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Substance Use

Akua Mind Body > Substance Use

Substance Use

A substance use disorder, commonly known as a drug or alcohol addiction, is defined as the inability to control the urge to use any illegal or legal drug to the point that it affects multiple aspects of an individual’s life. Commonly abused substances include alcohol, nicotine, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, and marijuana. Addiction can change the way an individual behaves, thinks, and reacts to situations and can have a drastic impact on the individual’s family and loved ones.

Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol & Drug Addictions:

Drastic changes in weight and appetite
Abnormal sleep patterns
Risky behaviors including stealing, sexual promiscuity, truancy, and driving under the influence
Physical withdrawal symptoms
Neglect in physical appearance/hygiene
Mood swings and abnormal behavior
Social withdrawal and isolation

Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
Increase tolerance for alcohol and drugs
Interpersonal conflicts
A decline in work or academic performance
Spending more money than usual
Loss of control
Physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, abdominal pains, and skin infections for unknown reasons

Treatment for substance use, how we can help

Substance use treatment programs are designed to help individuals safely withdrawal from addictive substances such as heroin, opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamines. AKUA Mind & Body uses medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in combination with psychotherapy approaches. Psychotherapy modalities include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectal behavioral therapy, family therapy, and trauma-based therapy approaches in a wide variety of different levels of care depending on the severity of the addiction. AKUA Mind & Body offers multiple levels of care, including detox, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, virtual outpatient programs, and an aftercare alumni program.

AKUA Mind & Body Treatment Program

AKUA Mind and Body is a full-service treatment program that offers a wide range of “east meets west” treatment modalities for many different populations struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. We offer both intensive inpatient programs as well as outpatient treatment. AKUA Mind & Body works diligently with each client and their family to ensure that their treatment plan is specifically tailored to their needs, and not just their disorder.

24/7 Admission Helpline 888-240-0450

Substance Use & Mental Health

Substance use disorders and mental health disorders go hand-in-hand. When an individual is diagnosed with both they are known to have a co-occurring disorder, once known as dual diagnosis.

Often, individuals will admit into a treatment center for a substance use addiction and will soon after be diagnosed with an underlying mental health disorder.

Addiction usually develops as a poor coping mechanism to deal with the underlying mental health disorder or vice versa. Therefore, a substance use disorder can lead to a mental health disorder, and a mental health disorder can lead to a substance use disorder. It is essential to identify and treat both disorders simultaneously; otherwise, if one disorder is left untreated, the individual is at high risk for relapse.

Kristen Fuller, M.D.

Kristen, is a clinical content writer and enjoys writing about evidence-based topics in the cutting-edge world of mental health and addiction medicine. She is a family medicine physician and author, who also teaches and contributes to medicine board education. Her passion lies within educating the public on preventable diseases including mental health disorders and the stigma associated with them. She is also an outdoor activist and dog enthusiast.

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