Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual diagnosis treatment, is a term used to describe treatment for the coexistence of drug addiction / alcoholism and a psychiatric disorder. Research has shown us that people with psychiatric problems are more prone to drug addiction and alcoholism and we have found that almost 50 percent of people treated with addictions, experience a psychiatric problem of one kind or another.

With this in mind, it is very difficult in early recovery to correctly diagnose the addict or alcoholic. The reason for this is that while in detox and withdrawing from addictive substances, many of the symptoms people exhibit and experience mimic psychiatric symptoms. While every patient is provided with a psychiatric consultation to rule out or acknowledge the existence of a psychiatric disorder, we have found it to be in the best interest of our patients to try and wait until they are medically stable before making a dual diagnosis or any firm diagnosis. If a patient reports a high level of discomfort, accompanied by symptoms, we address their situation immediately.

Understand, many addicts and alcoholics, unknowingly, used drugs and alcohol as a means to cope with an untreated psychiatric disorder. What they didn't realize was that continued use would become an addiction, turning any already complex situation into an even more complicated one.

The Dual Diagnosis Treatment Process

Ideally, drug addiction, alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorders should be treated simultaneously. As mentioned earlier, the first step in dual diagnosis treatment must be detox. Detox is a period of time where, under medical supervision, medical personnel manage the symptoms associated with withdrawal. This generally takes place in a drug rehab or addiction treatment program. It is important to note that while in detox, medications may be dispensed to manage any psychiatric symptoms.

After detox, patients participate in a variety of clinical services with the other members of the addiction treatment program. As with other addictions, denial plays a significant role in treating dual diagnosis. Generally speaking, people resist acknowledging the presence of a mental illness. For this reason, we move at the patient's pace in the addiction treatment process, all the while monitoring the patient's dual diagnosis.
Lastly, one of the key components of dual diagnosis treatment rests in teaching patients medication management. Medication management is part of any relapse prevention plan for the dually diagnosed and should not be taken lightly.

If you would like additional information about dual diagnosis treatment or for admission to Lakeview’s dual diagnosis drug rehab program please call 1-866-657-4357.