Drug addiction recovery is important for everyone to get the help they need. However, there is one key to the process that can’t be missed. That is the psychological assessment and evaluation part.
This guide will explain why this is necessary during the entire treatment process. Yes, you will undergo a physical examination to determine how much damage is done to your body. You will also be physically prepared for what will lay ahead.
This includes withdrawal symptoms, which can get severe. It is also a good idea to see if you have any underlying medical conditions that may hinder your treatment process. However, we will be focusing on the psychological aspect for the purpose of this write-up.
Let’s begin.
It will see if you’re dealing with a mental disorder
There are nearly 8 million people who are diagnosed with both addiction and mental disorders. Thus, their disorder may have pre-existed the addiction without any prior diagnosis. This means they won’t find out for sure unless they are in situations like this.
A person with a potential mental disorder may experience regular symptoms. In turn, they will use drugs to self-medicate. This is an unhealthy way to cope with the pain and trauma that you might be experiencing.
This assessment process can rule out whether you have a mental disorder or not. If the assessment confirms one, you’ll have what is known as a dual diagnosis. It is important that when this happens, your treatment plan should be designed to tackle both issues.
We have heard stories in the past about how someone’s mental disorders go untreated in favor of their addiction. What happens is that it makes the addiction treatment process more challenging. Therefore, it is important for someone to stick to a treatment plan that will allow them to control their mental disorder while beating addiction.
It will help lay out a detailed treatment plan
When it comes to your treatment plan, you want it to be as detailed and tailor-made as possible. Not every recovering addict will have a one size fits all plan. One plan will be useful for those with an addiction but not a mental disorder.
Others will have a treatment plan that will handle both. However, each one is unique depending on personal factors. This includes the type of addiction they’re dealing with, what mental disorder they have, and more.
To begin, there is the therapy aspect. Because they are focusing on both mental health and substance abuse, they will need to meet with two different counselors. One will focus on beating your addiction, while the other will focus on your specific mental health disorder.
It should never be with one counselor who wears all kinds of hats. This can complicate the process quite a bit. So it would make a lot of sense to meet with two separate therapists to keep things organized.
This is all part of the detailed process that will tackle your addiction and mental disorder. You want it to be as organized and straightforward as possible.
You will have the plan to handle your post-treatment aftercare
Aftercare is important once you have managed to beat addiction. At the same time, it will also work well when you have control over your mental disorder. You’ll want to consider making a plan on how to take care of yourself long after your treatment is completed.
This can include a regular plan that includes diet, exercise, and regular mindfulness. These are prime examples of aftercare that will keep your mental disorder symptoms at bay. At the same time, it will also decrease the risk of any relapses.
Aftercare is a lifelong process. The reason is that relapse can still happen. Even years after your treatment, it’s still possible to give in to the triggers and cravings.
Even if you do relapse, your progress is not a wasted effort. You will have a plan that ensures you will beat it again in case you relapse.
It’s always a good idea to make a plan for how you can control your mental disorders. What action will you take on days when your symptoms seem to appear? What coping mechanisms will you utilize in order to live a fulfilling life, even when things seem to get stressful?
To ensure the accuracy of your treatment plan
Your treatment plan needs to be as accurate and precise as possible. The reason for this is that nothing will ever be missed. One misstep in your treatment plan may mess things up.
That’s why you want to be sure that you are being treated for the correct mental disorder (if any). You want to make sure that no pre-existing medical conditions are triggered due to misinformation (or even a lack of information). The more accurate and precise it is, the better.
This will make things routine for your medical team and your therapists. You want to be sharp and on point when it comes to handling the physical and mental aspects of your treatment plan. Side effects can occur during medical treatment.
You might have a bad mental reaction to the medication you’re taking. You want to make sure that your bases are covered when tackling addiction and mental disorders. Every diagnosis must be accurate to ensure that the treatment plan designed for you is the best fit.
Final Thoughts
A psychological assessment will be needed for those dealing with addiction. A mental disorder may be diagnosed along with it, providing you with an opportunity to get treated for both. This assessment will require accuracy to ensure the most successful, effective treatment plan that is put together for you.
Without a mental health evaluation, the addiction treatment process will be difficult. Especially when the therapists and professionals have no information to go by. Plus, no mental health treatment can even lead to an increased probability of relapses.
Don’t take any chances. Have a psychological assessment done before the recovery process begins.
