Both addiction and mental health disorders are incurable, meaning that treatment is necessary in order to help you learn how to manage your systems. Treatments, like acceptance and commitment therapy, provide you with the tools, skills, and support you need to fully recover.

Tens of millions of Americans struggle with substance abuse disorders, addiction, and alcoholism each year. Not only do more than 10% of Americans over the age of 11 meet the criteria for a substance abuse disorder annually, but another 20% struggle with mental health problems. Despite addiction and mental health disorders being relatively common, many people either don’t reach out for help or have difficulty finding treatment.

Changes to medical insurance laws require insurance companies to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment in the same way that they cover medical problems. These changes have not only increased access to treatment but have also decreased the cost of treatment.

What is Addiction?

Addiction is a progressive disease that causes changes to your brain’s pleasure and reward center, thinking process and brain chemistry. During addiction, you compulsively abuse drugs and alcohol, even if you want to stop or experience troubling consequences. Drugs and alcohol are neurotransmitter inhibitors, causing your brain to release a surplus of pleasurable neurotransmitters.

The rush of neurotransmitters is responsible for the pleasurable effects associated with intoxication. When your brain identifies your substance of choice with pleasure, your pleasure and reward center rewards your substance use and punishes abstinence by controlling the release of neurotransmitters.

Over time, your brain can become dependent on your substance of choice in order to release certain neurotransmitters. When the effects of your substance of choice wear off, you suffer from a significant neurotransmitter depletion. This depletion causes intense cravings and depressed moods.

Signs and symptoms of addiction include:

• Friends, family members or loved ones confronting you about your substance use
• Denying that you have a substance abuse problem
• Needing to use in order to feel normal or to avoid withdrawal
• Regretting things you do or say while intoxicated
• Needing to increase your substance use as your tolerance builds

Mental Health Disorders

Mental health disorders can cause disabling symptoms, especially when left untreated. Some of the most common mental health disorders include:

• Depression, seasonal affective disorder and major depression disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder and panic attack disorder
• Trauma-related disorders
• Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder
• Eating disorders and body dysphoria disorders
• ADHD and ADD

Mental health disorders can make it impossible to control your thoughts, feelings, and mood. Symptoms can make it difficult to concentrate, focus, and problem solve. Evidence-based treatments, including medication management and an acceptance and commitment therapy in Crystal Lake Il, offers, can help you recover from a mental health disorder. A group therapy program Crystal Lake IL provides can also improve your communication skills and build your support network. Those struggling with both mental health and addiction can treat both simultaneously through a dual diagnosis treatment program in Northern IL.

How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Works

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy program in Crystal Lake Il helps you learn how to improve your problem-solving skills, accept and change aspects of your life and manage symptoms of a mental health or substance abuse disorder. Acceptance and commitment therapy improves your ability to deal with and accept negative events.

During acceptance and therapy treatment, you will identify and evaluate the severity of your problems, such as a relationship issue, and decide if you can solve the problem. During this discussion, you will review if there’s anything you can do to change the situation. If you can’t change a particular situation, you learn how to accept that outcome. You will also learn new ways to approach and cope with life changes, stressors, and conflict.

If you are battling an addiction or mental health disorder, reaching out for help is the first step in your recovery. Call us today at 855.786.1978 to find out more about how our programs can help you achieve recovery.