effective. Look into the history of the dual diagnosis treatment center. Do their patients have good recovery rates?
If you find evidence that treatment doesn’t stick, then the treatment may not be effective to begin with. That might be a symptom of one of the other points on this list, like insufficient staff or lack of effective aftercare.
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Facility Location and Amenities
Look into the facility itself. Where is it located? Is it somewhere you can get to safely and easily? What are the rooms like? Is it comfortable? What do they allow and disallow on the premises?
These are all things you should double-check; ending up at a poorly maintained facility can be a distraction, making it even harder to overcome addiction and mental illness.
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Support Services
Treatment is only part of your day. If you’re staying in a facility for several weeks, you need to know what else you’ll be able to do outside of your treatment plan.
The best dual diagnosis treatment center will offer support services such as art or music therapy, cooking courses, pet therapy, and more. These services offer a way to relax while also contributing to your treatment.
Find the Right Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center
A dual diagnosis treatment center can help you recover from addiction without ignoring the mental health factors that contribute to your struggle. Use the tips above to find the best dual diagnosis treatment center for you.
Dealing with addiction and mental illness is an important part of your health journey, but it’s not the only part. Visit our health and beauty blog for more tips on staying healthy.