It may be difficult to diagnose co-occurring conditions because addiction symptoms can obscure symptoms of mental illness, and mental illness symptoms can be confused with addiction symptoms. Having a mental illness only worsens the problem of seeking treatment due to the belief that their only symptoms are from one disorder, not any two or more. Getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin is recommended for people who continue to struggle with mental health and co-occurring substance abuse issues. Experienced professionals are needed in treating such a complex situation of compacting disorders. Omega Recovery, for example, is a licensed Mental Health Treatment Center in Austin that understands first hand the amount of work that goes into successful recovery. Dr. Kardaras and his team provide therapy services for adults suffering from mental health disorders, such as co-occurring disorders. Having one disorder can disrupt a person’s life enough, let alone having to struggle with more symptoms of another. Understanding this difficult diagnosis and the necessary treatment(s) needed for successful recovery is just part of the puzzle.
What Is A Co-Occurring Disorder Exactly?
The co-existence of both a mental illness and a substance use disorder, is common among people getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin. Hence prompting the question, what is a co-occurring disorder exactly by definition? A co-occurring disorder, also known as Comorbidity, occurs when an individual has a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health disorder either simultaneously or one after the other. Because one disorder can mask the symptoms of another, it is often difficult to diagnose and determine which came first. For example, many people diagnosed with depression will battle both an alcohol use disorder and a painkiller addiction.
Interestingly enough, people with mental illness are more likely to experience a substance use disorder than those not affected by a mental illness. Co-occurring disorders can be one mental health disorder and one substance use disorder, or involve multiple addictive and psychiatric conditions at once. Co-occurring disorders can include anxiety disorders, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and schizophrenia, among others.
Signs and symptoms of a co-occurring disorder are, but not limited to:
Failure to maintain useful communication.
Erratic behavior.
Intense bursts of energy.
Self medicating mental health symptoms with drugs or alcohol.
Stark changes in personality.
Withdrawal from family or friends.
Failure to meet obligations and requirements of work.
Financial problems and legal issues.
Lack of control over emotions and/or bad emotional episodes.
Uncontrolled use of drugs or alcohol.
No longer participating in activities that were previously of great importance.
While symptoms are useful in helping to identify who potentially needs getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin, they may all differ or overlap. Mental health disorders in particular can confuse legitimacy of symptoms to the struggling individual because that is precisely what mental health disorders do- confuse and doubt. Seeking professional help for diagnosis and advice on getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin is recommended. Our experienced professionals at Omega Recovery know all too well the hidden signs that co-occurring disorders can disguise or ignore all together. Through extensive diagnostic evaluations and holistic treatment, Omega Recovery is dedicated to enhancing wellness by offering clarity, direction, and results. Making us the best of the best.
Who Is Most Experiencing Co-Occurring Disorders Today?
Young people in particular are increasingly depressed, worsening the problem of getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin. Devoid of their own identity and unique way of thinking is common for those addicted to social media or technology, this is especially true for our younger generations. Young minds are increasingly and adversely shaped and influenced by their social media platforms and the “social validation feedback loops” that are engineered. So while there is the illusion of connection via social media, research indicates that Millennials are the loneliest generation, with 25% indicating that they don’t have a single friend. In youth groups the most common disorders experienced are major depressive disorders such as; Bipolar Disorders, Anxiety (PTSD, OCD, GAD), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant or Conduct Disorders, and Psychotic Disorders.
However, according to SAMHSA’s 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 9.2 million adults in the United States have a co-occurring disorder as well. Explained by the incidence of mood disorders generally lessening with age, with likelihood of onset increasing at puberty and peaking in our mid-20’s. One thing for certain though for sufferers of all ages is getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin as soon as possible. These disorders accumulate and grow stronger with each ignored passing day.
Successful Programs Utilized In Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
Unfortunately, more than 50% of Americans living with a Dual Diagnosis will not get any treatment for either disorder according to statistics. Getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin is crucial for aiding these statistics in their decline. An integrated residential treatment program that includes mental health care, substance abuse interventions, housing assistance, and other supportive services is recommended. A strong option for individuals with co-occurring conditions that seek to find recovery and live their best life. Treatment of comorbidity often involves collaboration between clinical providers and organizations that provide supportive services to address issues such as homelessness, physical health, vocational skills, and legal problems. Communication is critical for supporting this integration of services. There are three models for delivering care for co-occurring disorders: coordinated, co-located, and fully integrated. With integrated care, a more complete recovery is possible.
Different Modalities Of Treatment Used Today
Care Coordinated Treatment – One working definition of Care Coordination Treatment is the deliberate organization of patient care activities between two or more participants (including the patient) involved in a patient’s care to facilitate the appropriate delivery of health care services. Organizing care involves the marshaling of personnel and other resources needed to carry out all required patient care activities and is often managed by the exchange of information among participants responsible for different aspects of care. Care coordination involves deliberately organizing patient care activities and sharing information among all of the participants concerned with a patient’s care to achieve safer and more effective care.
Co-Located Treatment – This form of co-occurring disorders treatment is when the primary care and behavioral health clinicians provide services in the same location but practice independently. This approach involves providing services to primary care patients in a collaborative framework within primary care teams. Behavioral health visits are brief (generally 20-30 minutes), limited in number (1-6 visits with an average of between 2 and 3), and are provided in the primary care practice area, structured so that the patient views meeting with the behavioral health provider as a routine primary care service and medical providers are supported across a broad scope of behavioral health concerns.
Fully Integrated Treatment – Often referred to as interprofessional health care, is an approach characterized by a high degree of collaboration and communication among health professionals. In iIntegrated Treatment programs, the same practitioner or treatment team provides both mental health and substance abuse interventions in an integrated fashion. Consumers receive one consistent, integrated message about treatment and recovery.
Omega Recovery’s Supportive Outpatient Rehab In Austin, TX
Omega Recovery’s supportive outpatient rehab is very similar to individual therapy. And when getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin this element is crucial for anyone needing support after treatment. It is recommended as a step down from our higher structure programs, as it focuses heavily on re-introducing clients back into everyday life. Our licensed therapists work with our outpatient clients to build upon the momentum achieved during intensive outpatient treatment. Omega Recovery’s Supportive Outpatient Program is a key factor in making the OMEGA continuum of care more effective than traditional approaches.
Recovery Support – All members are required to work a program of recovery with a sponsor or mentor. Suggestions about how to find a sponsor, and meeting times and locations will be provided by the facilitator.
Referral Suggestions – Many of our members require additional attention from psychiatrists, doctors, outpatient programs. Omega will provide trusted referrals to any member in need of additional care.
Job Support – Omega offers job support and referrals to employers that we’ve developed relationships with. Jobs are not guaranteed, however, we do provide assistance with resumes, applications, and interviews.
Weekly Communication with Family – The facilitator will be providing weekly check-ins with families and loved ones to share areas of growth, discuss areas of concern, and share weekly progress notes. Families should expect at least one 10-15-minute phone call per week.
Life Skills – During our weekly support groups our members will be learning to practice basic life skills, coping strategies, and clear communication.
Omega Recovery Offers Help For Co-Occurring Disorders In Austin
As quoted by Omega Recovery- ” We’ve been engineering the activity out of our lives. The levels of bright-light exposure-time spent outdoors-have been declining. The average adult gets just over six and a half hours of sleep a night. It used to be nine hours a night. There’s increasing isolation, fragmentation, and the erosion of community. We feel perpetually stressed.”
Omega Recovery was created in Austin in 2018 in order to address the explosive epidemic of addiction and mental health disorders that are occurring in record numbers among young people in America today. Building on the pioneering work of Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, Omega created cutting edge protocols combined with the best evidence-based modalities to meaningfully and effectively treat young people struggling with disorders and addictions such as co-occurring disorders. Getting help for co-occurring disorders in Austin is one of the best moves a person struggling with such a disorder can make.
Omega clients engage in trauma-informed therapies, including CBT, DBT, and traditional psychodynamic therapies along with experiential Nature Immersion and Adventure Therapy to help shift young people into healthier habits as they also address the underlying issues that are contributing to their distress. Omega’s clinical model proved extremely effective and garnered significant media attention as clients started getting referred from all over the country. This led to an expansion of services to both residential and Outpatient programs as well as adolescent programs launching in the Fall of 2021. The mission of Omega Recovery today continues to be to provide individuals and families struggling in today’s very challenging world with the best and most effective treatment model.
The Modern Age And Occurrence Of Co-Occurring Disorders
In the modern digital age we’ve seen an epidemic spike in dual diagnoses disorders. or co-occurring disorders – especially amongst young adults. Record rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, personality disorders, substance abuse, overdoses, increased ADHD and overall malaise. And that was all before Covid; since Covid, depression rates have tripled, anxiety rates have hit record levels and suicides have dramatically increased. According to depression researcher Dr. Steven Ilardi, “Americans are 10 times more likely to have depressive illness than they were 60 years ago…and a recent study found the rate of depression has more than doubled in just the past decade”.
The more Dr. Ilardi looked at the commonalities of these mentally healthy societies, the more he was able to tease out certain common variables. Things like living in a close-knit community, being more physically active, having a greater sense of purpose in their lives, not ruminating on the negative. Armed with his findings, he developed a protocol based on these elements called Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) and discovered amazing research results when incorporated into the lives of modern Americans.
Rediscover The Meaning Of Your Life
For many, the modern age has also vacuumed out a sense of meaning and purpose out of people’s lives. At Omega Recovery for example, we find that many of our clients are indeed undergoing an existential crisis of meaning and purpose and turning to toxic habits and behaviors to fill the emptiness. In these cases, existential exploration and finding a sense of life purpose is critical in the healing process.
Dr. Kardaras has incorporated “Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes” into the clinical protocols of Omega Recovery in Austin. A focus of unplugging from electronic devices and developing a sense of healing community are huge changes just to start. Combined with physical exercise within a group/community setting and immersing oneself in nature a shift can happen. Existential exploration and traditional psychotherapy and evidence based modalities like CBT and DBT can literally be life-saving. When all of the above mentioned elements are combined together in treatment, the results are often nothing less than human alchemy. Or in other words, a complete psychic transformation.
