Dual Diagnosis Treatment

What is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

The term, dual diagnosis, is used to describe the coexistence of a drug and/or alcohol addictionand psychiatric disorder. A person who suffers from a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, or paranoia, and also suffers from a substance abuse disorder is considered to be dually diagnosed.

A 1999 executive summary report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)to Congress stated that 7-10 million Americans "Have at least one mental disorder as well as an alcohol or drug use disorder [and] individuals experiencing these disorders simultaneously referred to as co-occurring disorders have particular difficulty seeking and receiving diagnostic and treatment services".

To further add to the problem, research has demonstrated that unless both disorders are treated simultaneously, the mental health issue and the substance abuse will progress and as the report indicated, “additional complications arise". Each disorder can be detrimental to the recovery of the other.  The health and happiness of the person suffering from a mental health disorder and a substance abuse problem is limited. Dual diagnosis treatment will address the drug and alcohol addiction, as well as the psychiatric disorder.

Oftentimes, a person uses drugs and/or alcohol to cope with a psychiatric disorder, such as bipolar disorder or panic attacks. Unknowingly, the user believes that the alcohol will ease the panic or that the cocaine will combat the depression. They believe that the momentary relief is the key to a new way of coping and functioning.  But, it is clear that drug and alcohol addictions worsen mental health disorders.  Addiction worsens the underlying problem and can render psychiatric medications ineffective.

In the presence of a dual diagnosis, making an accurate diagnosis becomes difficult. The list below reveals diagnosis difficulties once drugs and alcohol are combined with mental health disorders. Long term, consistent drug and alcohol abuse can:

• Initiate the development of a psychiatric problem
• Cause an existing psychiatric problem to worsen
• Create the reemergence of a past psychiatric disorder
• Create symptoms associated with a psychiatric disorder that are drug induced
• Mask psychiatric symptoms or psychiatric disorders

If the psychiatric disorder is the underlying cause of the substance addiction, it will still exist even after the person completes detox and is abstinent from all substances. If presenting symptoms are from using drugs and/or alcohol, then the symptoms will slowly reduce after detox. However, detox alone will not address the mental health disorder or the addictive behaviors leaving the dually diagnosed person at great risk of an intense mental health episode and a substance relapse.

What to Expect From Dual Diagnosis Treatment

The first step in addiction treatment for drug or alcohol addiction must be detoxification which is a period of time during which the body is allowed to cleanse itself of alcohol and/or drugs.  Ideally, detox will be medically monitored in a designated detox unit that is part of an addiction treatment facility. The time spent in detox varies, depending upon substances used, the frequency of use, amounts used, and the physical and psychological state of the patient.

Once a patient has successfully completed drug or alcohol detox, a comprehensive physical, psychiatric and psychosocial assessment is necessary.  This comprehensive assessment process allows an individualized treatment plan to be developed.  Ideally, drug addiction, alcoholism, and psychiatric disorders should have complementary individualized substance abuse treatment protocols combined for each patient.

The Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Historically, an addiction treatment program, drug rehab, alcohol rehabor psychiatric hospital, have not recognized the link between mental health disorders and substance abuse. Today, the number of rehabs offering comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment is still small, but growing. Quality addiction treatment programs, drug rehabs, alcohol rehabs, and psychiatric hospitals are more likely to provide treatment programs that address both issues simultaneously.

Research has shown that people with psychiatric problems are more prone to addiction than others. In addition, more than 50% of the people with recognized addictions experience psychiatric disorders. These two disorders not only require treatment, but relapse prevention is of paramount importance. Managing the mental health disorder requires adherence to a medication regime.

Unfortunately, many dually diagnosed patients decide to discontinue their medications or alter the prescribed dosage. This non-compliant behavior is detrimental to the patient's recovery. In either case, the person is self sabotaging his or her recovery. As the psychiatric symptoms begin to reappear due to changes in medication, the addict will return to the use of drugs and alcohol as a means to cope with confused thinking or negative feelings. The cycle of addiction, with ever-increasing symptoms of the mental health disorderand drug and/or alcohol addiction, will worsen.

Why Choose Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

The goal of a quality dual diagnosis treatment program should be to provide the dually diagnosed patient with the tools, education, and life skills to negotiate both the mental health disorder and the addiction in daily life. To this end, a dual diagnosis treatment program should include:

• Addiction education
• Dual diagnosis education
• Medication management
• Individual and group therapies
• Life skills training
• Family programs
• Aftercare plans

After completing drug addiction treatment, or drug and alcohol rehab, an aftercare plan will provide the patient with a guide to maintaining abstinence and mental health. Psychiatric follow up care attendance at support group meetings, and drug and alcohol abstinence is all part of the aftercare plan.

The severity of the addiction and the psychological disorder will determine whether inpatient or outpatient treatment is best.  Sometimes, intensive inpatient addiction treatment is not available to a patient, but it is important to note that outpatient addiction treatment is difficult even without the complication of a mental health disorder. Someone going through outpatient addiction treatment must be extremely motivated, have a strong, healthy support system, and be able to avoid triggers and environmental and emotional distractions.

It takes a great deal of self reflection and honest self-reporting to get the most out of this type of treatment. Studies indicate that most people entering outpatient treatment without attending inpatient treatment first, are at greater risk of relapse. For most people suffering from dual diagnosis, a structured, intensive, inpatient treatment center provides the greatest chances for maintaining abstinence and for continued personal growth.

Related Content:

• Addiction and Mental Health Disorders
  
• Dual Diagnosis: Depression and Alcoholism
  Many people who are depressed will turn to alcohol to alleviate their symptoms. In the process, they become addicted to alcohol, creating a dual diagnosis.

To locate a dual diagnosis addiction treatment center that suits your specific needs, call Recovery Connection at .