Managing any form of mental health disorder can be extremely challenging. Having a dual diagnosis often amplifies the stress of the situation. Fortunately, you are not alone; dual diagnoses are relatively common in mental health. Many mental health disorders share symptoms, which means that having one mental health disorder can increase the likelihood you will experience another. It can be challenging to manage this, but there are many healthy ways to live and move forward with a positive mindset after receiving a dual diagnosis.
What Is a Dual Diagnosis?
If an individual has a dual diagnosis, they are diagnosed with one or more mental health disorders as well as a substance abuse disorder. The combination of diagnoses can be emotionally straining and make the recovery process require a longer timeframe.
Managing a Dual Diagnosis
The following tips and practices can be used for any form of treatment, but they will be particularly helpful for people seeking to overcome the stress of managing a dual diagnosis.
Develop an Understanding
One of the first steps to take towards managing your dual diagnosis is developing an understanding of each aspect of your mental health. Understanding strategies that work for each diagnosis and finding similarities in them can help you diminish the stress of managing multiple disorders. The National Institute of Mental Health outlines a variety of disorders you may be dealing with. Reviewing these disorders can help you gain familiarity with your conditions.
Find Similarities
Since there are many different mental health and substance abuse disorders, it should be no surprise that there are similarities in the methods used in treatment to overcome these disorders. Reviewing commonly used strategies and finding practices that positively influence all aspects of your dual diagnosis can help you make the list of skills to learn and practice much smaller and more manageable.
Discovering coping mechanisms that work well for you in one aspect of your recovery may feed into the management of your other disorders as well without you even noticing. Pay close attention to the effects your coping skills have for each diagnosis to evaluate if they are effective methods to use for both symptoms. It is, of course, okay to practice techniques that only help with one diagnosis; however, finding techniques that can help with more than one aspect is ideal.
Consider Medication
Using medication to help you through the recovery process of mental health disorders can be a controversial subject. Many people are against the use of medication. However, with a dual diagnosis especially, the use of medication can help you mitigate the effects of your diagnoses and prevent them from playing off each other. When dealing with multiple diagnoses, you will likely find your symptoms exacerbating each other, which creates an environment too overwhelming for your mind to relax in. Medication can have significant benefits in regulating this overflow of emotions.
Join Support Groups
Finding a support group for either one or both of your diagnoses is highly recommended to help you manage them. Participation in support groups or group therapy gives you insight into the perspectives of others who are dealing with similar issues. You may find that many other individuals are dealing with multiple diagnoses as well. After all, dual diagnoses are very common. Taking advantage of this resource will help manage your dual diagnosis by reminding you that you are not alone. It can be easy to get down on yourself when you know you have multiple disorders to deal with. However, knowing that others are going through a similar struggle can help you accept the state of your mental health.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care is extremely important in retaining mental wellbeing. For those dealing with a dual diagnosis, this is especially important. Self-care practices can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and keep your focus on your recovery. There are many habits you can incorporate into your lifestyle to improve your self-care and avoid falling into a negative mental state. These include:
- Exercise Regularly: Engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day increases the number of endorphins released in your body. This can help your body feel healthy and uplift your mood.
- Stay Nourished and Hydrated: Ensure you are drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day. Hydration has a large effect on your overall physical and mental well-being. Filling your body with essential nutrients can also improve your overall functioning.
- Develop Healthy Sleep Habits: Having a consistent sleep cycle can help you maintain your energy levels throughout the day. Feeling energized can ease the pressure of working through a dual diagnosis.
- Take Time to Relax: Allow yourself to participate in activities you enjoy. Don’t get too caught up in managing your dual diagnosis all the time. Sometimes your mind and body need a break to relax. Allow yourself at least 30 minutes every day to fully relax and let your mind be free.
Self-care is one of the most essential aspects of dealing with a dual diagnosis. If you are not taking care of your body’s basic needs, it will be nearly impossible to take care of your mental and emotional needs regarding your mental health disorders. These self-care practices will set you up to be in a good headspace while working through the recovery of your dual diagnosis and make it much easier to manage day-to-day.
A dual diagnosis can be difficult to manage, and it often causes extra levels of stress throughout recovery. It is easy to feel alone while dealing with a dual diagnosis, though they are very common. The symptoms and mental effects of one diagnosis are already a lot to deal with, so managing two or more is a challenge. There are many tips to alleviate the stress of this process. Having a strong understanding of your diagnoses is important in managing them. Finding similarities in both the symptoms and the skills that help you to manage each disorder can help you discover ways to manage multiple disorders at a time. The use of medications, group therapy, support groups, and overall self-care is important with regards to managing dual diagnoses and avoiding feeling overwhelmed. To learn more about how to manage a dual diagnosis, reach out to Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.