​Sometimes substance use and mental health issues occur at the same time. A person who is experiencing a mental health concern might self-medicate with alcohol or drugs to relieve the pain they are experiencing. Or, a person who has ongoing substance use can lead to or worsen an existing mental health condition or problem.
When a person is evaluated as having both mental and substance use conditions, they have what is called a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorder. We have learned that people experiencing these conditions benefit from early detection and treatment to avoid a potential crisis and have the best opportunity for long-term recovery and improved quality of life.
If you or someone you care about needs treatment for both mental health and substance use, Hill Country MHDD Centers can help. Our COPSD out-patient treatment program provides an integrated approach to address both mental and substance use disorders simultaneously.
Effective treatments include individual counseling, group counseling, and support groups to address a variety of issues such as relationship, employment, budgeting, emotional support, and legal issues. Additionally, treatment provides methods to identify relapse triggers and develop prevention techniques to help decrease use of alcohol and other drugs.