All of Our Clients Are Dual Diagnosis
More Than One Story at a Time
At Choice House, we do not separate addiction from mental health. We do not treat them as two different issues that happen to exist at the same time. We understand that substance use is often a response to emotional pain, untreated trauma, depression, anxiety, or other challenges that have never been addressed in a meaningful way. That is why every single client we work with is treated as a dual diagnosis client — because that is the reality of modern addiction.
Substance use disorder, or SUD, does not exist in a vacuum. It is rarely just about the substances. More often, it is about the reasons someone felt they had to use in the first place. When we start looking at the full picture, we are no longer treating symptoms. We are treating people.
What Dual Diagnosis Really Means
Dual diagnosis refers to someone who is living with both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder. It could be depression and alcoholism. Anxiety and cocaine use. PTSD and opioid dependence. Sometimes these issues are long-standing. Other times they have been hidden under the surface and only come to light when someone begins to get sober.
Dual diagnosis is not rare. In fact, it is more common than not. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than half of people with a substance use disorder also have a co-occurring mental health issue. This can include mood disorders, personality disorders, trauma-related conditions, and more.
What makes dual diagnosis treatment different is that both areas are addressed together. One does not wait for the other. If you only treat the addiction but ignore the depression that fuels it, relapse is likely. If you only treat the mental health without addressing substance use, you are missing the full picture. That is why Choice House is licensed for both. We do not divide people into categories. We treat the whole person.
Reframing the Narrative Around Addiction
For decades, addiction was often treated as a moral failing or a lack of willpower. That stigma still lingers in some circles. But science and lived experience tell a very different story. Addiction is not about being bad. It is about being in pain and not having the tools to cope in a healthy way. That pain can come from trauma, from genetics, from childhood dynamics, or from a combination of many factors.
When we shift the lens to dual diagnosis, we stop asking, “Why is he using?” and start asking, “What is he trying to numb?” or “What part of him is trying to feel safe?” That shift changes everything. It allows us to meet our clients with compassion rather than judgment. It helps them understand themselves in a new light.
At Choice House, we make space for those stories. We dig into what is underneath the behavior, not just the behavior itself. And that makes treatment more effective, more sustainable, and more transformative.
A Treatment Model That Matches the Reality
Dual diagnosis treatment requires more than just group therapy and a 12-step book. It requires a coordinated, integrated approach. That is what we offer at Choice House.
Our clinical model includes licensed therapists who specialize in trauma and mental health. It includes psychiatrists who understand the complexity of addiction and medication management. It includes case managers who work closely with each client to build structure and stability in their daily lives. And it includes peers and mentors who understand that healing is a process, not a moment.
Everything we do is designed to support long-term recovery. That includes addressing the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that have been driving the cycle of substance use. It also means helping our clients develop new coping skills, healthier relationships, and a sense of purpose that lasts beyond treatment.
Why People Travel to Choice House for Dual Diagnosis Care
Men from all over the country come to Choice House in Boulder, Colorado because they are looking for more than a place to stop using drugs or alcohol. They are looking for a place that understands the complexity of their pain and offers a full-spectrum approach to healing.
Our location in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains provides the peace and space needed for this work, but it is the integrity of our team and the depth of our clinical care that families trust most. We are licensed to treat both mental health and substance use because we know they are inseparable. Our approach is rooted in connection, honesty, and long-term growth.
At Choice House, we believe that every man deserves a chance to reclaim his story, reconnect with himself, and recover fully — not in pieces, but as a whole.