Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Most addictions to drug or alcohol are not isolated abuses, separate from the individual's emotional and mental health. Often, substance abuse arises as people seek to self-medicate for the primary issue, such as various forms of mental disorders. The term dual diagnosis describes the concurrent and coordinated treatment of someone who has issues with both mental illness and substance abuse. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, about fifty percent of people with severe mental disorders also suffer with substance abuse. Out of all the people diagnosed with mental illness, twenty-nine percent will abuse alcohol or drugs.
 
For those who suffer from both substance abuse and mental illness, the chance for recovery is better if both disorders are treated by the same team or therapist, according to the U.S. federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A higher success rate with the same team makes sense: If a patient must travel between two different facilities, there's the potential for treatment plans to be incompatible. It's also usually difficult for a patient with both problems to travel; attempting to find ways to travel between two locations increases the frustration levels and stress for the patient.
 
If a person does have a dual diagnosis, then the treatment needs to go beyond the kind of care that would be considered standard. Patients may require job and housing assistance, as well as money and relationship management. A quality treatment facility should be able to provide these things, and do so with an optimistic attitude that positively nurtures and encourages the well being of the client for the long-term. A person with bipolar disorder needs not only education regarding relationship skills but also how to avoid relationships which will only encourage their alcohol or drug addictions.
 
While the treatment of an individual with a dual diagnosis may be slow, it's more dangerous to do nothing. If a person is battling substance abuse alone, it might be reasonable to expect a more rapid response to treatment; however, in the case of mental illness, the patient must proceed at his or her own pace. However, simply because the recovery speed will be slower is not a reason to forgo treatment. If untreated, dual diagnosis patients may become homeless or violent, or commit suicide.

When drug rehab centers don't address (or are not equipped to address) a dual diagnosis, then the outcome can be dire. If you suspect a dual diagnosis for yourself or someone you care about, then it's important to make sure his or her care-givers are aware of the dual nature of the problem, so that the treatment may be more effective.

Across the country, from the federal and state governments, to the state courts, simultaneous treatment of a dual diagnosis patient has managed to achieve better results. For instance, the State of California now has a Dual Diagnosis Court, which is able to allow first time drug offenders to receive treatment instead of jail. Treatment facilities have also argued for changes to the state licensing rules so that treatment beds may be used for both mental illness and substance abuse, as opposed to one or the other. A number of insurance programs, too, will cover a dual diagnosis treatment program.