Written by Drew Redd. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.
Addiction to multiple substances is challenging to overcome. To combat a polysubstance addiction, you need a well-structured plan, unwavering determination, and professional help. Ardu Recovery Center specializes in treating people with multiple addictions.
If you are struggling with substance abuse, our drug and alcohol rehab center provides comprehensive care to overcome addiction through holistic and medical approaches. We combine evidence-based therapies, personalized treatment plans, and a compassionate support system to guide you through recovery.
Begin your healing today with our detox program.
Addiction starts with voluntary drug or alcohol use. People have different reasons for trying drugs or alcohol: curiosity, peer pressure, increased stress, trauma, or mental health issues. With repeated use, the brain starts to adapt to the presence of the substance.
Addiction causes significant biochemical changes in the brain’s structure and function. Uhl, et. al. explain several ways in which repeated drug or alcohol use affects the brain and leads to addictive behaviors.
Uhl, et. al. also propose that addiction is a significant economic burden.
Substance abuse disorders exert not only a significant public health burden—individuals with substance use disorders are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, hypertension, injuries, poisonings, and overdose—but they also impose significant economic burdens.
Read more about the economic cost of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the United States.
As a result of chronic use, people experience intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit or cut back. Many do want to quit when they become aware of the severity of their addiction and the negative consequences, but compulsive use makes quitting extremely difficult.
Some people, in an attempt to quit one addiction, replace it with another, a phenomenon known as cross-addiction. In cross-addiction, a person switches from one addictive behavior or substance to another, often unknowingly or believing that the new addiction is less harmful. This cycle can perpetuate the addictive pattern and hinder recovery efforts.
When attempting to quit drug abuse, many switch to alcohol, but they can easily fall into the trap of alcohol use disorder. If you or someone you care about are addicted to drinking, our alcohol rehab center provides the treatment you need. Ardu’s medically supervised alcohol detox program supports you through withdrawal symptoms and teaches you coping strategies for a successful recovery journey.
It’s bad enough that a single addiction requires a complex approach to battle; for some people, the struggle is compounded by having to combat multiple addictions simultaneously. Co-occurring addictions to multiple substances pose a significant challenge to treat and overcome.
The most commonly co-occurring addictions include:
Multiple addictions exacerbate the negative consequences of substance abuse, increase health risks, and make treating any one addiction much more complicated. Those suffering from multiple addictions often contend with an underlying mental health condition at the same time. This dual diagnosis makes the treatment of polysubstance abuse even more difficult.
Ardu recognizes this challenge and offers integrated co-occurring disorder treatment to address both substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues. Reach out to our dual diagnosis experts and overcome all your addictions and related mental health problems.
The reasons for developing one addiction are complex and unique, let alone multiple substance addictions. The key risk factors include:
According to a 2024 book, Opioid Use Disorder, around 2.1 million Americans are addicted to opioids. If you are among the Americans grappling with opioid addiction, Ardu’s opioid rehab center offers a path to recovery. We combine medication management with evidence-based therapies and counseling to help you deal with withdrawal safely.
Contact our opioid detox center and start your healing today.
You can safely quit multiple addictions at the same time if you have professional medical assistance by your side. The overlapping and compounding withdrawal symptoms from different substances can become severe, even life-threatening in some cases.
If you try to quit multiple addictions at the same time without medical supervision, you may experience:
That’s why you need proper medical supervision to keep potentially fatal complications at bay and improve long-term recovery chances.
Ardu’s medical detox program provides unparalleled, multi-faceted care to ensure a safe and effective detox from multiple substances at the same time. We prioritize a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach which includes:
Without professional medical management, the risk of severe health consequences and relapse increases substantially when you attempt to quit polysubstance addictions on your own.
At our drug addiction rehab center, you’ll receive round-the-clock clinical supervision and the safest, most comfortable care to overcome drug dependence. Our state-of-the-art drug detox facility provides a secure, trigger-free environment to start recovery under qualified medical monitoring.
At Ardu, we understand the immense challenge of overcoming multiple addictions simultaneously. That’s why we take a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to treat the full scope of polysubstance abuse and any co-occurring mental health disorders. Our integrated treatment plan encompasses every aspect of healing: mind, body, and spirit.
From the moment you arrive, our medical team provides round-the-clock supervision during detox to keep withdrawal symptoms manageable and safe.
The detox process for multiple addictions requires extreme care and medical supervision. Our physicians and nursing staff provide a secure, inpatient setting with 24/7 monitoring to safely guide you through the withdrawal period. We use an individualized medication regimen with FDA-approved drugs to alleviate the overlapping symptoms and minimize discomfort as substances leave your system.
Our integrative approach also incorporates nutritional therapies and supportive care to rebuild your strength during this critical first stage of recovery. Once stabilized, you’ll work closely with our counselors, therapists, and recovery specialists to uncover the underlying issues fueling your addictions.
Once physically stabilized, you’ll transition into our intensive inpatient program. Here, you’ll have a multidisciplinary treatment team—counselors, therapists, and recovery specialists—dedicated to providing comprehensive care. Our robust psychoeducational curriculum covers relapse prevention, stress management, communication skills, and other fundamental tools for sober living.
Through individual and group therapy, evidence-based psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed care, we’ll help you uncover the root issues driving your polysubstance abuse.
Simultaneously, our holistic services such as mindfulness, art therapy, spiritual counseling, and more promote healing of the mind, body and spirit. Our goal is an immersive therapeutic environment to equip you with the skills for lifelong sobriety.
If you’re struggling with multiple addictions, our recovery center should be your first call. We understand that underlying mental health disorders frequently drive people to abuse multiple substances as a way to self-medicate or escape. Our programming is specifically tailored to address these challenges head-on, focusing on the intertwined issues of co-occurring disorders and polysubstance dependence.
Our team will craft a customized plan to uncover and address the root causes driving your harmful substance abuse behaviors. With compassionate, evidence-based care, we’ll provide the tools and support to safely manage withdrawal risks, build motivation, and embrace long-term sobriety from all substances of abuse.
Don’t wait until your next relapse to get help for your addictions. We’re here right now to guide you through the process of quitting multiple dependencies safely and effectively. Contact us today to take the first step towards recovery.
Visit our insurance verification page and gather all the payment information.
Drew Redd is the executive director of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.
The rule of 3 highlights three key aspects of addiction: compulsion, craving, and continued use despite negative consequences.
Recovery from addiction requires a range of skills to effectively manage the withdrawal, cravings, and psychological dependence on drugs or alcohol. These skills include:
Addicts are often classified into three categories based on their behavior.
Addictive behaviors vary from person to person, but some common addictive behaviors include:
These types of addictive behaviors share similarities with substance addictions in terms of the brain’s reward centers and dopamine response becoming dysregulated, driving compulsive continuation of the behavior despite negative consequences. All these behaviors may require professional treatment to break these addictive cycles.
There is evidence to suggest that addiction can have a genetic component. Genetic factors can contribute to an individual’s susceptibility to developing an addiction. Twin studies have consistently shown that addictions have a significant heritable component, with heritability estimates ranging from 0.39 for hallucinogen addiction to 0.72 for cocaine addiction.
Genetics alone do not determine whether someone will develop an addiction. Environmental factors and personal choices also play significant roles.
Mental addiction, also known as psychological addiction, is a condition where a person is psychologically dependent on a substance or behavior. While the substance or behavior may not be physically addictive, the individual may feel a strong compulsion or craving to engage in it because of the perceived psychological benefits or rewards.
This behavioral addiction is complex and challenging to overcome because the cravings and compulsions are often deeply rooted in the individual’s thoughts and emotions. The frontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is affected by addictive substances or behaviors, leading to impaired judgment and difficulty in resisting urges.
Crews and Boettiger propose that alcohol abuse disorders involve a loss of behavioral control because of impaired executive functions such as planning, attention, and inhibiting impulsive responses. These actions are governed by the frontal cortical areas of the brain.
Cross-addiction can complicate mental addiction. For example, someone who is mentally addicted to gambling may also develop an addiction to alcohol as a way to cope with the stress and emotions associated with their gambling addiction. Treatment for mental addiction often involves addressing underlying issues such as co-occurring mental health disorders, as well as teaching coping mechanisms and strategies to manage cravings and compulsions.
The most important part of addiction recovery is the individual’s motivation and commitment to change. These factors are often the driving force behind successful recovery journeys. Motivation can be influenced by personal goals, social support, and the desire for a better quality of life. Commitment to change involves not only a willingness to participate in treatment but also a dedication to making lasting lifestyle changes.
It is crucial for people in recovery to address co-occurring mental health conditions because these can significantly hinder the recovery process. If you’re battling co-occurring mental health issues alongside addiction, seek treatment for both and improve your overall well-being while reducing the risk of relapse. A support network of family, friends, and healthcare providers can provide the encouragement and assistance needed to maintain sobriety and navigate the challenges of recovery.
The ultimate goal of addiction treatment is to achieve long-term abstinence from addictive substances or behaviors. Treatment aims to address the physical, psychological, and social aspects of addiction, helping individuals improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of relapse. Treatment may involve a combination of therapy, medication, support groups, and lifestyle changes tailored to the individual’s needs.
Uhl, G. R., Koob, G. F., & Cable, J. (2019). The neurobiology of addiction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1451(1), 5-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13989
Dydyk, A. M., Jain, N. K., & Gupta, M. (2024, January 17). Opioid Use Disorder. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/
Ducci, F., & Goldman, D. (2012). The Genetic Basis of Addictive Disorders. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 35(2), 495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2012.03.010
Crews, F. T., & Boettiger, C. A. (2009). Impulsivity, Frontal Lobes and Risk for Addiction. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 93(3), 237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2009.04.018
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