The term “dual diagnosis” refers to someone who has been diagnosed with a major mental health problem and a substance addiction at the same time. Nearly half of all patients with mental health problems abuse drugs and alcohol. They often go hand-in-hand. For example, those dealing with alcoholism may be coping with mental illness. Those suffering from depression may disguise their symptoms with dependence on drugs or alcohol.
The first problem is diagnosis itself. A substance abuse problem can affect mental health disorder symptoms by either aggravating them, or masking them. On top of that, symptoms of substance abuse can closely resemble the symptoms of mental health disorders, so defining what is causing each symptom is increasingly difficult. Patients may also use one disorder to cover for the other. For example, an alcoholic patient suffering from bipolar disorder may agree to treatment of the disorder to cover up for his or her alcoholism. Upon completion of the psychiatric help, the patient may drop out of treatment entirely.
The families of those suffering from dual diagnosis also face increased problems related to the disorder. Most mental health services are ill-prepared to deal with both the mental health disorder and the compounded substance abuse problem. They also, then, cannot effectively treat and assist the families of those afflicted. Families also deal with the violence associated with their sick relatives. Domestic abuse and suicide is very common among those with the compounded diagnosis. It has also been reported that sexual abuse is prevalent among those dealing with dual diagnosis as well.
So what to do about these problems? For starters, many in the mental health profession are beginning to recognize that substance dependency is a problem, and they have stopped relegating it to a symptom. By doing so, they broaden their view of their patients and do not mistakenly categorize substance abuse under the mental health disorder “umbrella”. There has also been an increased awareness of dual diagnosis in the medical field. This has led to more discussions on treating both disorders simultaneously, rather than one at a time. By doing so, treatment effectiveness increases, as both the mental health disorder and the substance abuse are treated at each stage of rehabilitation. This increased awareness also results in more education on the topic for those in the medical field, which can only lead to further discussion, and treatment that can be effective for both the patient and their families.
