What to Look For in a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center
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Substance abuse treatment is far from uniform. There are tons of options to choose from, each of which can be a good fit for certain types of individuals.

For example, someone who is struggling with both mental health and a substance abuse issue can benefit greatly from pursuing dual diagnosis treatment. But it can be difficult to figure out what truly separates great dual diagnosis treatment centers from subpar ones.

We’ve put together this blog post to help make that distinction clearer. Keep reading to learn more about dual diagnosis care and how to find a treatment center that can help you get the most out of it.

What is Dual Diagnosis Care, Exactly?

Dual diagnosis care is for people who have co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. It seeks to address those issues simultaneously so as to facilitate a smoother recovery process in both areas.

When you sign up for dual diagnosis treatment, you should expect your therapists to take a holistic approach during your sessions. They will analyze the entirety of your problems and offer targeted suggestions that may help to improve your mental health and your substance abuse issues at the same time.

Why Pursue Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis treatment is worth pursuing because it’s a more effective form of care for people with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems.
The nature of these disorders is that they often feed one another. In other words, your mental health can make your substance abuse worse and vice versa.

To overcome this vicious cycle, it’s typically necessary to address both problems at the same time. Traditional substance abuse treatment doesn’t do this as effectively as dual diagnosis treatment because it’s not as intentional about it.

What Separates the Best Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers From the Rest?

The best dual diagnosis treatment centers will help you get as much as possible out of this form of treatment. Here are some features you can look at to find them.

Personalization

No two patients are entirely alike, so no two dual diagnosis treatment plans should be either. The best treatment centers embrace this philosophy by offering personalized care plans to every patient.

Qualified Counselors

Every dual diagnosis treatment center will give you the chance to work individually with qualified mental health professionals. But some counselors have qualifications that are more meaningful for dual diagnosis treatment than others.

Ideally, you want a treatment center to give you the chance to work with at least master-level therapists. These therapists should also be trained in evidence-based treatments.

There are many different modalities that can work well in a dual diagnosis plan. But you want to make sure that the approach your therapist uses is backed by scientific research and controlled tests.

Treatment Center Programming

Dual diagnosis treatment is about more than just working with a therapist. Healing can take place in a variety of ways. And the best treatment centers utilize this fact to their patients’ advantage.

For example, it’s often a good idea to look for dual diagnosis treatment centers that offer things like:

  • Group therapy sessions
  • Outdoor outings
  • Health and wellness classes
  • Group exercise
  • And other supplementary types of care

Length of Stay

You also want to make sure that you’re spending enough time in dual diagnosis treatment to get the maximum benefits from it. 30 days may be enough for some people, but 60-90 is often more impactful.

Comfortable Accommodations

If you’re going to be staying in a dual diagnosis treatment center for 60-90 days, you want to make sure that you’re comfortable there. That’s why many patients also choose to prioritize facilities that emphasize comfort.

That doesn’t mean you need to pick a luxury spot. But it can add to the effectiveness of your treatment if you have things like a comfortable bed to sleep in at night and some material comforts to enjoy in your room.

Get the Dual Diagnosis Support You Need at Zoe Behavioral Health

Pursuing dual diagnosis treatment could be just the thing that you need to overcome your mental health issues and substance abuse problems. But if you’re going to get treatment, you want to make sure that you get it at the best facility possible so that you get as much out of the process as possible.

That’s why you should check out Zoe Behavioral Health. We provide personalized dual diagnosis care from highly skilled mental health and substance abuse professionals.

So why wait? Get in touch with us today to learn more about what we can do to support your recovery journey.