Mental and Emotional Problems Seen in a Dual Diagnosis

When a person has both a drug or alcohol problem and also has a mental health disorder, this is called a dual diagnosis.  Sometimes during drug rehabilitation or an alcohol rehab program, this is discovered.  Because both are very real, they need to both be treated.

Finding patients with a dual diagnosis is actually fairly common amongst addicts.  According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “nearly thirty seven percent of alcohol abusers and fifty three percent of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness.”  Conversely, amongst those that are diagnosed with some mental health disorder, close to one third are either drug or alcohol abusers and might already be in a drug rehabilitation program or not.

A dual diagnosis has many possible disorders associated with it such as: bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety attacks and disorders, panic disorder, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Other psychic disorders that might exist are personality disorders and even schizophrenia.  Even though all of those are possible, one of the mental health disorders that occur more than the rest is the antisocial personality disorder.  Second is manic, third schizophrenia and panic disorder follows that. 

Regrettably, an abuser, even if they’ve been through a drug rehabilitation program, has to continually monitor who they are around and where they go.  A dual diagnosis is a notice for everyone joined to that person to get educated to be able to better understand the diseases they are dealing with.  No matter what the mental health disorder is, it is very important to fully understand the ramifications of the disease and how the person can be helped.

Finally, the question has been asked many times: which developed first – the addiction or the mental health disorder that caused a dual diagnosis?  Oftentimes, the emotional problem developed first although that doesn’t always hold true.  Unfortunately, many who self medicate, trying to alleviate an emotional issue becomes dependent on drugs or alcohol.  Always make sure that if anyone is dealing with a mental or emotional issue that they get professional help before they turn to drugs or alcohol and end up becoming an addict as well.