Beach House Center for Recovery provides effective and empathetic mental health residential programs in Florida for people struggling with addiction and contributing mental health disorders. Our addiction specialists, psychiatric providers, and medical clinicians provide continuing support and care to patients beginning a journey to recovery.
It is extremely common for people with untreated mental health conditions to progress to substance use disorders, according to reporting from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Conversely, many – if not most – people who struggle with long-term or severe substance use disorders will develop mental health issues as a direct consequence.
Whether substance use disorder is the cause or the result of mental health conditions, the two are fundamentally intertwined.
Intensive, targeted mental health treatment in Florida is critical to lasting recovery. Our suite of therapeutic programs addresses the nuanced and complex interrelationship between substance misuse and mental health disorders. With a team of providers and clinicians with in-depth addiction expertise, we offer thorough, compassionate care that treats the core contributors to substance misuse.
Anxiety and Substance Use
A growing body of research indicates that substance misuse frequently co-occurs with anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders include the following conditions:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Medication-induced anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Social anxiety disorder
Clinically known as a dual diagnosis, the co-existence of a substance use disorder and a mental disorder is a challenge many face. Anxiety disorder comorbidities might be caused by three primary pathways, which include the following:
- Self-Medication: Turning to drugs or alcohol to manage anxiety symptoms, resulting in a substance use disorder.
- Substance-Induced: A phenomenon wherein the use of drugs or alcohol triggers anxiety symptoms.
- Variable Pathway: When inherited factors increase the likelihood of experiencing either mental illness or substance use disorder.
Each pathway mentioned above leads to one condition exacerbating the other, complicating effective mental health treatment approaches. Dual diagnosis treatment offers the most comprehensive recovery plan because it addresses anxiety and substance misuse triggers.
Depression and Substance Use
Addiction is often accompanied by co-occurring mood disorders, which include the following conditions:
- Atypical depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Dysthymia
- Major depression
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal affective disorder
Drugs or alcohol are often used to relieve depression symptoms, but persistent substance misuse worsens symptoms in the long term. Using depressants, such as alcohol and opioids, exacerbates symptoms of depression, increasing feelings of lethargy, diminished self-worth, sluggishness, and hopelessness.
Combining depressive disorders and addiction significantly increases the risk of self-harm and suicide. Moreover, depression and substance misuse diminish the immune response, putting people with these disorders at greater risk of developing a serious illness or infection.
Mental Health Disorders and Substance Use
Mental health issues and addiction exacerbate each other, creating patterns of destructive behavior and cycles of substance misuse. Engaging in addiction behaviors or substance misuse significantly worsens mental health, and deteriorating mental health leads to a greater dependence on mood-altering substances.
If you’re looking for safe, compassionate, and evidence-based mental health treatment centers in Florida, consider the skilled team at Beach House. We offer targeted and intensive treatment programs for addiction with the following co-occurring mental health disorders:
The precise relationship between mental health disorders and substance misuse has not been scientifically established. However, it is generally believed that continual substance misuse can trigger symptoms of an existing mental health disorder and can sometimes lead to drug-induced psychosis.
A co-occurrence of debilitating mental health disorder symptoms and substance misuse requires an extensive, individualized rehabilitation solution guided by mental health and addiction experts.
Looking for Leading Mental Health Residential Treatment Centers in Florida?
At Beach House Center for Recovery, we specialize in helping individuals manage their psychiatric and addiction disorders effectively and safely. With years of advanced training and professional experience, our staff provides comprehensive and evidence-based mental health counseling programs in Florida.
Please contact our helpful and compassionate admissions counselors today.
