Dual diagnosis requires calming an overwhelmed nervous system. Jorge, our complementary therapist, teaches Tai Chi and moving meditation. Patients learn natural techniques to manage fear and anxiety without the need for additional medication.
SPECIALIZED CENTER · BOGOTÁ · CHICÓ
Dual Diagnosis: Integrated treatment when addiction and mental illness coexist
When addiction coexists with depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, simply “stopping use” is not enough. At Centro Integral Función Futuro, we treat dual diagnosis by looking at the whole person: their history, their personality, and their pain.
- Interdisciplinary Approach
- Inpatient & Outpatient
- Led by Dr. Carla Jaramillo
Definición
What Is Dual Diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis (also known as co-occurring disorders) occurs when an individual experiences both a substance use disorder (involving alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, or medications) and one or more mental health disorders (such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or personality disorders).
For more information about dual diagnosis and available treatment options, contact us via WhatsApp at 312 221 2909. If you prefer to speak directly with our team, you can also call us or find more information at www.funcionfuturo.org.
Why Is It a Critical Diagnosis?
These are not two separate problems that happen to occur by coincidence. They influence each other: substance use often begins as an attempt to “self-medicate” undiagnosed emotional distress, while the substance itself can significantly worsen the underlying mental health disorder. If treatment addresses only the addiction or only the mental health condition, the risk of relapse becomes extremely high.
Overwhelming Anxiety, Substance Use, and a Body Pushed to Its Limits: Valentina’s Journey to Recovery
Valentina (or Courage, as her name suggests) is a clear example of why treating substance use alone is not enough. She wasn’t simply trying to stop using tusi; she needed someone to understand that behind her addiction were severe anxiety and major depression.
During her inpatient treatment, the team addressed both conditions simultaneously. First came detoxification and physical recovery through Molecular Detox (high-dose vitamin therapy). At the same time, she received intensive psychiatric and psychological care, which helped reduce her baseline anxiety by 90%.
Listen to how someone feels when both their mental health and addiction are treated at the same time.
Find more detailed information at www.funcionfuturo.org or contact us at 312 221 2909, also available via WhatsApp.
Our approach as a rehabilitation center is based on:
Integrative and Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy
We implement leading psychological approaches to provide comprehensive and effective care. Our clinical team uses modern therapeutic techniques, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), while continuing to recognize the effectiveness and benefits of psychoanalysis.
Humanistic and Bioethical Approach
We ensure a therapeutic framework that respects and promotes each patient's autonomy and dignity, ensuring that every psychological intervention is strictly aligned with medical ethics.
Real Recovery Testimonial
Hear what it feels like when both a person’s mental health and addiction are treated at the same time.
Beyond Substance Use: Personality, Trauma, and Emotional Regulation
When the substance leaves the body and no longer serves as an emotional “numbing agent,” underlying personality-related challenges begin to emerge, including emotional instability, impulsivity, and trauma. Here’s how we address them.
Psychological and Family Support (Óscar)
Hear what it feels like when both a person’s mental health and addiction are treated at the same time.
Emotional Regulation Focus (Jorge)
Natural Detoxification: Support as Part of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
When addiction and a mental health disorder occur at the same time, treatment must address both conditions and how they interact. At Centro Integral Función Futuro, we seek to understand each person's history, symptoms, and relationship with substance use to develop an individualized treatment approach.
Our dual diagnosis treatment approach in Bogotá integrates psychiatric care, psychological support, and family guidance. The treatment plan addresses both substance-related challenges and mental health needs while respecting each individual's dignity, autonomy, and spiritual well-being.
When physical dependence is present and a professional assessment indicates the need, treatment may include our natural detoxification program, with appropriate medical management and supervision.
Our support focuses on:
- Understanding the relationship between mental health symptoms and substance use.
- Coordinating treatment for both conditions.
- Strengthening self-care strategies and family support.
- Monitoring progress and developing relapse prevention strategies.
Care That Considers Your Complete Story
“We want to listen to you and understand how the challenges you are experiencing are connected. Our commitment is to support you with a treatment plan that considers your mental health, your relationship with substance use, and your personal needs, explaining every step and involving your family when appropriate.”
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Centro Integral Función Futuro Team
Drug & Alcohol Detox in Bogotá
With over 35 years of professional experience and 20 years as an institution, we are a detox center with proven results. We integrate psychiatry, neuropsychology, and systemic family therapy under a humane, scientific, and spiritual approach.
THE PROCESS
How Is Dual Diagnosis Treated at Our Center?
This is not a quick treatment program. It is a comprehensive medical and compassionate approach designed to address complex personal experiences and interconnected challenges.
For more information about our comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment and rehabilitation process, contact us via WhatsApp at 312 221 2909. If you prefer to receive guidance over the phone, you can also call us directly or visit www.funcionfuturo.org.
Diagnostic Assessment
Our psychiatry and psychology professionals thoroughly assess substance use and mental health symptoms to confirm a dual diagnosis and develop a treatment plan that addresses both conditions from the very beginning.
Medical Stabilization
Continuous medical supervision to safely manage withdrawal while adjusting psychiatric medication as needed, helping prevent mental health symptoms from worsening during the withdrawal process.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
We identify the underlying psychological factors driving substance use, reshape behavioral patterns, and address trauma or underlying conditions through third-wave psychological therapies, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness. We also provide psychiatric medication management and complement treatment with therapeutic activities such as art-assisted therapy, yoga, and Tai Chi, as well as on-site Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) support groups.
Family Reintegration
We work with the patient’s support network through family therapy to heal emotional wounds and help prevent relapse.
CONTINUOUS CARE
Carla Andrea Jaramillo: Life Experience to Untangle the Knots of the Mind
At Centro Integral Función Futuro, we do not separate the mind from the body when treating dual diagnosis. We apply the Bioethical Psychology and Spiritual Intelligence model, an approach that integrates psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and neuroscience.
Find more detailed information at www.funcionfuturo.org or contact us at 312 221 2909, also available via WhatsApp.
Comprehensive Relapse Prevention Program
- Expert Leadership: Carla Jaramillo has over 20 years of experience researching severe personality disorders, dual diagnosis, and depression.
- Scientific Expertise: Training in psychopharmacology at prestigious institutions (Harvard and MIT), ensuring that our patients receive precise and ethically guided psychiatric medication management.
- Genuine Empathy: A transgender woman who has personally experienced inpatient treatment and struggled with substance use. Her approach is shaped not only by academic knowledge but also by her own journey of overcoming and healing from the same challenges she now helps her patients navigate.
THE PROCESS
How do we treat dual diagnosis at our center?
This is not a quick program. It is a medical and human approach designed to untangle complex histories.
Diagnostic Assessment
Comprehensive evaluation by Psychiatry and Psychology to determine the level of dependency and the most appropriate detox program for each patient.
Assisted Detoxification
Continuous medical management to safely overcome withdrawal syndrome, drastically reducing substance cravings.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
We identify consumption triggers, restructure habits, and treat underlying traumas or conditions.
Family Reintegration
We work with the support network through family therapy to heal wounds and prevent relapse.
Academic Expertise
Authors of Original Literature on Mental Health and Addiction
The treatment we provide is not based on a generic formula. Carla Andrea Jaramillo Ortiz, psychologist and director of Centro Integral Función Futuro, is the author of La adicción: información, prevención y recuperación (Addiction: Information, Prevention, and Recovery), a book of more than 600 pages covering substance use disorders and eating disorders.
The book brings together more than four years of research and clinical experience from over 1,000 addiction cases treated by our team. It has since been translated into English and is read in several countries as a reference for healthcare professionals, students, and families.
Semana magazine reviewed the book, describing it as a new "bible" on substance use and eating disorders.
Read the Article in Semana
ACTION GUIDE FOR FAMILY AND SUPPORT NETWORKS
The Vital Role of Family in Addiction Recovery
The emotional toll on families can be overwhelming. Taking the right steps can make the difference between saving a life and prolonging the illness.
For more information or if you need guidance on how to handle a case of dual diagnosis within your family, contact us via WhatsApp at 312 221 2909. If you prefer, you can also call us or find more information at www.funcionfuturo.org.
Most Common Mistakes
- Relying solely on “willpower” while ignoring the neurochemical changes in the brain.
- Hiding, downplaying, or justifying the problem and covering up the consequences of substance use.
- Attempting detoxification at home without medical supervision can lead to serious complications and put a person's life at risk.
- Arguing with or confronting the patient while they are under the influence of substances, which can often escalate into aggression.
What Should the Family Do?
- Seek immediate professional guidance before confronting the patient without proper preparation.
- Establish loving but non-negotiable boundaries, communicated firmly when the patient is sober.
- Protect your own mental health: seek support groups and therapy to help heal the family as a whole.
- Prepare a professionally guided intervention in coordination with the treatment team in cases of severe denial.
If you recognize these mistakes in your family, it's time to take action.
OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Your Recovery in the Hands of True Experts
Centro Integral Función Futuro is a specialized institution focusing on addiction treatment, dual diagnosis, and mental health, with over three decades of experience in Bogotá and a highly qualified multidisciplinary team.
Director and Founder · 30+ Years of Experience
Dra. Carla Andrea Jaramillo
Senior Addiction and Dual Diagnosis Counselor
Studied at Harvard and MIT. Senior counselor specializing in addiction and dual diagnosis, with over 30 years of experience. Creator of the Comprehensive Approach.
Studied at HarvardStudied at MITDual Diagnosis30+ Years
Dra. Nathalie Ramírez
Psychiatrist • Co-Director
Studied at Harvard. Specialist in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana). Member of the Spanish Society of Dual Diagnosis, with 15 years of experience.
Dra. Emma Sánchez García
Social Worker • Therapist
Social Work Professional (Universidad de La Salle), with a specialization in Social Development Planning, Management, and Control. Over 15 years of experience in mental health, family therapy, and addiction treatment.
Sonia León
Psychologist • Psychodynamic Approach
Psychologist specializing in the psychodynamic approach, providing support to children, adolescents, and adults at different stages of life. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.
Bruno
Emotional Support
A trained emotional support dog, exceptionally skilled at providing protection, care, and affection.
A Stable and Well-Coordinated Interdisciplinary Team
Our clinical staff-to-patient ratio is greater than 1:1, ensuring intensive, continuous, and highly personalized care.
Years of Experience in Bogotá
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On Air on the Country’s Leading Radio Stations
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Recovered Patient with a Complex Diagnosis and Addiction Issues
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions about Dual Diagnosis
We address the most common concerns from families and those interested in treatment.
Can dual diagnosis be cured?
It is a chronic but highly treatable medical condition. The goal of treatment is to achieve stabilization of the psychiatric disorder, full remission of substance use, prevention of future relapses, and above all, helping the patient recover a fully functional and dignified life.
Why is it harder to treat than a "simple" addiction?
Because the coexistence of a mental disorder (such as depression or schizophrenia) worsens addiction symptoms, makes it harder to adhere to medication, and increases the risk of impulsive behaviors. It requires an expert psychiatric and psychological team working under the same roof.
What happens if we only treat the addiction and not the mental disorder (or vice versa)?
Medical evidence — and our clinical experience — shows that treating only one side generates an extremely high risk of immediate relapse. If you remove the substance from a depressed patient without providing emotional support, their pain becomes unbearable. If you treat the depression but the person continues using, the medication does not work. Both must be treated at the same time.
Do you accept dual diagnosis patients from other cities?
Yes. In fact, a large portion of our patients travel from Medellín, Cali, Bucaramanga, and the Caribbean Coast to our location in Bogotá’s Chicó neighborhood, seeking a safe, discreet, and highly specialized inpatient program they cannot find in their home cities.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
What is the first step?
The Initial Diagnostic Assessment
The first step toward regaining control is not immediate inpatient admission or a hostile confrontation — it is clinically understanding the severity of the problem. Everything begins with a professional diagnostic assessment
In this session (in-person at our center or virtual), our specialists evaluate the level of physical dependency, the patient’s emotional state, and family dynamics, in order to map out the treatment plan and level of care that is truly needed.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
Schedule an Assessment in Bogotá
A specialist will analyze your case or your loved one’s situation in complete confidence. Evaluate inpatient and outpatient program options.
- Address: Cra. 13 #102-28, Chicó · Bogotá, Colombia
- Phone: +57 316 536 2141
- 24/7 Emergencies · Consultations Mon–Fri 8:00am – 6:00pm
🔒 Your consultation is completely confidential. We do not share information with third parties.