Ready to Start Recovery for a Co-occurring Disorder?
Reach out to an admissions navigator for a confidential conversation.
Medications are available to individuals struggling with heroin addiction. There are medications that reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings and those which eliminate signs of opioid intoxication to reverse an overdose.1
The therapeutic community can play a critical role in enhancing outcomes in evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT): combining medications with behavioral therapy can be particularly effective at treating heroin addiction and improving the person’s odds of achieving long-term abstinence.1
However, what if a person has a dual diagnosis and struggles with a mental health disorder that co-occurs with their addiction to heroin?
A person with a dual diagnosis has both a mental disorder and a Substance Use Disorder (SUD).2 These conditions frequently co-occur and their interaction is referred to as a co-occurring disorder. It is estimated that approximately one-half of people with a mental disorder will also develop an SUD and vice versa.
Either of these disorders can develop first and it may be difficult to establish which one developed first.2 Without adequate treatment, both of these conditions tend to worsen.2
When a person struggles with a co-occurring disorder, a comprehensive approach that identifies and evaluates both conditions is needed.2 Treatment-seeking individuals who have dual diagnosis can access integrated treatment programs that can be tailored to their recovery needs while taking into account their co-occurring mental health condition.1
A causal relationship between SUD and a mental health disorder may exist. For instance, a person may resort to self-medication through repeated substance abuse to cope with overwhelming symptoms of a mental disorder or when brain changes caused by SUD contribute to the development of a mental disorder.2
However, this is not necessarily the case, and the two conditions may occur for other reasons that may contribute to both disorders, such as:2
As stated above, co-occurring mental health disorders can be caused by substance abuse, but they can also be independent disorders.2
A co-occurring disorder is a combination of SUD and one or more of the following mental health conditions:3
Suicide and trauma are common complications of co-occurring disorders.3
The common signs/symptoms of a co-occurring disorder include:4
Reach out to an admissions navigator for a confidential conversation.
Although drug use and addiction can happen at any time during a person’s life and whether or not they struggle with a mental disorder, it is during adolescence that individuals are most vulnerable to drug use. This is partly because decision making and impulse control are among the last brain functions to mature.5
Adolescence is also the time when the first signs of mental illness commonly appear. Having a mental disorder in childhood or adolescence can increase the risk of later drug use and the development of SUD. This may be especially the case if other risk factors are present and the mental health condition is not diagnosed and addressed.5
A 2005 national community survey has found that:6
According to a finding in 2014, 20.2 million adults in the U.S. had a substance use disorder and 7.9 million had both a substance use disorder and another mental illness.7
Comprehensive and supportive treatment of a co-occurring disorder should address both SUDs and the associated mental disorders, with focus on providing continuing care to the recovering individual.3
Once a person with dual diagnosis enters a rehab program, the setting in which detoxification occurs is adjusted accordingly and a comprehensive assessment is performed by factoring in the following:3
Heroin addiction treatment addressing co-occurring disorders is planned on a case-by-case basis, but it typically incorporates some or all of the following common elements:4
It is important to differentiate substance-induced mental disorders from those mental disorders that co-occur with SUDs.3
Substance-related disorders can be divided into two subcategories:3
SUDs identify the cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physical symptoms that occur over time as a result of continued and frequent use of substances and as a person progresses to addiction.3
Substance-induced mental disorders refer to intoxication (the immediate effects of substance use), withdrawal (the immediate effects of discontinuing a substance), and other substance-induced mental issues. In the case of abuse of opioids such as heroin, individuals commonly experience anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and sleep disorders.3
Other substance-induced disorders include:3
Heroin and other opioids can precipitate or mimic mental disorders in the following way:3
While intoxication is characterized by intense euphoria and a sense of well-being, withdrawal from heroin, regardless of route of administration, results in agitation, unease, severe body aches, gastrointestinal symptoms, and intense cravings for the drug.3
Symptoms during withdrawal vary widely, with some individuals experiencing acute anxiety and agitation and others struggling with depression and inability to derive pleasure from anything other than heroin.3
Even if a person maintains abstinence, they may struggle with a protracted withdrawal syndrome characterized by anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. These symptoms could persist for weeks.3
Additionally, these symptoms can be so powerful that the person may relapse even if they are motivated to stay in treatment, which is why MAT can become a potentially life-saving necessity.3
Dual diagnosis treatment can help individuals overcome their co-occurring disorder and keep both their SUD and co-occurring mental disorder under control.3
Individuals with dual diagnosis struggle with complex conditions and may experience demoralization and despair. This is why addiction specialists have a challenging role in developing an appropriate individualized approach and inspiring hope in the recovering individuals.3
Detoxification may be the necessary first step in the recovery process, but the key objective of addiction professionals is to establish and maintain a successful therapeutic relationship with recovering individuals and so increase their chances of long-term recovery.3
The Affordable Care Act has made SUD treatment essential under insurance coverage and increased integration and coordination of care across SUD, mental health, and medical care needs.8
This gives treatment-seeking individuals access to affordable treatment which covers the full range of SUD treatment services including detoxification, outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, residential treatment, recovery support services, and medications.8
Medication-assisted treatment in conjunction with psychosocial treatment is considered the gold standard for SUD treatment.8 Co-occurring disorders are common among people in MAT.9
MAT can address a combination of heroin addiction and a range of mental health disorders, including but not limited to:9
Integrated dual diagnosis treatment is the coordination of heroin abuse and mental health services within a single site or between treatment sites. This integrated approach can address the co-occurring disorder effectively and promote individuals’ chances of achieving long-term success.6Contact a specialized heroin addiction hotline to learn more about options for the treatment of heroin addiction and co-occurring disorders and other valuable addiction treatment and prevention resources available to treatment-seeking individuals.
Let’s verify your coverage for treatment at an American Addiction Centers location. Your information is always confidential.
Do you know someone suffering from heroin addiction? Help is available. To find out more, please choose the selection that applies to you or the person suffering from addiction:
Repair the damage and start fresh today!
For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, the Heroin.net helpline is a private and convenient solution.
Calls to any general helpline (non-facility specific 1-8XX numbers) for your visit will be answered by American Addiction Centers (AAC).
We are standing by 24/7 to discuss your treatment options. Our representatives work solely for AAC and will discuss whether an AAC facility may be an option for you.
Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment. Neither Heroin.net nor AAC receives any commission or other fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a visitor may ultimately choose.
For more information on AAC’s commitment to ethical marketing and treatment practices, or to learn more about how to select a treatment provider, visit our About AAC page.
If you wish to explore additional treatment options or connect with a specific rehab center, you can browse top-rated listings, visit our homepage and browse by state, or visit SAMHSA.