More than half of the people living with an alcohol or substance use disorder also contend with a co-occurring mental health condition. In the field of addiction medicine, it is critical that patients receive screenings for a dual diagnosis. Research indicates, unequivocally, that individuals who do not receive simultaneous treatment for co-occurring disorders while in rehab are unlikely to stay on track working a program of addiction recovery.

Addiction is a treatable mental illness and success depends on treating the whole patient. Attending to a use disorder without addressing a client’s comorbidity almost guarantees a relapse down the road. Conversely, when people receive treatment for all of their conditions at once – learning how to manage the symptoms without drugs and alcohol – they can lead productive lives in recovery.

While conditions like depression and bipolar disorder are manageable with the help of evidence-based therapies, there are times when medication is required to keep symptoms at bay. Naturally, there is a multitude of prescription drugs that can help improve people’s life quality. Deciding which drug works best depends entirely on how a patient responds; it is often the case that several different meds are tried before finding the one that works best. The process of finding the right drug for a client can be a challenging task, but technology may one day help things along.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Better Diagnose Mental illness
Diagnosing mental illness is a complicated task that can take a significant amount of time; finding the medication that works best for a patient, often takes even longer. Research shows that A.I. has something to offer in the quest for diagnosing and treating mental health disorders. Researchers at Canada’s Lawson Health Research Institute, The Mind Research Network in New Mexico and the Brainnetome Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, designed an artificial intelligence algorithm that analyzes brain scans to classify illness in patients with a complex mental illness, PyschCentralWhat’s more, the algorithm can predict how a patient will respond to a particular medication.

“Antidepressants are the gold standard pharmaceutical therapy for [major depressive disorder] MDD while mood stabilizers are the gold standard for bipolar I,” said Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, a clinician-scientist at Lawson and co-lead investigator on the study. “But it becomes difficult to predict which medication will work in patients with complex mood disorders when a diagnosis is not clear. Will they respond better to an antidepressant or to a mood stabilizer?”

When the researchers tested their algorithm on 78 adult patients from mental health programs, it correctly classified their illness with 92.4 percent accuracy, according to the article. And, 11 out of 12 participants responded to the medication predicted by the algorithm.

“Patients may also have more than one diagnosis, such as a combination of a mood disorder and a substance abuse disorder, further complicating diagnosis,” said Dr. Osuch. “Having a biological test or procedure to identify what class of medication a patient will respond to would significantly advance the field of psychiatry.”

Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment
If you or a loved one is living with addiction and co-occurring mental illness, please contact Living Hope. We specialize in treating patients with a dual diagnosis and can help you begin a life-changing journey of recovery.

Our Difference:

Mental illness and Addiction Treatment is a Right for You

When choosing from one Living Hope Counseling inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol rehab center, it’s important to select a faith-based Rehab Program that instills lifelong discipline in defeating Depression, Trauma, Anxiety, Stress, Drug abuse and alcoholism. Celebrate Living Hope’s Counselors who equip clients with life skills to emerge victorious in the addiction battle. Using scriptural principles, our faith-based addiction programs teach reliance on God when facing temptation.

To help addicts overcome the devastating effects of drug and alcohol abuse, Living HopeRehab steers clients to God’s healing power and encourages clients to develop value in the supreme power/higher power, strengthen their resolve, and achieve lifelong freedom from the stranglehold of dependency.

Question to Ask About Living Hope Rehab

Before you trust your recovery to a mental illness center or to a drug abuse and alcohol rehab center, it’s important to educate yourself about the rehabilitation process. While evaluating residential treatment programs, remember to ask the staff members the following important questions.

  1. Do you encourage tour of the facility?Reputable rehabs should always be willing to provide guided visits for potential clients and family members. Spending time at the facility will help you decide if you’re comfortable with the staff, accommodations, and overall environment.
  2. Does the center address underlying mental health problems in addition to addiction treatment?Many addicts have undiagnosed emotional and mental health concerns. A quality mental health center anddrug abuse and alcoholic rehab should have a team of experts who address both addiction recovery and complicating health issues.
  3. Is the facility connected with a reputable, scripture and Pastoral guidance person?This is a professional Pastor or Pastoral Guider who share and take the clients though the journey of relevance/inter-relation of the Higher Power and humankind, the obligation of mankind in keeping the relation.
  4. Does your facility offer relapse-prevention care?For many clients, fear of returning to their old life weighs heavily on them. At Living Hope, we provide clients with the tools they need to resist a relapse and set the boundaries needed for a healthy, substance-free life. We have an Aftercare program plan that goes up to THREE MONTHS after discharge.
  5. What makes your facility different from others?At Living Hope we are successful because webase our counseling therapies on Biblical principles to help patients to work-out their battle against substance abuse. 

Learn More About Living Hope Counseling and Treatment Centre

If you’re experiencing mental illness of whatever kind, or you’re an alcohol or drug addict struggling to reclaim your life, don’t trust your rehabilitation to the cheapest or closest clinic. At Living Hope, our highly trained addiction team is ready to help you overcome your bondage to mental illnesses and drugs and alcohol  and to return to the abundant life God has planned for you.