Kolmac is offering in-person services in Columbia, Towson, Washington, DC & Yardley, PA
Addiction & Co-Occurring Disorders

What We Treat

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Addiction and Co-Occurring Disorders Substance Use Disorder / Alcohol Use Disorder / Opioid Use Disorder / Gambling Disorder / Mental Health Disorders

Understanding addiction is the first step of the recovery journey. Our experienced team knows addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that responds to evidence-based treatment and support. Like diabetes or hypertension, successful treatment for disordered behavior associated with addiction requires ongoing care rather than a quick fix. It’s important to understand that addiction has nothing to do with morals, values, or lack of willpower.

What is Addiction?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume Five (DSM-5) describe a substance use disorder as a chronic brain disorder that causes a person a person to use substances repeatedly, despite the harm they cause.

Here’s the official definition:

“A substance use disorders occurs when the recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs causes clinically and functionally significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home. Diagnosis of substance use disorder is based on evidence of impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological criteria.”

To meet the threshold for diagnosis of an addiction disorder, an individual must show specific signs and symptoms. Understanding what these are is important for people who think the may have an addiction disorder, and people who think a family member, loved one, or friend may have an addiction disorder.

How to Recognize Addiction

A person with and addiction disorder will show warning signs that experts often divide into four categories:

Behavioral Changes:

  • Risky/reckless behavior, including dangerous driving, fighting, unsafe sexual activity, illegal activity
  • Disappearing for days at a time, going out every night
  • Unusual sleep patterns, sleeping too much, sleeping too little
  • Secretive behavior
  • Lying about, covering up alcohol/drug use/gambling and related behavior 

Physical Changes

  • Loss of interest in personal hygiene/basic personal care
  • Sudden weight loss/gain
  • Frequently flushed face/bloodshot eyes
  • Smelling like smoke/alcohol
  • Slurred speech
  • Clumsiness/unexplained injuries

Mood and Personality Changes:

  • Low mood/depression
  • Withdrawal from friends and family, and favorite activities/hobbies
  • Loss of motivation
  • Uncharacteristic mood swings
  • Excess fatigue/lethargic behavior
  • Escalating paranoia/anxiety
  • Uncharacteristic anger/irritability
  • Mood swings: periods of elation/hyperactivity followed by periods of depression/low mood

Changes at Work and Home

Work:

  • Increased absenteeism/missing work
  • Loss of interest in work
  • Declining/impaired work performance
  • Complaints from supervisors or colleagues
  • Being fired or disciplined at work

Home:

  • Loss of interest in home activities
  • Conflict/relationship problems with spouses, children, parents
  • Decreasing/impaired ability to meet family responsibilities
  • Increased absence from home with little, no, or inadequate explanation

Recognizing Addiction: Questions to Ask

In addition to understanding the primary warning signs and signals, answering these critical questions can help to identify addiction:

  1. Has the person increased their alcohol/drug consumption, or are they gambling more often?
  2. Has the person tried to stop their behavior with little or no success?
  3. Does the person continue to drink, use drugs, or gamble despite negative consequences that occur as a result of their behavior?

If the answer to these questions is yes, please consider a treatment program at Kolmac.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Opioid / Painkiller Addiction

Co-Occurring Disorders

When a person meets the diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder and an addiction disorder at the same time, they have what mental health professionals call co-occurring disorders and receive a dual diagnosis. The most common mental health disorders that occur alongside addiction disorders include:

  • Mood disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Eating disorders

Evidence indicates over half of people with an addiction disorder also have a mental health disorder, which complicates the treatment process. An accurate diagnosis is the first challenge:

  1. When a person is in recovery from an addiction disorder, it can take time for the symptoms of a mental health disorder appear in a way that allows a provider to definitively distinguish them from the symptoms of addiction
  2. If and when they do appear, it’s critical for providers, patients, and families the family to understand how the presence of a co-occurring disorder impacts the treatment process
  3. Clinicians need the experience and skill to not only diagnose, but also treat both disorders simultaneously.

When a person has co-occurring disorders, failure to treat one can have a negative impact on the other – but when a person receives treatment for both at the same time, outcomes improve.

At Kolmac, our clinical team has the knowledge, skill, and experience to support patients with co-occurring disorders.

The Kolmac Difference: 50 Years. 50,000 Patients. We Can Help.

Get Help Today!

We welcome the opportunity to help you in your road to recovery. If you’d like to learn more about Kolmac Integrated Behavioral Health Centers, contact us at: