Substance use and mental health can affect one another in different ways. For some people, mental health symptoms are present before substance use becomes a concern. For others, alcohol or drug use may contribute to new symptoms or make existing ones harder to manage.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes this relationship as complex rather than a simple matter of one condition causing the other. Shared elements such as genetics, trauma, and chronic stress may increase a person’s risk for both substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Knowing these connections can help clinicians identify what needs attention during treatment.
Dual diagnosis, also called co-occurring disorders, means having a substance use disorder and a mental health condition at the same time. The specific combination looks different from person to person. Someone may experience alcohol use disorder alongside depression, for example, while another person may have an opioid use disorder and PTSD.
A dual diagnosis does not mean that one condition caused the other. Both can have their own symptoms and challenges while also affecting how a person functions, responds to stress, and engages in treatment.
The overlap is common. According to the most recent national data available from SAMHSA, 21.2 million U.S. adults had both a substance use disorder and any mental illness in 2024. That represented about 8.1% of adults nationwide.
A substance use disorder can occur alongside many different mental health conditions. The symptoms and challenges involved will vary depending on the combination of conditions, which is one reason identifying co-occurring concerns matters during treatment.
At Redstone, some of the mental health conditions addressed alongside substance use include:
These conditions can affect treatment in different ways. Anxiety may involve persistent worry, fear, or physical symptoms, while depression can affect mood, energy, motivation, and concentration. PTSD can involve intrusive memories, avoidance, or amplified reactions to stress. Bipolar disorder can include considerable changes in mood, energy, and activity.
The presence of a mental health condition alongside substance use can also make symptoms more difficult to interpret. For example, changes in sleep, mood, concentration, or energy may have more than one possible explanation. Looking at these concerns together helps our team understand how they’re affecting your daily life and where treatment can provide the most support.
Insurance is one of the most common reasons people put off asking for help, and it is one of the easiest barriers for us to remove. Give our admissions team your information and we will verify your benefits, explain your coverage in plain language, and tell you what to expect before you commit to anything. If you do not have insurance, we will walk you through the options that exist.
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When substance use and mental health concerns are treated without coordination, important information can get missed. Changes in mood, sleep, medication, substance use, or other symptoms may affect different parts of care, which makes communication especially important when both conditions are present.
Coordinated care brings those concerns into the same treatment process. Your care team can consider how changes in one area may affect another and modify treatment as your needs change. This holds the focus on how you’re doing as a whole, rather than treating each concern in isolation.
At Redstone Behavioral Health, dual diagnosis care starts with understanding how substance use and mental health concerns are showing up in your life. We look at both during assessment and use what we learn to identify the concerns that need attention as treatment begins.
Care can also change as you move through treatment. If symptoms improve, new concerns come up, or you need a different amount of support, your team may revisit the plan and make adjustments along the way.
Therapy gives you space to work on the patterns, symptoms, and situations connected to both conditions. Depending on what you’re experiencing, that may include learning how to manage strong emotions, recognizing thoughts or behaviors that contribute to substance use, developing healthier ways to respond to stress, or dealing with trauma when it is appropriate to do so. We draw from approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, and trauma-focused therapies based on what you’re working on in treatment. The goal is not to use every therapy available, but to choose approaches that have a clear purpose in your care.
Medication may be part of care for some people with co-occurring conditions. When medication management is appropriate, it is considered alongside your mental health symptoms, substance use, and the other services involved in your treatment. Dual diagnosis care is available across our PHP, IOP, and outpatient programs, allowing the amount of structure and support to reflect what you need during different points in treatment.
Insurance coverage for dual diagnosis care varies by plan. Your benefits may differ based on the services you need, the level of care recommended, your provider network, and requirements such as deductibles, copays, or prior authorization.
Our admissions team can verify your benefits and explain the coverage information provided by your insurer before treatment begins. This gives you a clearer idea of what your plan may cover and what costs you may be responsible for.
If substance use and mental health symptoms are both affecting your life, you do not have to decide which concern deserves attention first. An assessment at Redstone Behavioral Healthcan help identify what is happening in both areas and what type of support may be appropriate.
Our admissions team can answer questions about dual diagnosis treatment in Bowling Green, KY, explain what to expect during the assessment process, and help you understand your options for getting started.
Dual diagnosis can raise questions about diagnosis, medications, levels of care, and what happens when substance use and mental health symptoms overlap. Here are a few practical questions that may come up when considering treatment.
Yes. Some people enter treatment knowing they have a mental health diagnosis, while others have symptoms that have never been formally evaluated. An assessment can help identify mental health concerns that may need further evaluation alongside substance use.
Not necessarily. You can begin the assessment process even if you have mental health symptoms that have never been formally diagnosed. Our team will ask about what you’ve been experiencing alongside substance use and consider whether further mental health evaluation or support should be part of your care.
Yes, some people can receive dual diagnosis treatment through outpatient levels of care. Redstone provides PHP, IOP, and outpatient programs, with the appropriate level depending on the amount of structure and support you need.
Yes, medication may be appropriate for some people with co-occurring disorders. Medication decisions should account for the mental health condition being treated, substance use history, current medications, and other health considerations. When medication is part of care at Redstone, it is considered alongside therapy and other treatment services.
Family or other support people may be involved when appropriate and with your consent. Their role can vary depending on your preferences, clinical needs, and the services included in your treatment.
