A person suffering from both substance abuse/chemical dependency
and emotional/ psychological illnesses can be difficult to treat, but
more and more doctors are recognizing that the two often go
hand-in-hand. While each illness may possess particular symptoms
that affect a person’s ability to function on a daily basis, the
illnesses may also interact with each other, with symptoms overlapping
and masking each other, making a diagnosis quite tricky.
Official statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services
note that 37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug users also have at
least one serious mental illness. Of all those people diagnosed as
mentally ill, it is also noted that about 29% abuse either alcohol or
drugs.
Facts also point out that the relapse rate for those with co-occurring
mental and substance abuse disorders is higher. Symptoms of
mental disorders also recur much more frequently in those individuals
who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Often, a person with co-occurring disorders uses drugs or alcohol to
self-medicate and cover up the existing mental difficulties, thus
causing dual problems. That’s why proper diagnosis is so
important. Without a solid diagnosis, the two disorders will
continue to interact and worsen.
Traditionally, individuals dealing with dual diagnosis were treated
separately for each disorder though, recently, mental health
professionals have recognized the ineffectiveness of treating
co-occurring disorders in this manner. However, most still
maintain that detoxification must occur first before additional
problems can be addressed but that abstinence may not necessarily need
to be a pre-condition of treatment for the mental illness. Having
the same team of medical professionals treating both disorders can also
be helpful to the patient.
Individuals can indeed recover from co-occurring mental and substance
abuse disorders, but patience will be needed as well as ongoing support
from family and friends, outpatient support groups, and others that are
interested in the well-being of the individual in question.
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By:L Posted: Jun 24 2006 10:36:30 PM