Recovering from an addiction of any kind is not a simple process, but it is made even more difficult when two or more addictions or disorders co-exist. A person who abuses cocaine may also abuse alcohol. An anorexic might abuse prescription drugs or even street drugs to suppress appetite. A veteran who got hooked on heroin might also suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Very frequently, substance abuse is connected with a psychological disorder, though it is often difficult to determine cause and effect. A person who smokes a lot of marijuana, for example, also suffers from depression. But is the drug usage a result of the depression or vice versa? Because these issues can be very complex, your best approach is to choose one of the many addiction treatment facilities that specialize in dealing with dual diagnoses.
Most often, the substance abuse must be tackled first, especially when heavy alcohol use or use of dangerous drugs has been the norm. In such cases, the client will most likely need to undergo detoxification to get the substance out of his or her system. This process must be medically managed in order to control unpleasant and even dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Once detox has been accomplished, counseling will focus on both the addiction and the co-occurring psychological problem.
If it is a case of being addicted to two substances, detox is even more important and must be handled very car...
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