Veterans are particularly vulnerable to one or more substance use disorders (SUDs). They also struggle more than the rest of the population with mental health issues. Seven out of 10 veterans are addicted to alcohol. Forty percent abuse drugs, and quite a few deal with polysubstance abuse. Co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions occur in approximately one million veterans, which is about six percent of that population. Of course, that number could be much higher when you consider that many people have not sought help for either an addiction or mental health challenge and are thus not included when data is collected. Where can the veterans who struggle with co-occurring disorders be helped? At a veteran rehab center.
There is a co-occurring disorders treatment program in Mississippi at UpArmor Recovery. Our highly trained and experienced professional staff can help you begin recovery while also addressing your mental health diagnosis. Even if you have never been diagnosed with a mental health issue, the symptoms you are experiencing can be addressed once a professional clinician has heard your story and taken your medical and addiction history. Treating addiction and mental health in a coordinated, complementary, and simultaneous approach is proven best practice. Contact us today to learn more about co-occurring disorders treatment for veterans. You can use our easy online form or call 855.211.5537.
Common Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions Among Veterans
When military personnel return home after their service or tours of duty, the transition is often challenging and stressful, and the experiences they had while serving their country are likely to have left them with psychological symptoms that they may not understand.
Whether or not they come home already abusing alcohol or drugs, veterans often turn to these substances specifically to mute symptoms of mental health conditions. Some mental health diagnoses experienced by veterans include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Combat, injuries, assault, and many other experiences can, and do, leave veterans with PTSD, symptoms of which include constant re-experiencing of the trauma (flashbacks), hyper-vigilance, and physical signs of stress and fight or flight.
- Depression – Difficulty navigating the return to civilian life, including relationships, career or job, and schooling, can be overwhelming and leave veterans coping with major depression.
- Anxiety – Anxiety and PTSD often occur together, and the many forms anxiety can take, including generalized anxiety, situational anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, phobias, and more, are likely to be triggered by the experiences veterans face in civilian life. Pre-existing anxiety can also be greatly amplified among veterans, whether or not it is connected to PTSD.
- Other mental health diagnoses – The diagnoses above are not the only ones suffered by veterans. Borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychoses such as schizophrenia or delusional disorder can all co-occur with addiction among military veterans.
Mental health and addiction treatment for veterans is always more successful when it is done concurrently, incorporating treatment for both conditions in a unified approach. UpArmor Recovery treats co-occurring disorders through outpatient care, including intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and partial hospitalization programs (PHP).
Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment for Veterans
Treating co-occurring disorders often involves the same treatment modalities used in mental health treatment or addiction treatment when the disorders don’t necessarily overlap. A treatment team of physicians, psychotherapists, and other mental health and addiction specialists works collaboratively to address co-occurring disorders. Some of the therapies used at UpArmor Recovery during co-occurring disorders treatment for veterans include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Community reinforcement and family training (CRAFT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Motivational enhancement therapy (MET)
- Motivational interviewing
- Holistic therapy
- Mindfulness meditation therapy
- Relapse prevention therapy
- Religious based programs
Gender-specific programming, including men’s rehab and women’s rehab programs are also available at UpArmor Recovery to support your co-occurring disorder treatment.
UpArmor Recovery Has a Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program in Mississippi
If you are a veteran who is struggling with daily life and the challenges you face, dealing with symptoms of a mental health condition, worried about alcohol or drug abuse, and hoping there is help out there for you, reach out to UpArmor Recovery. We can help you. We offer evidence-based co-occurring disorders treatment in Mississippi for veterans. Call 855.211.5537 or complete this easy form to connect.