Dual Diagnosis Treatment Facility

Dual diagnosis refers to someone who has both a drug/alcohol addiction and a mental illness. In recent years, many studies have been done in attempt to further the knowledge and reasoning towards co-occurring diseases. Because of the way the two diseases – drug addiction and a psychological disorder – interact with each other, it can be challenging to determine which symptoms are caused by which disease. Drug use may mask the symptoms of a mental illness, such as schizophrenia, or mental illness can cause drug use symptoms to become less intense or altered in some way. These studies have shown that 37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers in America have at least one other co-occurring serious mental illness. Also, of all Americas diagnosed as mentally ill, 29% abuse drugs and/or alcohol. These numbers are astounding. Because dual diagnosis is so common, medical professionals are making a huge effort to learn about and help those in need.

Dual diagnosis treatment can be more complex than basic drug rehab because of the way both the substance and the mental illness are affecting one's body. These are two extremes, and sometimes two extremes can exacerbate each other, making it extremely difficult to differentiate between the two. Drug relapse is very common when working with dual diagnosis. Merely detoxifying one's body and attending therapy just will not suffice for many people who suffer from mental illness along side their drug addiction. If they receive just the traditional drug treatment and alcohol treatment, they are not going to treat their coexisting condition. This condition may be the root of the cause of drug and alcohol abuse. By not treating a mental illness, you may be setting yourself up for a relapse, whereas by not treating the drug addiction, you may be allowing the psychiatric condition(s) to become more pronounced. With these two difficulties being so intertwined, it is important to treat both of them completely.

Because dual diagnosis is a complete bond of two very different medical conditions, a person suffering from both cannot expect to admit themselves to a mental health facility and also receive treatment for their drug addiction. Adversely, one cannot admit themselves to a traditional drug treatment center and expect their psychiatric issues to be treated as well. A dual diagnosis patient needs to receive specialized care focused toward treating both a drug addiction and a serious mental condition. Fortunately, dual diagnosis drug rehab centers are known for being very detailed and organized in order to help patients receive proper assessments of their individual condition. This will not only help a person to decipher which symptoms are cause by what, but it will also allow for a better and faster treatment.

It is not that dual diagnosis treatment is harder to handle than regular drug and alcohol addiction treatment, it is just more mentally complex. Dual diagnosis facilities have a strong focus on excelling in areas where a traditional drug treatment facility might fail for specific individuals. Where some people suffering from dual diagnosis might have trouble staying on the path to recovery, dual diagnosis facilities are there to provide new light.