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Dual Diagnosis & Coexisting Disorders

What is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual Diagnosis occurs when an individual is affected by both chemical dependency and an emotional or psychiatric illness. Both illnesses may affect an individual physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. Each illness has symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to function effectively and relate to themselves and others. Not only is the individual affected by two separate illnesses, both illnesses interact with one another. The illnesses may exacerbate each other and each disorder predisposes to relapse in the other disease. At times the symptoms can overlap and even mask each other making diagnosis and treatment more difficult. To recover fully, the person needs treatment for both problems.

How Common Is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis is more common than you might imagine. According to a report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association:

• Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and fifty-three percent of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness.
• Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent abuse either alcohol or drugs.

What Kind of Mental or Emotional Problems are Seen in People with Dual Diagnosis?

The following psychiatric problems commonly occur in Dual Diagnosis clients in tandem with alcohol and other drug dependency:

• Depressive disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder.
• Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias.
• Other psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.

Treatment Options

It is often most effective for Dual Diagnosis clients to complete Dual Recovery Programs. In other words, just as there must be a specific set of concrete and measurable behaviors and attitudes that indicate Recovery from addiction, there must be a separate and equally concrete and measurable set of behaviors and attitudes that indicate Recovery from the mental illness.

Unfortunately, all too often the Dual Diagnosis client puts too much energy into one diagnosis and neglects the other. It is clear that a relapse in the addiction can cause a relapse in the mental illness and vice-versa. Clients who seeks treatment for a Dual Diagnosis may be given a psychiatric evaluation in addition to the psychological assessment, along with a medication evaluation, monitoring, education about the illness, symptoms management strategies and increased individual therapy. They are taught to develop a Recovery Plan for their mental illness that supports and compliments the Recovery Plan for their addiction. Together these two Recovery Plans function in parallel, allowing the client to utilize a larger support network and full range of diagnosis specific tools.

If you or a loved one are having a difficult time with alcohol, drugs, or behavior disorders, please give us a call at 877.235.6131. Our treatment specialists are available to discuss your concerns and answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.