Psychiatry for addiction at Castle Craig is part of every patient’s care.
A co-occurring addiction and mental health condition is called a dual diagnosis. Both conditions need to be treated together, and our psychiatrists will work with you to understand your treatment needs, build an individual plan for your care, and adjust that plan as your recovery develops. They will also review any medication you were already taking before you arrived, including medication for your mental health.
If you or someone in your life needs treatment for a dual diagnosis, or mental health symptoms without a substance dependency, our psychiatry team provides expert care.
Our psychiatric assessment page explains how individual needs are assessed so that treatment plans can be designed.
If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 999. For urgent mental health support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or NHS 111.
Find out more about addiction and mental health
Mental health conditions we treat alongside addiction
Many people who come to Castle Craig for addiction treatment also have a mental health condition. Our psychiatric care treats both. You can arrive without a diagnosis, and your psychiatrist will assess you for these conditions.
These are some of the conditions we work with when addiction is present.
Psychiatric support without addiction
Not everyone looking for psychiatric support is living with an addiction – conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and bipolar disorder can all require specialist psychiatric care on their own.
Castle Health offers psychiatric support for people in this position. Whether you’re looking for a diagnosis, a review of existing medication, or ongoing care, you can find out more on our psychiatric disorders page.
If you’re not sure
a psychiatric assessment can help you work it out.
“I gained positivity — through understanding and acknowledging the past and being given the insight and tools to apply to the present and carry forward to the future.”
Psychiatry for addiction – what does treatment actually involve?
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What does an addiction psychiatrist do?
An addiction psychiatrist is not the same as a general psychiatrist.
Addiction psychiatrists train in general psychiatry first, then in addiction, so they can treat both. An addiction psychiatrist treats people with addiction every day, so they’re likely to have more experience of it than a general psychiatrist.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists describes addiction psychiatry as a field that involves general medicine, general psychiatry, and psychology.
At Castle Craig, our psychiatrists work alongside our wider clinical team.
- They assess and diagnose mental health conditions, plan treatment, prescribe medication, and provide therapy.
- They are also trained to consider your physical health as well as your mental health, and are able to pick up physical problems caused by alcohol or drugs, such as liver damage or poor nutrition.
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Dual diagnosis: when addiction and mental health overlap
Dual diagnosis is very common. Government data on substance misuse treatment in England shows that 74% of adults starting drug and alcohol treatment reported having a mental health treatment need.
When mental health and addiction are both present, they affect each other. For example, alcohol can lift someone’s mood at first and then leave them more depressed. If one condition isn’t diagnosed during treatment, the risk of relapse after you leave can go up.
A psychiatrist who understands addiction and mental health needs to assess and treat both together. Some people only find out they have a mental health condition after they stop drinking or using drugs and their symptoms become clearer.
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How psychiatric care fits into addiction therapy at Castle Craig
At Castle Craig, one of our psychiatrists assesses you before admission or during detox. That psychiatrist then stays involved until your treatment ends. Symptoms such as panic attacks or paranoia can sometimes come from withdrawal or the drug itself, so your psychiatrist may want to keep checking them during and after detox.
Your psychiatric care is part of the same coordinated programme as your individual therapy, group work, and recovery planning.
You can read more about Castle Craig’s approach to treatment and therapy in addiction recovery.
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Your treatment plan: what it might include
Your psychiatrist builds your treatment plan around what the assessment finds. This may include psychological therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or coordinated care with your GP. Each plan follows NICE guidelines, and your psychiatrist can adjust your plan if some part of it isn’t working.
No two treatment plans look the same. Someone with PTSD and alcohol dependence will need a different combination of support from someone with depression and cocaine dependence.
The plan reflects your diagnosis, your history, and practical pressures, such as work or family, that might make recovery harder. Counselling for drugs and alcohol is one part of a broader approach.
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Medication in addiction recovery: how psychiatrists approach prescribing
Medication can play a key role in treating some people’s alcohol and drug dependence.
At Castle Craig, support generally comes from addiction counselling and different types of talking therapy. Medication can help during detox, as part of ongoing maintenance, or to prevent relapse after treatment.
Your psychiatrist will discuss medication with you and involve you in the decision. They will describe how the medication works and any potential side effects, and won’t prescribe anything unless it’s likely to help.
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What to expect from psychiatric care for addiction at Castle Craig
Meet our addiction psychiatrists
Castle Craig’s psychiatric care is delivered by specialist clinicians with years of experience in addiction and mental health treatment.
From psychiatric assessment to ongoing care
If your assessment leads to residential treatment, Castle Craig arranges the move into treatment directly. You won’t need a new referral or have to explain your history again to a different provider. The same team carries on your care, including the psychiatrist who assessed you.
Your team reviews and adjusts your care as you move through the programme. When you leave Castle Craig, you move into Continuing Care, which carries on the work you started in treatment. Before you leave, you and your team can plan the support you need at home.
You can find out more about the cost of residential treatment.
If someone in your life needs psychiatric support for addiction
If you’re asking on someone else’s behalf, it’s fine not to have all the answers. Perhaps the person won’t accept help yet, or they’re already in treatment and want your support.
Addiction affects the whole family. You may have seen changes you can’t explain, or you may have noticed that someone’s mental health has worsened alongside their substance use. Families often cope better once they understand that addiction is an illness and that psychiatric care is part of treating it.
Family therapy is part of Castle Craig’s treatment model. Later in treatment, your family member’s therapist will talk to you about when and how you can be involved. Close family members can also join online workshops that explain addiction and what recovery means for the people around them.
Your knowledge of their history, and anything you’ve noticed in their behaviour, can be useful to the assessment too. Staff usually need their agreement before telling you about their care, so raise this with them early on. You can find out more about seeking help on behalf of someone you know.
If you’re a GP or professional referrer, our admissions team deals with referrals directly.
We’ve helped many people turn their lives around
Frequently asked questions about psychiatry for addiction
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How do addiction psychiatrists diagnose substance use disorders?
Diagnosis is based on a clinical interview, your personal and psychiatric history, and what the psychiatrist observes. They use recognised diagnostic frameworks, such as the ICD-11, to identify patterns of substance use and any co-occurring mental health conditions. There is no single test for addiction, so the diagnosis comes from putting all of this together.
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What are the most common medications used in addiction recovery?
A review of pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders describes several medications used in treatment. Nicotine replacement therapies work best for tobacco dependence. For alcohol, naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram can all help people drink less. For opioid dependence, agonist therapies such as methadone and buprenorphine tend to work best. Your psychiatrist will recommend medication based on your specific diagnosis and stage of recovery.
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What mental illness is most associated with addiction?
Depression and anxiety are the most commonly reported mental health conditions among people in addiction treatment. But the relationship varies by substance and by person. Trauma-related conditions like PTSD are also common, particularly among people with alcohol and opioid dependence. A specialist psychiatric assessment can identify what’s present in each individual case.
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What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist in addiction treatment?
Mental health psychiatry and psychology both play a role in addiction treatment, but they work differently. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. They can diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication, and look after your physical health as well as your mental health. A psychologist provides psychological therapy but does not typically prescribe medication. At Castle Craig, the two professions are part of the same multidisciplinary team and plan your treatment together.
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