If self-medication feels like the only way to seek relief, our addiction treatment center at Solution Based Treatment and Detox can help you regain what you’ve lost and move on with your life. It might seem like an easy option, but actually addressing the reason you’re drinking can offer long-term relief. People often self-medicate with alcohol in order to dull emotional and physical pain. In most cases, it isn’t about getting “high.” If you are dealing with a co-occurring disorder, then treating the addiction and mental health concerns together is the best way to address both. The caring and professional treatment team at SBT is on call to answer your questions and help you get the alcohol addiction treatment you need.
Why Self-Medicating Is Dangerous
While there can be benefits to safe and responsible self-medication, like being able to access the drug when you need it and relieve the pain on demand, the risks outweigh the benefits. Risks include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Refusal to seek medical help sooner
- Life-threatening reactions to mixing alcohol with other substances
- Drinking to the point of blackout or memory loss
- Developing a dependence on the drug that leads to substance abuse
Self-medication is unfortunately common when dealing with a co-occurring mental health disorder. If you or a loved one are struggling with a substance use disorder and/or a mental health disorder, seek treatment at a dual diagnosis program like the one at Solution Based Treatment. Our treatment team can answer any questions you have to make an educated decision about treatment.
Self-medicating can lead you down an unhealthy path. A dependence on drugs or alcohol quickly leads to substance abuse. A variety of physical and psychological symptoms are common with alcohol addiction.
These include:
- Dramatic weight loss or gain
- Feeling hopeless or suicidal
- Clinical depression
- Extreme anxiety
- Severe mood swings
- Lack of concentration
- Avoiding family, friends, and social activities
- Insomnia or changes in sleeping habits
How to Treat a Drinking Problem
At SBT, we offer treatment programs that focus on healing the mind, body, and soul. These programs include:
- Medical detox
- Residential addiction treatment
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Partial hospitalization
- Music and art programs like Rock to Recovery
It’s hard to admit you have an addiction or mental health condition and that you need help. This is why so many people ignore their problems and end up self-medicating instead of getting the help they need. Effective treatment is possible, and there’s no reason to delay asking for it.
Research shows that pre-existing mental health disorders are one of the most common factors that contribute to addiction. The practice of self-medication is dangerous, but many do it thinking they can manage their conditions on their own. Addiction needs to be treated like the chronic disease that it is. Professional intervention and treatment are required by a healthcare team. These kinds of co-occurring disorders are called dual diagnosis. With the right treatment, a full recovery is possible to live a long and healthy life free from addiction.
SBT Offers Many Treatment Options
If you or someone you know has been self-medicating for a suspected or diagnosed co-occurring mental health disorder, it’s time to get help. When there is a dual diagnosis, it is important to receive specific treatment that addresses both conditions – addiction and mental health issues – in a coordinated approach.
In addition to alcohol, some of the other substances we help treat as part of a dual diagnosis include:
- Opioids (including fentanyl, OxyContin, and Vicodin)
- Heroin
- Benzodiazepines (including Xanax and Klonopin)
- Meth
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
For information about dual-diagnosis and the dangers of self-medicating, contact the team at Solution Based Treatment today at 833.999.1941.