Is There a Connection Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Drug Addiction?

Is There a Connection Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Drug Addiction?

Addiction is a complex disease that is often hard to understand. Add in a co-occurring mental health disorder, and you may be overwhelmed. The good news is that you don’t have to be. Over time, we’ve learned a great deal about the relationship between mental illnesses such as borderline personality disorder and addiction. We’ve also learned a lot about how to treat both separately and together. If you are struggling with addiction and borderline personality disorder, you do not have to struggle alone.  At 10 Acre Ranch, we understand how hard it is to recover from addiction. We also know that you may feel that it’s that much more challenging because of a co-occurring mental illness. We are here to support and treat both. 

What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder, sometimes referred to as BPD, is a mental illness associated with an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. Those with a borderline personality disorder will often act impulsively and may have problems in relationships. One of the key symptoms associated with a borderline personality disorder is that the individual has difficulty with how they view themselves and their place in the world. What this looks like from the outside is quickly changing interests and even values. Additional signs and symptoms that may be seen include:

  • Self-harming behavior
  • Recurring thoughts of suicidal behavior or threats
  • Persistent feelings of emptiness
  • Difficulty controlling anger
  • Feelings of dissociation

Knowing the signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder, it is not hard to see how borderline personality disorder and drug addiction occur together. The feelings of BPD coupled with its impulsivity are a key reason why many who suffer from BPD self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.

What Is Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by both drug seeking and compulsive use despite any harmful consequences. Addiction is a disease of isolation that affects the mind, body, and spirit. Approximately ten percent of the United States population struggles with addiction. Over time, continued drug and alcohol use change the pathways in the brain. It is these changes that make it so challenging to get sober and stay sober. Many who find themselves addicted to a substance will also find that it takes more than one attempt to find lasting sobriety. Those who suffer from a co-occurring mental disorder and addiction are best served by seeking treatment at a facility that can treat both simultaneously. 

Is There a Connection Between Borderline Personality Disorder and Drug Addiction?

Nearly four percent of the United States population suffers from addiction and also has a mental illness. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a correlation between borderline personality disorder and drug addiction. Researchers have found that half of those who have borderline personality disorder also have a substance use disorder. Similarly, about twenty-five percent of those with a substance use disorder also have a borderline personality disorder. Researchers believe that the struggle with emotions and the impulsivity of borderline personality disorder results in this connection between BPD and drug addiction. In addition to their being a connection, there is further evidence that those with a borderline personality disorder may experience relapses more often than those without it.

Benefits of Going to 10 Acre Ranch for Rehab

At 10 Acre Ranch, we’ve provided Southern California with expert addiction treatment for nearly three decades.  We understand the importance of treating any co-occurring mental health illnesses, such as borderline personality disorder while treating your addiction. Our mission is to rebuild lives, restore families, and improve communities. We are one of the leading rehab facilities in California and offer a wide range of programs that will meet your needs.  We are experts in helping people safely detox and stop using meth.  We provide a warm and welcoming environment where we integrate the treatment to heal the whole person. We are committed to helping you break free from active addiction and build a life in recovery.  Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!  

Can Couples Go to Rehab Together?

Can couples go to rehab together?

Deciding to get sober is the first step in a journey that can lead to a life better than you can imagine. However, it’s a decision that’s not always easy, and sometimes it’s complicated by your relationships. If you and your partner have been using drugs and alcohol together, you may wonder how to quit using drugs and alcohol while keeping the relationship. Your relationship may have problems that may have been caused or worsened by both of your drug use. It may all feel very overwhelming, and you may not even know if your partner has any interest in getting sober. The first step is to ask them, If your partner also wants to get sober, your next question may be can couples go to rehab together, and the answer is yes.  At 10 Acre Ranch, we understand a couple wanting to get sober and have the programs in place to help you beat addiction together. 

Can Couples Go to Rehab Together? 

Recovering from addiction while trying to repair relationships is hard enough. It might be more complicated when you and your partner are recovering at the same time. That is why couples can go to rehab together. Couples drug rehab allows each of you to get the individual treatment you need while also working on your relationship. You will both work through your individual treatment at your own pace, but there will be opportunities to come together to do the relationship work as well. Your addictions have harmed you both as individuals and within your relationship. Going to treatment together will allow you to understand better how your relationship has been affected and how to move forward. You can work together to support each other’s recovery plans while you mend your relationship. 

Pros of Couples Treatment

Successful relationships require commitment and attention. Like a neglected lawn that gets overrun by weeds, your relationship will be taken over by the issues you ignore. Adding addiction into the mix only serves to complicate the problems and create more unrest in your relationship. Going to treatment together enables you to start clearing away the debris while you are building a firm foundation for your sobriety. By attending treatment together, you will be able to work on your sobriety and your relationship in a safe, supportive environment. You will each understand the work that the other has done within rehab. Attending rehab together allows you to work on your relationship while progressing in your recovery rather than waiting until you have finished treatment. Together you can build firm foundations for your recovery and your revitalized relationship. While you are both responsible for your individual sobriety, you can support each other throughout. Couples who engage in therapy together report a significant reduction in substance use and increased satisfaction in their relationships.  

Cons of Couples Treatment

We understand the value that you place on your relationship. However, we also know it’s essential you put your recovery first. Going to rehab together can make that difficult, especially if your relationship is filled with unhealthy behaviors. Many relationships that revolve around addiction are also wrought with codependency, making it very challenging to focus on your own recovery. Completing rehab together is a possibility, but you have to evaluate if it’s the best decision for you as an individual. Sometimes you have to take a step back from your relationship to work on yourself alone. Our treatment staff can help you determine the best course for you. 

Get Help Today at 10 Acre Ranch

At 10 Acre Ranch, we’ve provided Southern California with expert and caring addiction treatment for over 25 years.  Our mission is to rebuild lives, restore families, and improve communities. We are one of the leading rehab facilities in California.  We provide a warm and welcoming environment where we tailor healing to the whole person. We are committed to helping you break the destructive cycle of isolation that many develop during active addiction. 

Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!  

Empowering Your Partner With Couples Addiction Recovery

a couple having deep conversation during sunset

Struggling with addiction is hard enough. Add in being in a relationship with someone who is also struggling with addiction, and it’s even more challenging. Addiction complicates even the best of relationships. It’s hard to know what problems are tied to your addiction and what problems are just the relationship itself. If your partner has no interest in getting sober, you might be facing the end of your relationship. But, if you both realize that you have a problem with drugs and alcohol, you might wonder if there’s a way forward for you together. The short answer is yes. You can get sober and support each other through couples’ addiction recovery empowerment.  At 10 Acre Ranch, we understand your wanting to find your way to sobriety together, and we have programs in place to help you get on the road to recovery as partners. 

What Is Couples Addiction Recovery Empowerment?

Addiction recovery is challenging and complex work. Completing this work within a relationship adds another layer. Couples addiction recovery empowerment enables you both to recognize the work that each of you must do to recover as individuals so that you can continue in your relationship. Instead of going to different treatment centers, you can attend treatment at the same facility. With individualized treatment plans, you will each progress through treatment at your own pace. However, you will also have the opportunity to go to therapy together to examine how your addictions have affected your relationship. Doing this in a safe and therapeutic setting offers you the chance to heal as individuals and as a couple. 

Why Is Couples Addiction Recovery Empowerment Important?

Being in a romantic relationship can present challenges. Struggling with addiction and being in a relationship is a recipe for disaster.  Seeking treatment together can enable you to heal yourselves and build a solid foundation for your future in recovery. Couples addiction recovery empowerment allows you to experience rehab similarly by being in the same treatment center while you empower your partner to heal themselves at their own individual pace. At 10 Acre Ranch, we understand how meaningful your relationship is to you, but we also know how important you work through your individual addictions. While there may be overlap in your treatment plans, there will also be room for individual needs. 

You will likely both start by detoxing, and you may do this separately.  Detox is not a pleasant experience. It may not serve your relationship or your recovery to go through detox together. However, you will likely reunite after detox as you both begin to do the work of building a life and a stronger relationship in recovery. We know you’re in this together, and we’re here to empower you and your relationship with treatment plans that prepare you to move forward as a sober couple.  Instead of sharing your addiction, you can begin to share your recovery as a part of your relationship. Researchers have found that couples who participated in treatment and therapy together have a greater chance of remaining abstinent from using drugs. Additionally, couples who work together in recovery often have stronger and more satisfying relationships with each other and with their children.  Finding your way out of addiction is a positive move for you and everyone you love. 

Get Help Today With Addiction at 10 Acre Ranch

We’ve been providing Southern California with expert and caring addiction treatment for over twenty-five years. At 10 Acre Ranch, our mission is to rebuild lives, restore families, and improve communities. As one of the leading rehab facilities in California, we provide a welcoming environment for you to begin your recovery. We know how hard it is to break the destructive cycle of isolation that so often occurs in addiction. With a tailored treatment plan, we’ll partner with you to heal you holistically. Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!  

How Is Addiction a Disease?

How Is addiction a disease?

Views on drug and alcohol addiction have changed over time. While it was originally thought that addiction was a moral failing, much research has been done to disprove that theory. Later many thought it was purely a biological disease, but that view was also not complete. Today, many addiction experts view addiction through a biopsychosocial model that encompasses the biological, psychological, and social factors that lead to addiction. Using this model has allowed for new approaches for understanding and treating addiction. At 10 Acre Ranch, we understand that addiction cannot be viewed in a tunnel and we are here to help you break free from your addiction in a holistic way. 

The Science Behind Addiction

The biopsychosocial model of addiction recognizes that your addiction doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  It takes into account the potential genetic factors behind addiction and adds psychological and social factors. Social factors include things like the environment in which you were raised, the social norms, and your relationships. For example, if you were raised in an environment where using drugs was normalized as a way to cope, you will likely view using drugs in that way. Likewise, if your social circle relies on drug use as a way of socializing, you will see it in that way. Psychological factors include any co-occurring mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. It can also include a history of trauma and any resulting PTSD. Biological factors focus on the genetic component of addiction and brain changes that occur from things like trauma. Having relatives with a history of addiction or other mental health disorders increases your risk for the same. It is the coming together of these three areas that create the possibility of addiction.  Understanding these factors helps with the successful treatment of addiction. 

How Does One Become an Addict?

While no one truly knows why one person becomes an addict and another does not, there is enough research available to draw some conclusions. Being genetically predisposed to addiction puts you at a greater risk of becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. However, it’s not a guarantee. Some individuals grow up around addicted family members and never use drugs and alcohol. Others begin using at an early age and never look back. Additionally, a genetic link is not a requirement. There are many who find themselves facing addiction who have no history of addiction within their family tree. The road to addiction can be viewed as a perfect storm between the different risk factors and the use of drugs and alcohol. If you never picked up a drug or a drink, it would not matter if you had all of the risk factors for addiction. 

What Is the Best Way to Get Help With Addiction?

Everyone’s path into addiction is a little bit different and the same is true of the road out. How your road out of addiction is paved will depend on the drugs you’ve used, your patterns of use, any co-occurring disorders, and more. At 10 Acre Ranch, we’ve been providing Southern California with expert and caring addiction treatment for over 25 years.  We understand addiction and we know how to treat it. Our mission is to rebuild lives, restore families, and improve communities. We are one of the leading rehab facilities in California and offer a wide range of programs that will meet your needs.  We provide a warm and welcoming environment where we tailor healing to the whole person. We are committed to helping you break free from active addiction.  Contact us today and let us help you with your addiction!