Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Waltham, MA
When mental health and addiction overlap, treatment should too.
You're Not Alone. You're Not Broken.
Struggling with addiction and mental health at the same time isn’t rare—it’s common. In fact, nearly half of all people with a substance use disorder also have a co-occurring mental health condition.
Sometimes it’s obvious. Sometimes it’s not. But in either case, real healing starts when we treat the whole picture—not just the part that’s showing.
Why Addiction and Mental Health So Often Go Together
There are scientific reasons, and there are emotional ones.
On a biological level, both substance use and mental health conditions affect the same systems in the brain—dopamine, serotonin, memory, reward. If you’re living with untreated depression, anxiety, ADHD, or trauma, drugs and alcohol can feel like relief. That relief is temporary, but the cycle it creates is very real.
On a personal level, many people don’t even realize they’re dealing with a mental health condition until substance use stops. The anxiety they drank to quiet is still there. The motivation they thought would come back doesn’t. The crash after the high feels deeper than it should. That’s not failure—it’s information.
Common Mental Health & Addiction Pairings
While every story is unique, some patterns are incredibly common:
Mental Health Condition | Commonly Paired Substances |
Anxiety | Alcohol, benzos |
Depression | Alcohol, opioids |
ADHD | Stimulants, marijuana |
Bipolar Disorder | Alcohol, cocaine |
PTSD | Alcohol, opioids, benzos |
OCD | Marijuana, alcohol |
Personality Disorders | Alcohol, stimulants |
If any of these sound familiar, know this: your experience makes sense. And it’s treatable.
When Diagnosis Comes After Sobriety
It’s more common than people realize: someone gets sober, expecting life to get easier… but something still feels off. The anxiety is still there. The low mood doesn’t lift. Focus is still scattered, motivation still hard to find.
This doesn’t mean recovery isn’t working. It means something deeper may still need to be addressed.
For many people, a mental health condition doesn’t get diagnosed until after the substances are gone. Sobriety doesn’t mask the symptoms anymore—it reveals them. And that clarity, while uncomfortable, is also a powerful turning point.
You’re not back at square one. You’re getting new information. And that information can guide the next step in your healing.
Dual Diagnosis Statistics
Dual Diagnosis by the Numbers
A Diagnosis Isn’t a Label. It’s a Map
It’s easy to resist a diagnosis. You might worry it will define you, or that people will see you differently. But the truth is, a diagnosis doesn’t limit who you are—it helps you get back to yourself.
When we know what you’re really dealing with, we can find the right tools. The right medication. The right therapy. The right support. A diagnosis is just a starting point. You get to decide what it means for your life.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment at On Call
We treat addiction and mental health conditions side by side—because trying to untangle one from the other rarely works. Your treatment plan might include:
- Individual therapy (CBT, DBT, or others based on your needs)
- Group therapy and psychoeducation
- Psychiatric support and medication management
- Family integration work
- Support for trauma, grief, and emotional regulation
Whether you’re still using, newly sober, or months into recovery and still not feeling right—we’ll meet you where you are.
Let’s Figure This Out Together
Dual diagnosis doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It means you’re human. And the sooner we treat all of what you’re carrying, the sooner you can start to feel like yourself again.
📞 Contact us today for a confidential assessment. Same-day help is available.
