Dual Diagnosis Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Treatment for Dually Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders

Many individuals struggling with anxiety disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and panic disorders also suffer from issues such as depression, substance abuse, and trauma. For others, anxiety symptoms can be deeply intertwined with other mental health disorders, such as an eating disorder, Bipolar Disorder, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Left untreated, anxiety disorders can worsen over time and cause severe psychological damage. When someone has multiple, co-occurring disorders, they are considered dual diagnosis. In dual diagnosis cases, it is essential to properly diagnosis all co-occurring disorders, and construct a treatment plan that addresses all facets of each disorder.

At the Delray Center for Healing, we recognize the complexities of identifying and treating clients with multiple conditions and disorders. We offer a specialized and comprehensive approach to treatment incorporating input from our multi-disciplinary team of psychiatric doctors and therapists, as well as the very latest in evidenced-based clinical services and medical science. Every anxiety disorder dual diagnosis treatment program is tailored to the needs of the client, not just the diagnosis, providing for a simultaneous and complete recovery from all disorders.

Why Anxiety Disorder Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, approximated to affect close to thirty percent of adult Americans at some point in their lives. An anxiety disorder is differentiated from normal anxiety by the degree of stress and fear, and by how long it persists. Anxiety disorder treatment is relatively straightforward, usually involving outpatient psychiatry and talk therapy. However, these conditions become much more difficult to treat when they are enmeshed with other mental health disorders, such as substance abuse, refractory depression, post-traumatic stress, or eating disorders.

In some dual diagnosis anxiety disorders, chronic anxiety may be the by-product of past traumatic events, a personality disorder, or long-term depression. Chronic mental health issues have been shown to re-wire the brain over time, worsening mood control and making individuals more susceptible to persistent anxiety symptoms. For others, chronic anxiety leads them to turn to maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as excessive drinking and drug use, binge eating and restricting, or obsessive compulsive rituals. The longer these maladaptive coping mechanisms exist, the harder they are to separate from the underlying mood disorder.

The Delray Center’s Anxiety Disorder Dual Diagnosis Approach

Every dual diagnosis client is unique, with different symptoms, root causes, and co-occurring mental health disorders. Our mental health center in Delray Beach offers a variety of clinical services, which are combined into individualized treatment plans for our clients struggling with anxiety and other co-occurring disorders. These include:

• Advanced & Interventional Psychiatry: Since 2003, our Founder & Medical Director, Dr. Raul J. Rodriguez has specialized in the treatment of complex dual diagnosis patients. Dr. Rodriguez has been a pioneer in South Florida for the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy (TMS), Ketamine Infusion Therapy, exercise therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to treat mood disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. All anxiety disorder dual diagnosis clients begin their journey by receiving a thorough psychiatric evaluation from Dr. Rodriguez. Our program combines structured psychiatric care and medication management to ensure the effective use of medication to achieve remission and not simple mask symptoms.
• Intensive Clinical Therapy: Our team of licensed & masters-level mental health counselors and clinical social workers all specialize in the treatment of anxiety & mood disorders, with or without co-occurring trauma, depression, disordered eating issues, or substance abuse. Every dual diagnosis program client receives intensive therapeutic care during the course of their treatment, including individual therapy, small-group therapy, and family therapy. Our therapists are trained in a number of modalities, including CBT, DBT, EMDR, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET). Program clients have the opportunity to work with multiple therapists during the course of treatment, to address all sides of their anxiety disorder and/or dual diagnosis condition.
• Holistic Services: At the Delray Center for Healing, we have found that true healing from mental illness requires caring for the body as well as the mind. In that spirit, the Delray Center offers a range of holistic services designed to improve mental wellness through physical health. These include nutritional therapy, exercise therapy, healthy meal planning, yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, and IV vitamin infusions. Individuals who combine wellness services with psychiatry and psychotherapy have significantly higher success rates when being treated for an anxiety disorder.

If you have been struggling with severe anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD, combined with other mental health issues, please contact us today. One of our helpful new patient coordinators will walk you through the program enrollment process, and help you schedule your initial psychiatric evaluation.