Co-Occurring Disorders

Many treatment centres approach self-destructive behaviours as if they are isolated drivers. Add to that the fact that it is simply easier to choose one straightforward label to understand and describe someone’s suffering, which means that too many patients don’t get the proper support they really need.

In simple words, Dual diagnosis is a combination of mental illness and substance addiction.

When someone has a mental illness and an addiction, it is possible to treat both conditions simultaneously because one disorder often leads to another and vice versa.

Patients who are suffering co-occurring disorders are challenging to treat, that is because it is hard to establish where symptoms are coming from in this case. When a person with dual diagnosis has a mental illness, it is challenging to understand the cause. Only a psychiatrist specialised dual diagnosis can discover the root cause and treat it accordingly.

Co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders have many variations depending on the type of addiction and the type of mental illness involved. Some of the warning signs that may point to the need for a dual treatment are:

• An acute need for alcohol and drugs to feel normal.
• Problems with holding on to a job or maintaining a relationship.
• Struggling to meet social obligations.
• Feeling of isolation.
• Erratic behaviour.
• Depression  and  anxiety  when stopping the  substance use.
• Legal and Financial problems related to  substance abuse.
• Ignoring hygiene and neglecting physical health.
• Withdrawal symptoms.
• Rapid weight gain or loss.
• Impulsivity and taking unjustifiable risks.
• Change of sleeping pattern.

Patients with Dual diagnosis are at a high risk of violent behaviour and suicide. That is why it is very important to seek medical help from a psychiatrist immediately if they discovered any of the above symptoms.

According to Public Health England, the risks of people with mental health disorders developing substance use problems or people with substance use problems developing mental health disorders are much higher than the risks of developing substance use issues or mental health separately within the population.

The high frequency of coexisting mental health and substance use problems within mental health services is well-documented, with recorded occurrence rates in various UK studies at up to 46%. With even higher rates in substance use services, with recorded rates of 75% in drug services and 86% in alcohol services.

So many people who are suffering from dual diagnosis seek the help of both mental health and substance use services, and clinicians who are not experienced with dual diagnosis face a difficult challenge. How can they best serve their patients given that they only hold one piece of the jigsaw!?

People suffering from various addictions usually face Mental health disorders such as:

• Adult ADHD
• Mood-related disorders such as;  depression
• Anxiety-related disorders such as
  • Panic disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Social anxiety

At CRL, we know that we must address co-occurring disorders together since they influence one another. And we totally believe that:

• Treating one disorder will not cause the other to improve automatically.
• Parallel treatments do not come together to become a single effective solution.

The treatment plan for co-occurring conditions involves medication and behaviour therapies. It is vital to stop using drugs and alcohol as soon as possible for the treatment to be effective.

During the treatment, we will give both disorders the same level of attention. We address them as chronic conditions that require long-term support.

If you suffer from mental health and substance abuse disorders simultaneously, you may need integrated treatment. It is imperative to avoid parallel treatment options and seek professional assistance for co-occurring disorders.

With the right treatment, you can address both problems at the same time, improving the chances of recovery substantially. At CRL, we are equipped to handle both conditions and can provide the necessary care. For more information about dual diagnosis treatment options, please do not hesitate to  contact us  today.