Dual Diagnosis Substance Abuse: The Hard Road of Substance Abuse and Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis is defined as an individual that suffers from both an alcohol or drug problem as well as an emotional or psychiatric problem. Dual diagnosis, or co-dependency is probably a lot more common than the general public realizes. It is estimated that 37 percent of alcohol abusers also suffer from at least one mental health disorder. If you think that’s high, approximately 54 percent of drug abusers are said to have at least one serious mental health disorder as well. Conversely, almost one third of all individuals who have been diagnosed as mentally ill also abuse either drugs or alcohol.

The topic of co-dependency always brings up an interesting conversation with regard to whether the addiction or psychological condition comes first and causes the other one? People have a difficult time understanding the concept that the answer to this question is actually “it depends.” A lot of times the mental illness will be the initial disorder. An unfortunately a common coping mechanism of having a mental health issue like depression or anxiety for example is to abuse drugs and alcohol in an effort to self-medicate the symptoms. It doesn’t take a very long time to become physically dependent on these substances when you get into a habit of using them in an attempt to control how you feel.

While the former causal relationship is more common, it can certainly happen the other way around as well. Alcohol and drug addiction can also serve as the primary condition. When a person’s substance abuse habit becomes severe, it is not uncommon for the addict to start to develop symptoms of a mental illness as a result of brain damage from the substance abuse. Examples of these symptoms include but are not limited to episodes of depression, fits of rage, hallucinations or even suicide attempts.

Treating a Dual Diagnosis

If there is one thing to take away from this entire synopsis of dual diagnosis, it is the one single effective way to treat it. Dual diagnosis sufferers absolutely have to treat both conditions they are afflicted with simultaneously. These co-occurring disorders have such a powerful effect and influence on one another that it is simply not reasonable to think that you can effectively treat one while ignoring the other. Their ability to exacerbate the symptoms of one another is far too strong. The addiction and psychological illness must be tended to simultaneously, preferably by an experienced dual diagnosis counselor. Common methods of treatment include individual cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy sessions, family therapy as well as the possibility of medication depending on which psychological condition you suffer from.

Treatment Solutions – Addiction Treatment

Treatment Solutions – Addiction Treatment www.rockersinrecovery.org The mission is to provide every individual with whom we come into contact the opportunity to achieve a better way of life through recovery. If the individual is seeking treatment for a substance abuse or a dual diagnosis problem, our goal is to find services that match their needs and can realistically be obtained with their resources. We strive to educate everyone involved as to how the individual can best be treated, and our primary purpose is to find help for anyone who comes to us.