Alta Loma is an extended care recovery center that specializes in treating a full scope of mental health and substance use disorders in men of all ages. Our Georgetown mental health facility is dedicated to addressing the intricate needs of such individuals. Nearly half of all patients, primarily adults, seeking assistance for addiction also have co-occurring psychiatric concerns that too often aren’t properly addressed. If they end up at a recovery center that doesn’t address their mental health, their chances of success are dramatically lower.
If residents with a dual diagnosis enter recovery for substance use that doesn’t treat their mental health, they will find it difficult to sustain sobriety as their psychiatric symptoms persist. Treating just one disorder will not improve the other. In fact, untreated mental illness often correlates with substance use, while substance use may increase symptoms or trigger new ones. Our services extend to the broader community, including students, ensuring comprehensive support for those in need.
We recognize that each resident has unique mental health and addiction experiences that have affected them. Just as no two people respond to drugs or alcohol in the same way, mental health concerns also affect each of us differently. Some residents may have a chronic, untreated mental health disorder that prompted them to experiment with drugs or alcohol to relieve their symptoms. Others may be trying to block out severe trauma or use drugs to get through one more day.
At Alta Loma, residents learn about mental health’s role in their substance use to better understand how to react to future symptoms. By managing both conditions simultaneously, our clinicians and board-certified psychiatrists provide comprehensive care that treats psychiatric symptoms without drugs or alcohol so residents can learn about the role that mental health has in their substance use and move forward to focus on achieving sustainable, long-term sobriety.
Bridging the Gap Between Mental Health and Addiction
Seeking treatment for substance use isn’t easy, but the presence of a psychiatric disorder complicates the situation. Those with a dual diagnosis are far less likely to enter recovery than others, and if they do only 7 percent receive proper treatment for both psychiatric and substance use conditions. More than 55 percent don’t seek treatment at all. This may be due to a variety of reasons, such as:
- Stigmas surrounding mental health and substance abuse
- Substance use masks underlying mental health disorders
- Lower motivation to seek treatment
- Organizational failures to reconcile treatment approaches and integrate care
We have seen a rise in the occurrence of residents with a dual diagnosis over the past decade due in part to increased awareness that mental health conditions and substance use are closely linked. Despite this, there are limited options for men with a dual diagnosis. Only 18 percent of treatment programs for substance use address co-occurring disorders, and even fewer mental health programs address substance use. For recovery centers that aren’t adequately equipped to treat residents with a dual diagnosis, co-occurring disorders complicate treatment, increase symptom severity and result in a poor long-term outcome. In response, Alta Loma is dedicated to rectifying this situation.
By seamlessly integrating treatment plans encompassing an array of addictions and psychiatric conditions, we ensure that residents, including adolescents, are provided with consistent, well-coordinated care. Our Georgetown mental health services encompass IOP (Intensive Outpatient Programs) and PHP (Partial Hospitalization Programs) options, along with group counseling and various resources, and cater men and their families’ unique needs, fostering a path toward improved well-being.
Integrated Care for a Wide Array of Dual Diagnoses
Co-occurring disorders come in many forms and Alta Loma is committed to providing care to residents with various dual diagnoses. Although certain combinations (such as depression and alcoholism) are more prevalent, we treat residents struggling with a wide scope of addictions and psychiatric concerns, such as:
Alta Loma: The #1 Destination for Men’s Long-Term Mental Health Care
Although mental health and substance use are closely related, it’s often difficult to determine which came first once they are intertwined. Some residents have a mental health disorder that predates their addiction and use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate, while others may develop psychiatric issues after an addiction has taken hold. Self-medicating often prevents a resident from learning the appropriate coping skills for dealing with mental illness and may mask the symptoms, making it more difficult to recognize the signs.
Regardless of how they relate, substance abuse and mental illness lead to a destructive cycle that causes a tailspin of worsening symptoms and increased drug or alcohol use, emphasizing the importance of treating them concurrently.
