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Substance addiction wrecks your life. Schizophrenia destabilizes your ability to function normally. Together, schizophrenia and addiction can seem insurmountable. There is hope. Our integrated dual diagnosis program empowers you to regain your center, overcome addiction, and minimize the effects of schizophrenia.
You don’t have to tackle your dual diagnosis alone when there’s a team fully dedicated to your recovery and well-being. Our drug and alcohol rehab center can help you build resilience, self-care strategies, and a support network you need to overcome your co-occurring disorders.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental health disorder that typically emerges in the late teens to mid-twenties. It is considered a psychotic disorder because people often struggle to differentiate reality from fantasy, which impacts personality and behavior.
Schizophrenia is characterized by two broad categories of symptoms: “positive” and “negative.”
Schizophrenia develops from a mix of genetic, biological, and environmental factors. Those with a family history are predisposed, implicating hereditary factors. About 1% of people worldwide wrestle with schizophrenia. While not curable, this condition is manageable through medication and psychosocial therapies that improve daily functioning.
Some people resort to self-medicating with alcohol or drugs to seek relief.
At Ardu, we deliver specialized care for dual diagnoses through coordinated treatment. Our integrated programs address schizophrenia and co-occurring addiction together. By managing both substance use and mental health symptoms concurrently, we equip clients to achieve full, sustained recovery.
Dual diagnosis refers to the condition of battling addiction alongside a mental health disorder such as schizophrenia. Research shows it is surprisingly common for substance use disorders and other psychiatric illnesses such as depression, PTSD, or schizophrenia to co-occur. Nearly one-quarter of people battling addiction also live with additional mental health challenges.
According to the experts at Columbia Psychiatry, nearly 19.4 million people had both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition in 2021. Substance use can worsen the course of the co-occurring mental health condition. Without treatment, people face amplified challenges as they try to manage two conditions.
The mental health problems that most commonly co-occur with substance abuse are depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. Other mental health problems that commonly co-occur with substance abuse or addiction include schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD.
Over half of those with schizophrenia will also struggle with substance abuse in their lifetime—a remarkably high rate of co-occurring conditions. Many patients with schizophrenia turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with the challenges of their condition.
Medical researchers at Dartmouth reveal that 47% of patients with schizophrenia have serious problems with drug or alcohol use during their lifetime.
Regarding specific substances: tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine use disorders occur commonly in patients with schizophrenia, with lifetime prevalence ranging from 60–90% for cigarette smoking, as well as 21–86% for alcohol, 17–83% for cannabis and 15–50% for cocaine use — rates at-least three-times greater than those in the general population. (Khokhar, et. al.)
Winklbaur, M.D. from the Medical University of Vienna found that schizophrenic patients with co-occurring substance misuse disorders are more vulnerable to:
On the flip side, people with substance abuse disorders also have higher rates of schizophrenia compared to the general population. Substance abuse can lead to an earlier presentation of psychotic symptoms or increase symptom severity, especially when drug use begins during adolescence or early adulthood.
Ferguson, et. al. showed that “the development of cannabis dependence is associated with increased rates of psychotic symptoms in young people.” Salom, et. al. found that “mental health disorders are more likely in young adults with polysubstance use disorders than those with alcohol/cannabis use disorders.”
While alcohol or drug abuse doesn’t directly cause schizophrenia, it can trigger or worsen symptoms in those who are already predisposed to the disorder. The best treatment for co-occurring disorders is an integrated approach, where both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder are treated simultaneously.
When schizophrenia and addiction collide, it can feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest without an oxygen tank, but there is hope. The key to recovery lies in our integrated approach. We don’t isolate these conditions but instead address schizophrenia and addiction together. Ardu specializes in treating co-occurring schizophrenia or other mental health disorders and substance use with compassion.
To fight schizophrenia and co-occurring addiction, we use:
With coordinated care for schizophrenia and addiction issues, you have a stronger foundation for managing symptoms over the long run. Our dual diagnosis programs incorporate both inpatient and outpatient options to provide the appropriate level of support on your recovery journey.
Our residential treatment center provides intensive inpatient care in a structured setting to help you regain stability. By participating in this immersive program, you can:
If commitments make residential treatment difficult, our outpatient treatment options allow flexibility. Outpatient treatment means you can still maintain work and family obligations as you apply new skills in real-world settings.
No matter where you are on your journey, we meet you there with compassionate, personalized care.
No two people’s journey with schizophrenia and addiction looks the same. That’s why we get to know you as an individual first and build customized treatment strategies centered around your goals. This means that we:
Here’s what forms of therapy we offer:
With individualized care guided by compassion, we empower those with dual diagnoses to achieve lasting wellness. With patience and support, a rewarding life in recovery is possible.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
Sustaining recovery from co-occurring schizophrenia and addiction requires ongoing support even after initial treatment. The risk of relapse remains high due to the chronic nature of these intertwined illnesses. An aftercare plan provides continued resources to reinforce progress made in rehab. We help you bridge the transition back to everyday life and achieve long-term stability.
Our aftercare program includes relapse prevention services, sober housing, outpatient therapy, peer communities, and recovery coaching. We believe in surrounding our clients with understanding systems focused on relapse prevention and symptom management, so people feel supported in their dual diagnosis recovery journey rather than alone.
With ongoing, compassionate support, you can sustain the progress made in treatment and maintain lifelong wellness. If you’re struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), our OCD dual diagnosis treatment service can guide you through recovery with understanding and non-judgment.
I never went through ARDU myself but I have Witnessed the “aftermath” with some of their clients. What I have seen is the connection their clients have in long term recovery, They get involved in community and are involved in service all over the place. I know several of them personally and am amazed by how they show up in the recovery community. Most treatment places just get them through treatment while ARDU gets their clients set up for successful recovery and connection long after they are clients…
The professionals at Ardu Recovery Center have experience dealing with even the most extreme cases of drug addiction. Our drug addiction program offers a full suite of inpatient and outpatient services to our residents. We understand the immense difficulties residents face in overcoming addiction, and we provide comprehensive support to make the recovery process as comfortable as possible.
In addition to drug addiction treatment, we also offer treatment for alcohol use disorders, as well as an alcohol detox program.
To enroll in an Ardu program, contact us online or via phone (801-872-8480). We will work with you to find a recovery path that works for you during the detox process and beyond.
If you want to verify your insurance coverage and gather more payment information, see our insurance verification page.
According to studies, around 50% of people with schizophrenia also struggle with substance abuse disorders. This high rate of dual diagnosis makes treatment more challenging. Integrated treatment that addresses both mental health issues and addictive behaviors concurrently has shown the most success.
Schizophrenia involves the complex interplay of genetics, brain abnormalities, and psychosocial factors. This complex storm of factors is difficult to understand and to treat. Antipsychotic medications can help manage certain symptoms but do not cure it. Providing comprehensive psychiatric care, individual and family therapy, social skills training and support improves the quality of life for schizophrenia patients. But it remains a lifelong condition requiring a personalized, multi-modal approach.
After a schizophrenia diagnosis, the dual diagnosis treatment program typically begins with an assessment by a compassionate medical team to understand symptoms and history. This guides personalized medication and evidence-based therapy recommendations. Coordinated case management helps access services and resources. With proper treatment adherence, supportive family involvement, and healthy coping strategies, patients can manage acute psychotic episodes and improve stability.
Many studies confirm that individuals with schizophrenia have significantly higher rates of substance abuse issues ranging from alcohol addiction to drug disorders. Contributing factors include:
Integrated treatment for this complex dual diagnosis is essential to address both the mental illness and addictive behaviors simultaneously.
While not the most common psychiatric disorder, schizophrenia is considered one of the most functionally debilitating. Its constellation of positive and negative symptoms profoundly disrupts perception, emotions, decision-making, and quality of life. Severity varies between subtypes and individuals, but uncontrolled schizophrenia impedes social, occupational, and self-care functioning. Access to compassionate, personalized treatment can help people with schizophrenia improve their outlook.
Two other psychiatric disorders often co-occurring with schizophrenia in a dual diagnosis are major depressive disorder and substance abuse disorders. The common symptoms and shared risk factors can complicate diagnosis and treatment approaches. However, evidence-based therapies and compassionate medical professionals can effectively manage both schizophrenia and associated illnesses.
Sometimes schizophrenia is wrongly diagnosed due to overlapping symptoms with related psychotic disorders like schizoaffective disorder or even bipolar disorder early on. Similar facial expressions, delusions, and disorganized speech make accurate diagnosis tricky. A thorough assessment of symptoms over time guides proper diagnosis and personalized treatment plans.
It is possible but uncommon for an individual with schizophrenia to also have narcissistic personality disorder. These are two severe mental illnesses that require customized psychotherapy and medication-assisted treatment. While some shared genetic and social factors may predispose a person to dual-diagnosis disorders, the distinct symptoms typically emerge separately.
Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health
Substance Use Disorder and Mental Illness Often Go Hand in Hand. Both. (2023, September 29). Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/mental-health-and-substance-use-disorders-often-go-hand-hand-both-must-be-addressed
Khokhar, J. Y., Dwiel, L., Henricks, A., Doucette, W. T., & Green, A. I. (2018). The Link Between Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorder: A Unifying Hypothesis. Schizophrenia Research, 194, 78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2017.04.016
Winklbaur, B., Ebner, N., Sachs, G., Thau, K., & Fischer, G. (2006). Substance abuse in patients with schizophrenia. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(1), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.1/bwinklbaur
Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Swain-Campbell NR. Cannabis dependence and psychotic symptoms in young people. Psychol Med. 2003 Jan;33(1):15-21. doi: 10.1017/s0033291702006402. PMID: 12537032.
Salom CL, Betts KS, Williams GM, Najman JM, Alati R. Predictors of comorbid polysubstance use and mental health disorders in young adults-a latent class analysis. Addiction. 2016 Jan;111(1):156-64. doi: 10.1111/add.13058. Epub 2015 Aug 26. PMID: 26190689.
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