Author: John Carter

Dual Diagnosis: Definition & Treatment

Researchers have a few theories about why substance use and mental health disorders occur together. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 21.5 million adults aged 18 or older had co-occurring serious mental illness (SMI) and a substance use disorder in the past year. Integrated treatment often involves forms of behavioral treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy, that can help improve coping skills and reduce maladaptive behaviors. Treatment may also entail collaboration between clinicians and organizations that offer support handling issues related to housing, health, and work. For you to achieve a dual diagnosis recovery, you must stop using the addictive substance.

Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment

Your treatment planning team can establish benchmarks for measuring your progress, and medical professionals on the team may prescribe medicine for any serious mental illness that responds well to medication. One thing to keep in mind is that addiction itself is considered a mental health disorder. So a dual diagnosis can include addiction plus one or more additional co-occurring conditions. You might also hear the term comorbidity during discussions about a co-occurring disorder. This might mean that the mental health condition developed as a result of the drug abuse or that drug addiction developed when substance use was used as a coping mechanism for a mental disorder.

You can’t force your loved one to remain sober, take their medication or go to counseling. But you can make positive choices for yourself, encourage your loved one to get help and offer your unconditional support. Like the chicken or the egg, it can be difficult to figure out which came first. Even though dual diagnoses occur together, it doesn’t mean one caused the other. It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult.

  1. A dual diagnosis, also referred to as a co-occurring disorder, is when a person is diagnosed with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder.
  2. It is important to interact with your chosen treatment program about these conditions and recovery from addiction and mental illness if you or your care provider do not know anything about their co-occurring disorders.
  3. Certain mental health disorders, including mood, personality disorders and anxiety disorders, are fairly common in people who are being treated for substance abuse.
  4. Mental health disorders may also change the way the “reward” centers of your brain work.

Signs & Symptoms of Co-occurring Disorders

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) notes that the symptoms of co-occurring disorders can vary considerably depending on which conditions the person has. This article explores the causes, diagnostic process, and treatment options for dual diagnosis, as well as some coping strategies that might be helpful. It’s important to keep an open mind, find a support team, and not give up on the recovery process.

Defining Co-Occurring Disorder

It’s important to seek help for these conditions, get an accurate diagnosis, and participate in treatment in order to start feeling better. Use medications strategically to manage withdrawal symptoms and mental health conditions. Alcohol, drugs and other substances can trigger changes to your brain’s structure and function.

Why Relevance Recovery?

Recognizing co-occurring disorders is essential for formulating effective treatment strategies that address all underlying and interconnected conditions, thereby improving the overall health and well-being of the affected individuals. The concept underscores the complexity of diagnosing and treating individuals with multiple health conditions, emphasizing the importance of integrated care that is responsive to the unique and diverse needs of each person. “Dual diagnosis treatment must address both mental illness and substance use simultaneously, since both together have such an impact on a person’s life. Treatment therefore consists of integrating the two disorders together rather than focusing on each one separately,” says Dr. Cavallo.

When someone is diagnosed with Dual Diagnosis, he or she is generally suffering from a dual diagnosis, which is a form of mental health illness and an addiction to drugs or alcohol. It’s not uncommon for an individual with both an alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) and co-occurring disorder to experience the same levels of mental health functioning as someone who has only a specific psychiatric problem. Almost all patients can be diagnosed with both diagnoses simultaneously, which is among the possible scenarios. Dealing with both substance abuse and mental health issues can be tough. That’s why it’s so important to get help from experts who understand these challenges.

When you enter a rehab program for substance abuse treatment, part of the check-in process includes assessing you for any underlying mental illnesses or issues that might affect treatment. Co-occurring mental health conditions and substance abuse affect nearly 9 million people each year. Dual diagnosis means you have both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time. Other names for dual diagnosis include co-occurring disorder and co-morbidity. Several co-occurring disorders can be combined into an overall wellness program by combining different types of treatments. One patient who is not treated for one condition may develop another severe problem that can be quite dangerous for his or her overall health.

Mental health disorders include depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. A substance use disorder may involve alcohol, drugs or other addictive substances. When these conditions occur together, the effects of each can be worse.

There are slight differences between dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders, and people fail to notice. Knowing these differences can be really helpful, especially if you’re looking for support for both addiction and mental health issues. In this blog, we’ll explore the key differences between dual diagnosis vs co-occurring disorders, including signs, symptoms, and treatments. It is important to interact with your chosen treatment program about these conditions and recovery from addiction and mental illness if you or your care provider do not know anything about their co-occurring disorders.