Co-occurring disorders
Treating mental health and addiction together
When a substance use disorder and a mental health condition are both present, treating one and postponing the other rarely holds. Nova treats them on a single plan.
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Both conditions, one treatment plan
Dual-diagnosis care treats a substance use disorder and a mental health condition together on a combined treatment plan, with licensed mental health professionals working alongside addiction specialists.
Most people who come to Nova are not dealing with a substance on its own. Depression, anxiety, unresolved trauma and mood disorders all sit alongside addiction often enough that treating them separately is the exception, not the rule.
That is how every level of care at Nova is built. It is not a separate program you transfer into, and there is no track to move onto once you are here.
- Conditions covered
- Depression, anxiety, trauma, bipolar
- Treated
- Together, on one plan
- Where
- Detox, residential, IOP, sober living
- Starts with
- One assessment, both conditions
If you are not sure which condition came first, that is normal and it does not change the call.
Conditions we see alongside addiction
Four patterns come up often enough to name. In each of them, treating one side and postponing the other is what lets the next relapse happen.
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Depression and addiction
Drinking or using to lift a low mood tends to deepen it. Alcohol is a depressant, many substances disrupt sleep and appetite, and the low that follows a binge is often worse than the one that started it. Treating only the substance leaves the depression to drive the next relapse; treating only the depression leaves the substance undoing the work.
Six types of depression -
Anxiety and addiction
Alcohol and benzodiazepines quiet anxiety for a few hours and rebound it higher, so the dose climbs and the anxiety climbs with it. Benzodiazepine withdrawal in particular can be dangerous without medical supervision, which is why anxiety and detox are planned together rather than in sequence.
More on benzodiazepines -
Trauma and PTSD
For many people the substance came second. It was what made the memories quieter. Nova uses trauma-informed practices across its programs, which means the treatment is built so that recovery does not require re-living what happened before you are ready.
Trauma-informed practices -
Bipolar disorder and addiction
Stimulants and alcohol can imitate, mask and worsen the swings of bipolar disorder, and a substance in the picture makes the underlying pattern harder to see. Care is coordinated so that the mood disorder and the substance use are assessed and treated as one problem.
Bipolar and alcohol
Where co-occurring care happens
Every level of care treats both conditions. Which one you start in depends on what you are withdrawing from, what support you have at home, and what an assessment finds, not on which condition came first.
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Medical detox
Withdrawal managed with medical supervision, with mental health symptoms monitored throughout rather than deferred until after.
More on medical detox.
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Residential rehab
A 90-day inpatient program where both conditions are treated on one plan.
More on residential rehab.
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Intensive outpatient
Structured treatment while you live at home, including virtual IOP across Texas.
More on intensive outpatient.
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Sober living
Structured housing with accountability and continued access to recovery support.
More on sober living.
You do not have to pick the level of care yourself.
The assessment does that, and it is part of the first call.
What to expect
Admissions begins with an assessment covering both your substance use and your mental health. If detox is needed it comes first, with mental health symptoms monitored throughout rather than left until afterwards.
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At the assessment
- Your substance use and your mental health, in one conversation
- What you are withdrawing from, and what support you have at home
- Which level of care to start in, decided from that rather than from which condition came first
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After it
- Detox first if it is needed, with mental health symptoms monitored throughout
- Then residential, outpatient or sober living on the same plan
- The mental health work continues with it, at every level
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If it is only mental health
Nova treats mental health conditions in the context of a substance use disorder. If you are looking for psychiatric care on its own, call us anyway and we will point you to somewhere that can help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Co-Occurring Disorders
What is a dual diagnosis?
Having a substance use disorder and a mental health condition at the same time. Dual-diagnosis care treats both together on one combined treatment plan, with licensed mental health professionals working alongside addiction specialists.
Is co-occurring care a separate program I transfer into?
No. Every level of care at Nova is built this way, so both conditions are treated wherever you are: detox, residential, outpatient or sober living. There is no separate track to move onto.
Which condition gets treated first?
Neither, in the sense of one waiting for the other. Where you start depends on what you are withdrawing from, what support you have at home and what the assessment finds, not on which condition came first. If detox is needed it comes first, with mental health symptoms monitored throughout rather than left until afterwards.
What happens at admission?
An assessment covering both your substance use and your mental health. The plan that follows continues into residential, outpatient or sober living, and the mental health work continues with it.
What if I only need mental health treatment?
Nova treats mental health conditions in the context of a substance use disorder. If you are looking for psychiatric care on its own, call us anyway and we will point you to somewhere that can help.
We accept most major insurance
Most major insurance covers treatment here
We'll check your benefits for free and tell you what you'd actually pay, before you commit to anything.
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What clients say
Trusted by clients across Texas
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Across Nova Recovery Center, Briarwood Detox Center and Eudaimonia Recovery Homes
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“Nova is far from perfect, and some of the information can be misleading. But if you want to cover the 12 Steps while enjoying good food and a beautiful scenic view, this is the place for you. The…”
10 months ago · Wimberley
★★★★★
“I did 90 days at Nova Recovery 6 years ago. I am still sober today. And living a life I could have never imagined. The people and the program they are running impacted me for a lifetime. Better than…”
2 years ago · Wimberley
★★★★★
“I went to Nova almost 9 months ago and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The staff when I first entered were very nice and welcoming. As a 19 year old that didn’t know what I was getting myself…”
2 years ago · Austin
★★★★★
“Nova Recovery Center has been an invaluable part of my journey to sobriety. The intensive inpatient program, coupled with the unwavering support and guidance from my recovery specialist, Mark Rector…”
2 years ago · Austin
★★★★★
“I had such a positive experience at Nova Recovery in Wimberley! The staff genuinely cares and went above and beyond to support me every step of the way. The peaceful setting made it easier to focus…”
a year ago · Wimberley
★★★★★
“I love Nova so freaking much. Nova has saved my life in more ways than one. I was hopeless and had no solution suffering from this disease. The staff there never gave up on me. I was the worst client…”
2 years ago · Austin
★★★★★
“I know Mark rector is non-binary however it saved my life and it did a good job with CPR and I don't know how aside from staying sober I could ever repay it thank you Mr or Mrs or whatever you're…”
8 months ago · Austin
★★★★★
“It's been a few years since I was a patient at Nova Recovery Center. Recently I have been reflecting on my time there and how incredibly grateful I am for the experience I had. I have been to 7 rehab…”
2 years ago · Austin
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