Addiction Treatment Center Hires New CEO
In Lafayette, New Jersey, a treatment center has hired a new chief executive officer to oversee their facility. Stanley Frank, RN, MBA will be the new CEO of Sunrise House Treatment Center. In addition to the facility, Frank will run American Addiction Centers, which is the overseeing group that includes Sunrise House and many other treatment facilities in the area. With over thirty years of experience working in the behavioral side of healthcare, Frank is expected to bring many new ideas to the facility and its surrounding programs.
When Frank was asked about his new role, he stated, “I’m ecstatic to have joined the excellent Sunrise House team. The remarkable staff work continuously to be the number one provider of addiction services in the great state of New Jersey. It is my goal to continue the quality addiction treatment that patients have received here for decades.”
American Addiction Centers provides both inpatient and outpatient treatment to the New Jersey population, and clients include those with drug addictions, alcoholism, and/or co-occurring mental disorders.
What Is a Co-Occurring Mental Disorder?
Also known as dual diagnosis or comorbidity, co-occurring mental disorders are mental illnesses that exist simultaneously with substance use disorders in one individual. These can include a number of illnesses, such as
• Depression
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• PTSD
• Bipolar disorder
• Social phobia
• Schizophrenia
• ADHD
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Panic attacks
Though this list does not cover all the types of mental disorders that can potentially affect an individual, these are some of the most common that co-occur with addiction. Sadly, dual diagnosis happens much more often than most people realize in that those with substance use disorders are twice as likely to experience mental disorders as the general public, and those with mental disorders are twice as likely as the general public to experience addiction (National Institute on Drug Abuse).
How Are Co-Occurring Disorders Treated?
Co-occurring mental disorders must be treated simultaneously with addiction. When a person is assessed and found to have a dual diagnosis, treatment for both disorders must begin right away.
• Most individuals are assessed for mental disorders when they begin drug or alcohol detox. This is because this is usually the first step of recovery, and it is important to catch dual diagnosis early on.
• Co-occurring disorders must be treated simultaneously with addiction because, if not, they could lead the individual to relapse.
o If a person is treated for addiction but still experiences symptoms of their mental disorder without any coping skills, it is likely they will return to abusing drugs. In fact, many people start abusing drugs in the first place in order to cope with a mental illness.
o The reverse is also true. If the mental illness is treated but the addiction is not, the individual will often keep using, which will only exacerbate their mental state.
Treatment for both issues can be found in rehab for addiction treatment. In fact, more and more treatment centers are focusing on dual diagnosis treatments, especially because this issue is so common.
Get Help for Your Co-Occurring Disorders
If you think you might be suffering from an addiction and a mental illness, call 800-481-6320Who Answers?. The best thing you can do to help yourself is to seek treatment as soon as possible.
