Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Sonoma County, CA

Based on the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 21.5 million people had a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder (dual diagnosis disorder) in the past year.

Many people practice self-medication, wherein people use addictive substances to manage symptoms of mental health issues. For example, someone experiencing social anxiety may regularly imbibe in alcohol or cannabis at parties to calm themselves enough to participate in activities. Someone who experiences nightmares from PTSD may find themselves using alcohol or opioids to fall asleep regularly. The problem with this practice is not only the development of addiction — these substances can cover up or minimize the presence of symptoms, making it much harder to be properly diagnosed and/or receive effective care.

Dual diagnosis can involve a broad range of mental health and substance use disorders. Some of the most common combinations we address include:

• Depression disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Personality disorders (such as borderline personality disorder)
• Social anxiety
• Alcohol addiction
• Heroin addiction
• Panic disorder
• Psychotic disorders

If this describes you, you’re not alone. According to a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.9 million people in the U.S. experience both a mental disorder and a substance use disorder simultaneously. The 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that around 17 million adults aged 18 and older had both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental illness, representing 6.7% of the adult population.