Understanding the Dual Diagnosis Model of Treatment

Dual diagnostic services are treatments for people who suffer from co-occurring disorders: mental illness and substance abuse. Research has shown that, in order to achieve full recovery, a person with a co-occurring disorder needs treatment for both issues; focusing on one does not guarantee that the other will go away. A person with dual diagnosis has a mental disorder and a problem with alcohol or drugs. About half of people who have a mental disorder will also have substance use disorder at some point in their lives and vice versa.

Interactions between the two conditions can worsen both. The treatment of dual diagnosis, co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness, requires addressing two serious and often confusing problems. The authors present an expanded version of the transtheoretical model of change formulated by J, O. DiClemente, and suggest that this new version offers a pragmatic approach to the conceptualization and treatment of dual diagnosis.

The potential usefulness of the treatment model is presented through the authors' experiences in working with people with chronic mental illnesses in the urban center with substance abuse problems. Practical guidelines for dual-diagnosis group therapy are discussed. The term “dual diagnosis” refers to a condition in which a person has both a mental illness and an addiction problem. Either condition, when treated alone, can be devastating or even fatal, but when combined, the conditions tend to reinforce and interact with each other, making recovery even more difficult to achieve without help for the person. Dual diagnosis is a common term used to describe a person with a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder.

For example, if a person is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder, they qualify for dual-diagnosis treatment. Ashish Bhatt explains the importance of accurately diagnosing and treating patients with a dual diagnosis. An interaction between both conditions can complicate a person's recovery, resulting in a less favorable treatment outlook and a combined risk of negative health consequences without adequate treatment. While people with a less complex history of addiction may succeed in outpatient programs and continue to live at home while receiving medical care, people with a dual diagnosis may need more intensive help to be successful. An excessive amount of anxiety in an individual can have a detrimental effect on a person's ability to feel deeply about themselves, and the depth of their feelings can be expressed in the same way due to the dual diagnosis of anxiety and depression. Other causes may include punishment as a result of addiction due to toxicity, or both dual diagnoses affecting both chemical and psychological addiction. The Internet has made it easy to access information on all available rehabilitation options, even if finding the right dual diagnosis isn't as simple as it used to be.

We discuss diagnostic criteria used to diagnose disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and behavioral health disorders, including diagnostic criteria for dual diagnosis of these disorders. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation centers face the unique challenge of treating multiple disorders without aggravating any course of treatment. Unfortunately, a dual diagnosis can give way to dual stigmas if not well understood, leading to poorer social support. While dual diagnostic research providers recognize the importance of patients continuing to take the medications they have been receiving in rehabilitation, they also recognize the need to do so once in rehabilitation. The IDDT model is an evidence-based practice that improves the quality of life of people with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders by combining substance abuse services with mental health services.

In addition, group therapy with similarly affected individuals or support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, can play a crucial role in both mental health treatment and relapse prevention.

Dual diagnosis treatment

will not be effective until you address both the disorder and your history of addiction. Medications can help relieve symptoms and reduce distress, but they aren't the only tools experts have available to help people who have a dual diagnosis. It has been found that people suffer from the disease of addiction in parallel with those with mental illness, a condition known as dual diagnosis.

According to these theories, the 12-step model can be used as the most effective recovery model of the 21st century by integrating the best practices of dual-diagnosis treatment.