If you know me and my work, you’ll know that I’m not a huge fan of labels so when I say co-occurring disorders, also known as Dual Diagnosis, I want to explain what it is but even if you haven’t been diagnosed with one and you unlikely will be as sex, porn and masturbation addiction aren’t, as of now, classified as an addiction in the DSM-V, you’ll still want to understand the concept and know how to incorporate strategies to ensure you are on track for a full recovery.

Substance Use Disorder

A co-occurring disorder is a condition in which someone is diagnosed with substance abuse disorder such as alcoholism or opioid use disorder as well as a mental health disorder such as a mood disorder, borderline personality disorder or any psychotic disorder. Symptoms of a co-occurring disorder vary greatly so it’s important to understand mental health disorders and how they can impact your progress.

For example, someone who struggles with both alcohol and depressive disorder or meth and a panic disorder or cocaine and generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder. In this case I want to talk to those who are also struggling with substances as well as sex, porn or masturbation and why it’s important to quit both at the same time.

Mental Health Disorders 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, feels that all people should be screened for both mental health symptoms and substance abuse, every time, no matter what. A 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health stated that nearly 50% of people with serious mental health conditions also engaged in drug or alcohol abuse. You don’t need an official diagnosis to get treatment. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends treating both together, rather than separately to get the best possible outcome. Some medical assisted treatment centers offer services for co-occurring conditions but it’s important to know what it entails before making any plans to enroll. 

Substance Abuse

It’s not uncommon for sex or porn addicts to also have a substance abuse disorder. The reason it’s important to tackle both at the same time is because one addiction may be causing this condition or visa versa. However, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one does not always cause another. There are many things to consider when thinking of the cause such as environmental factors, combinations or disorders, a single disorder, and other behavioral health conditions. 

Treatment Plan

This can make diagnosis and treatment options confusing. For example, alcohol use disorder may trigger you to want to engage a sexual behavior or too much of your  sexual behavior may cause you to want to drink. These common symptoms can come on simultaneously so sometimes it can be difficult to know what’s causing what. Overlapping symptoms are also not uncommon. If you have a risk of substance use disorder, I urge you to get substance use disorder treatment or take one of my courses specific to that substance alongside this course. Most people heal through behavioral therapy, behavioral treatment, counseling but in some cases people will need and integrated treatment program which may include medication-assisted treatment. 

Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders

The other way to describe a common co-occurring disorder is if you are struggling with symptoms of a sex, porn or masturbation addiction and also struggle with another mental health disorder such as post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, a mood disorder, psychotic disorder, antisocial personality disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or any other psychiatric disorder or combinations of disorders. Again, it’s important to tackle all this at the same time or you’re going to keep going down this viscous cycle or triggers and relapse as you will constantly be looking for a way to self medicate through sex, porn or masturbation.

Addiction

One thing to keep a close eye on is making sure you are not trading one addiction for another. Sometimes people tend to mask unpleasant symptoms with something else that can become an addiction later on down the road and this can cause major issues. Please understand common risk factors when partaking in anything that causes this to happen.  It’s also not uncommon to turn to drugs or alcohol when stopping a behavior addiction. This is not a healthy way to cope so if you start to notice an uptake in alcohol or drugs once you stop this behavior then you’ll want to make sure you are getting help for that.

Mental Disorders

As you work through the course, regardless of whether or not you have symptoms of a substance use problem or any official diagnosis of a co-occurring mental health disorder or mental health condition, I recommend staying away from drugs and alcohol for 30 days as well, as this will make your recovery stronger and allow your body and mind to be able to return to its baseline. When you add unhealthy behaviors such as drugs, alcohol or even unhealthy foods to the mix, you are not allowing your body to fully repair itself.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment

If you are physically addicted to alcohol or benzos and have symptoms of withdrawal then please consult your doctor before trying to quit cold turkey as that could be life threatening. This risks in doing this on your own is not worth it. Withdrawal symptoms can be fatal so please contact your doctor for advice. 

Integrated Treatment For Co-Occurring Disorders

When addiction is combined with other mental health conditions it can lead to a combination of disorders which can include co-occurring conditions or co-occurring mental disorders and can be difficult to tackle. According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, people with co-occurring substance use disorders are more likely to be hospitalized than people with a mental or drug use disorder alone. So if you are struggling with any mental health issue it’s vital you get the support you need to tackle it all.

Here at CSPMA we offer a holistic approach so that you can treat your sex, porn and masturbation addiction but we also know the importance of seeking other professional help for any mental illnesses you may be experiences whether that’s through behavioral therapy, counselling or seeing a psychologist. We care about you as a person and want to see you seek the best possible treatments that are under your terms. Like with any disorder treatment program, it’s important to understand risk factors and take the best possible integrated treatment approach taking into consideration the whole body including any medical conditions or psychiatric conditions. This does not have to be through a specific treatment center or treatment process.