What We Treat
In our Transition Program in Drug Rehabilitation, we specialize in treating a wide range of substance use disorders and addictions.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is the most serious form of problem drinking, and describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink.
Drug Abuse Disorder
Mental health and substance abuse disorders affect people from all walks of life and all age groups.
Co-occurring Disorder
Many people diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) also suffer from a co-occurring mental health or behavioral disorder.
What we treat
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is the most serious form of problem drinking, and describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink. Sufferers of alcoholism will often place drinking above all other obligations, including work and family, and may build up a physical tolerance or experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop.
Alcoholism is sometimes known as alcohol addiction or alcohol dependence. It’s slightly different to ‘harmful drinking’ which is an occasional pattern of drinking which can cause damage your health.
An example of harmful drinking is drinking too much at a party, and risking a fall or argument. This pattern may develop into alcoholism if that kind of harmful drinking becomes a habit and happens on a regular basis.
What we Treat
Drug Abuse Disorder
Mental health and substance abuse disorders affect people from all walks of life and all age groups. These illnesses are common, recurrent, and often serious, but they are treatable and many people do recover. Mental disorders involve changes in thinking, mood, and/or behavior. These disorders can affect how we relate to others and make choices. Reaching a level that can be formally diagnosed often depends on a reduction in a person’s ability to function as a result of the disorder. For example:
- Serious mental illness is defined by someone over 18 having (within the past year) a diagnosable mental, behavior, or emotional disorder that causes serious functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.
- For people under the age of 18, the term “Serious Emotional Disturbance” refers to a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder in the past year, which resulted in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits the child’s role or functioning in family, school, or community activities.
- Substance use disorders occur when the recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs causes clinically significant impairment, including health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home.
What we treat
Co-Occurring Disorders
Many people diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) also suffer from a co-occurring mental health or behavioral disorder. This is known as a comorbid diagnosis. Individuals with a comorbid diagnosis require an integrated treatment plan that addresses both disorders as interconnected mental health issues.
By seeking treatment for addiction and a co-occurring behavioral or mental health disorder, you can work on successfully attaining the fulfilling, healthy life you deserve.
Common Mental Health Issues and Addiction
There are a few mental health and behavioral disorders that repeatedly present themselves alongside addiction. Oftentimes, these disorders are the underlying cause of an addiction. That’s why it’s important to never ignore the symptoms of a mental health or behavioral disorder when it comes to a person’s long-term addiction recovery plan.
Why Co-Occurring Disorders Are Treated Differently
People diagnosed with a mental health condition are about twice as likely as the general population to suffer from a substance use disorder. Similarly, individuals who frequently abuse drugs or alcohol are likely to develop a co-occurring behavioral or mental health disorder.
While it is widely accepted that a mental health disorder can induce a substance addiction – and vice versa – researchers are uncovering what causes both conditions to occur simultaneously.
Brain responses
Abusing drugs can elicit symptoms that mimic a mental illness. For example, excessive marijuana use can give rise to psychosis in some individuals, which is a severe mental disorder that causes people to lose touch with reality.
Genetics
A person’s genetic predisposition can make them more likely to develop an addiction or a mental disorder. Research shows that genes make up 40 to 60 percent of a person’s susceptibility to addiction.
Triggers in the environment
Chronic stress, persistent anxiety or a traumatic event can kickstart an addiction or mental disorder.
Exposure at an early age
People who experiment with drugs or alcohol at a young age may develop a substance abuse problem and/or mental health disorder later on. This is because adolescents and young adults are more prone to brain damage from substance use than older adults.
