Dual Diagnosis

There are a number of rehabs who profess to work with Dual Diagnosis and yet only focus on the addiction! Unfortunately this contributes greatly to a lot of relapses as the mental health aspect of the client has not been clinically addressed!

DUAL DIAGNOSIS SPECIALISTS

Why Does The Client Take Drugs?

There’s a good chance that an undiagnosed depression, for example could lead to a client taking drugs to alleviate the depression or a client could become addicted to prescription pills and could become depressed or suicidal! A client suffering with a Dual Diagnosis can feel lonely and misunderstood causing psychological pressure for the client most days impacting their ability to work and build meaningful relationships with family, colleagues and friends who simply don’t understand the dynamics of the situation.

Many clients’ lives affected by Dual Diagnosis can be greatly improved with a combination of psychological assessments,a medication review, group support and psychotherapy.

There are a number of rehabs who profess to work with Dual Diagnosis and yet only focus on the addiction! Unfortunately this contributes greatly to a lot of relapses as the mental health aspect of the client has not been clinically addressed!

Why Does The Client Take Drugs?

There’s a good chance that an undiagnosed depression, for example could lead to a client taking drugs to alleviate the depression or a client could become addicted to prescription pills and could become depressed or suicidal! A client suffering with a Dual Diagnosis can feel lonely and misunderstood causing psychological pressure for the client most days impacting their ability to work and build meaningful relationships with family, colleagues and friends who simply don’t understand the dynamics of the situation. Many clients’ lives affected by Dual Diagnosis can be greatly improved with a combination of psychological assessments,a medication review, group support and psychotherapy.

When To Get Professional Assistance?

Mental illnesses and addictions do not improve on their own and if untreated may get worse over time and cause serious permanent problems. Suicidal thoughts and erratic behaviour are common with some mental illnesses and so professional intervention is essential. It is advised to get professional assistance so as you can be’ fully’ psychologically assessed in a safe, supportive and non-judgmental environment.

All too often people will see a psychiatrist who is naturally trained to find a diagnosis and prescribe a medication. The two problems with this is that the medication is rarely reviewed (dosage could be incorrect or the client may even be on the wrong medication all together) to check the clients response to the medication. This approach also does not include essential psychotherapy and so any root causes are never fully addressed. Medication may stabilize a client for a while but daily functioning could still be impaired and an over reliance on other medication could easily develop.

What Causes Dual Diagnosis?

There are known contributory factors that strongly contribute towards addiction and mental health disorders. Mental Health could be inherent in the family system which could put family members at greater risk of developing a mental disorder. Hormonal imbalances can cause mental health issues which a client could be born with or could be created through stressful life events.Traumatic events can cause serious mental health issues which if unresolved could lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and anxiety.

It doesn’t have to be over a long period of time in order for a drug or alcohol abuser to show signs and symptoms of mental health issues. It is a myth that only long term abusers have mental health issues!