Polydrug Use

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Polydrug Use

If you have ever experimented with or abused drugs, you know how slippery a slope it can be.

Unfortunately, once you begin using one drug, it’s very common to start using other substances in tandem.

Polydrug use, as this is called, is also extremely dangerous.

If you or a loved one are combining drugs, read on to learn about the dangers of polydrug use and how we can help at Resurgence Behavioral Health.

Understanding Polydrug Use

Many typically start using a second substance to enhance the first, resulting in polydrug use.

According to Australia’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Poly-drug Use, this “can include the use of alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications.”

One of the most common examples of drug combinations is alcohol with another substance to achieve a stronger “high.”

We know mixing drugs is all too common; that’s why we take recovery from every substance seriously at Resurgence.

Because as the National Institutes of Health’s Alcohol Abuse Makes Prescription Drug Abuse More Likely states, “Men and women with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are 18 times more likely to report nonmedical use of prescription drugs than people who don’t drink at all, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.”

Effects of Polydrug Use

It is well-known that most people purposely mix drugs because they enjoy the initial high. That, and you may falsely believe the effects of one drug will counteract the effects of the other.

The reason we emphasize the risk of polydrug use, however, is because of how dangerous it is to mix drugs. So remember, it’s not just your “high” that changes when you combine drugs. The risks you also face exponentially increase.

The consequences of polydrug use will depend on the drug combination. And while the effects can be unpredictable (increasing your risk), we have noticed a number of dangerous side effects for those who mix drugs:

• Mood changes
• Irritability
• Heightened side effects of both drugs
• Change in heart rate and blood pressure
• Nausea
• Increased risk of infection
• Organ damage

Polydrug Use and Overdose

And perhaps the most important thing to remember is polydrug use significantly increases the risk of fatal overdose. The Harm Reduction Coalition’s Mixing Drugs provides an example of the dangers of polydrug use: “The more alcohol and/or downers in someone’s system, the less heroin needed to cause an overdose.”

Most fatal overdoses occur and occur more rapidly because mixing drugs diminishes your protection against your body shutting down. Combining drugs with similar effects (two or more stimulants or two or more depressants) and mixing dissimilar drugs (stimulants and depressants) can both cause a fatal overdose.

The former combination will dangerously impact normal functioning, and the latter will decrease your body’s natural defense against death.

Polydrug Use and Mental Illness

We find we are most often treating polydrug use along with mental health issues at Resurgence. While you may think abusing multiple drugs will improve your mental state, combining drugs makes mental illness worse in the long-term.

The Recovery Research Institute’s The Relationship Between Poly-Drug Use & Mental Distress discusses the link between mental illness and polydrug use, stating, “The two are interconnected as greater psychiatric severity is correlated with a higher frequency of drug use and patients reporting polydrug use tend to have greater depressive and suicidal symptomatology.”

And it’s not only that polydrug use can worsen your current mental state. Polydrug use can also cause the onset of several mental illnesses, including depression and panic disorder. Mixing drugs reduces your ability to absorb neurotransmitters like serotonin, which can lead to mood disorder symptoms.

Please reach out if you need more information on how we will treat your mental illness along with your polydrug abuse.

Addiction Treatment at Resurgence Behavioral Health

At Resurgence Behavioral Health in California, we understand the difficulty in beating not just one but more than one addiction. We offer alcohol rehab, drug rehab, and both to treat any substance abuse.

We are here to ensure you will beat any addictions you come in with. To do that, we offer detox programs, rehabilitation programs, and an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) post-recovery. We also have a variety of counseling options to treat any mental illness alongside your addictions.

Read on to learn more about our treatment options.

Inpatient and Outpatient Programs

We understand that you may have to approach recovery differently due to your lifestyle or the drugs you are using. Our outpatient drug and alcohol treatment are alternative options for those who cannot attend our residential program.

It is ideal for employed people and cannot leave their jobs or those who cannot leave their family. It is also a more affordable option. Each inpatient facility provides close supervision by highly trained staff, 24-hour medical care, individual and group therapy sessions, healthy meal options, and a relaxing environment.

Our Approach to Rehabilitation

We take a customized, patient-centric approach to rehabilitation. We understand polydrug addiction needs special attention. If you come to us for help with a polydrug addiction, we will begin by completing an assessment to devise a plan for your full recovery.

Our treatment programs address all the underlying conditions for addiction to allow you to take ownership of your recovery. Our customized approach, coupled with our staff of highly motivated and well-trained professionals, ensure that you or your loved one will receive excellent care during and after treatment.

Some of the rehabilitation treatments we offer include:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT
• Stress Management
• Group Therapy
• Medication to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings

Intensive Outpatient Program

If you complete recovery with us in an inpatient or outpatient setting or if you are a former poly-drug addict needing extra help during this time, please check out our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).

Managing recovery from more than one substance after rehab can be especially difficult. In IOP, you will have the flexibility to maintain much of your normal daily routine while working on maintaining sobriety.

IOP is a good treatment option if you do not have the means to leave your job or if you have to stay home for any other reason. You will receive support from therapy groups and gain the ability to apply the skills you learned during treatment, all while maintaining your normal lifestyle.

Resurgence Payment and Insurance

We firmly believe that every patient should receive the best care possible to treat your addiction. And this means not having to worry about the cost, especially while trying to recover from polydrug use.

At Resurgence, we will build your treatment plan at an affordable cost while still providing the best care possible. For our services, we accept most PPO insurance as well as private forms of payment for treatment.

We will also communicate with your insurance provider on your behalf to ensure that you or your loved one is provided with a custom recovery program for your situation without the high cost.  

Contact Us

We are here to help and support you through finding your truest self while leaving your most destructive self behind.

We understand what it takes to get you through your addiction and the emotional and psychological support you’ll need from us to become your best self.

Please, contact us today with questions or concerns.