Treatment Programs
Treating the root cause with dual diagnosis therapy.
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 20 million American adults have both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. Since 2006, our integrated dual diagnosis program has treated these co-occurring conditions simultaneously for lasting recovery.
The Co-Occurring Reality
Understanding Dual Diagnosis
These two types of disorders don’t simply exist side by side. They interact with one another. Mental health symptoms can drive substance use, and substance abuse can worsen mental illness.
What is it?
Dual diagnosis occurs when a person has both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder (like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or psychotic disorders).
Common Combinations
Depression and alcohol abuse is highly common. Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with stimulants and alcohol. PTSD frequently appears alongside addiction as people self-medicate trauma, and individuals with psychotic disorders are at high risk for co-occurring substance misuse to cope with distressing symptoms.
Why Integrated Care?
Treating only the addiction without addressing the underlying depression means symptoms remain unchanged, increasing relapse risk. Simultaneous care produces much higher long-term recovery rates.
Destination Hope’s Approach
Every client receives a thorough assessment evaluating both substance use and mental health. We don’t ask you to choose a primary diagnosis.
Multidisciplinary Team & Modalities
Your treatment team includes addiction specialists, mental health clinicians, psychiatrists, nurses, and case managers all working together in constant communication. We provide cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, trauma-focused treatment, family therapy, and peer support tailored to your specific diagnostic profile.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
We use MAT for addiction when appropriate alongside psychiatric medication for mental health disorders, continuously evaluating progress using objective measures. Dual diagnosis treatment is woven into every level of care we provide.
Levels of Care
From Medical Detox and Residential Inpatient through Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Aftercare, our integrated approach ensures seamless transitions and continuous support.
How Dual Diagnosis Develops
Understanding how someone develops dual diagnosis is important for understanding their recovery. There are several pathways:
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Mental Health First
A person struggles with depression or anxiety for months or years. They discover that alcohol or drugs temporarily relieve their symptoms, but this self-medication gradually leads to dependence.
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Substance Abuse First
Heavy or prolonged drug use changes brain chemistry. Chronic stimulant use can cause anxiety and paranoia, while heavy alcohol use can trigger depression.
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Emerging Together
Both emerge together from the same root causes: trauma, genetic vulnerability, chronic stress, or adverse childhood experiences.
Why Choose Destination Hope
Many treatment facilities claim to treat dual diagnosis, but there’s a real difference between a substance abuse facility that addresses mental health as a secondary concern and a primary mental health facility that also treats addiction. Destination Hope is the latter.
We were treating dual diagnosis before it was widely recognized or accepted. We have psychiatrists and therapists with expertise in both addiction and mental health. We also recognize that dual diagnosis recovery is a long-term commitment. Our alumni program, ongoing therapy, aftercare support, and family involvement provide the sustained support that’s essential for managing both addiction and mental health over time.
How Common Is Dual Diagnosis?
Adults in the U.S. had a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder in the past year.
Source: 2023 NSDUH / SAMHSAReceived specialty substance use treatment in 2023, out of 48.5 million who needed care, and integrated dual-diagnosis treatment is rarer still.
Source: SAMHSA, 2023 NSDUHOf adults who perceived they had a past substance use problem now consider themselves to be in recovery.
Source: 2023 NSDUH / SAMHSA