Substance use disorders often present with co-occurring mental health conditions that make recovery more difficult if both conditions aren’t treated at the same time. At Evoke Wellness at San Marcos, we offer depression treatment, an anxiety treatment program, and an anger management program. Setting yourself up for success in recovery is all about addressing the underlying issues that contribute to substance use. Contact us today at 888.450.2285 to learn more about the mental health treatment programs we offer at our San Marcos, Texas location.
Mental Health Treatment Programs: Why Are Co-Occurring Conditions Common?
If you have both a mental health condition and a substance use disorder, you have co-occurring conditions. This is also called having a dual diagnosis. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that 7.7 million adults suffer from co-occurring disorders. But why is the problem so prevalent?
The first thing to keep in mind is that both mental health conditions and substance use disorders have common risk factors, including genetic vulnerabilities, environmental influences, and issues with similar areas of the brain.
Brain Involvement
Many areas of the brain that are affected by mental health concerns are also affected by substance use. The areas in the brain, for example, that control decision-making, impulse control, reward, and emotion can both be affected by substance use and mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, and other conditions.
Some neurotransmitters are also implicated in both addiction and mental health conditions. Some of these include:
- Dopamine
- Serotonin
- Glutamate
Changes that affect how these neurotransmitters function can lead to an imbalance.
Stress
Stress plays a significant role in both the development of mental health conditions and addictions. Long-term or severe stress can change your brain’s structure, upsetting chemicals and affecting function. These changes often cause mental health conditions and can make it more likely for you to turn to substance use.
Mental Health Conditions Leading to Addiction
Mental health conditions themselves are risk factors for the development of addictions. The symptoms mental health issues may cause often lead people to seek any way to get relief, and that could mean alcohol or drugs.
In some instances, substance use disorders can trigger mental health conditions in those who have risk factors. The structural changes that addiction causes in the brain may lead to the development of mental health conditions.
Our Mental Health Treatment Programs in San Marcos, TX
If you have a co-occurring mental health condition, turning to mental health programs is essential. You have to treat both conditions at the same time so that neither one affects the other. At Evoke Wellness at San Marcos, we offer mental health treatment programs in San Marcos, TX, that can help with anger management, depression, and anxiety.
These mental health treatment programs offer individual therapy sessions that allow you to get to the underlying cause of the condition so that you can start making positive changes. Individual therapy sessions rely on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you understand how your harmful thought patterns affect your mood and behavior. You can learn to recognize these unhelpful patterns and make changes.
For many people with anxiety disorders, one type of mental health counseling option that can help is exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a type of CBT that helps you face the underlying cause of your anxiety in a controlled environment.
We also rely on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which is helpful for people who have trouble managing their emotions. DBT teaches you how to accept where you currently are while still striving to change. You can learn to better cope with powerful emotions that could trigger you to use substances or engage in other harmful behaviors.
Call Evoke Wellness at San Marcos to Begin Your Mental Health Recovery Journey
Mental health programs at our center offer the chance to get the help you need if you are facing a dual diagnosis. With mental health counseling, you can get to the cause of the issues you face and start healing. Mental health treatment offers techniques and strategies that you can use to manage symptoms and stay on track during your recovery journey. Call us today at 888.450.2285 or contact us online to learn more about our mental health treatment and how to get started today.
