Dual diagnosis is a difficult thing to fight through. In fact, it makes the basic task of battling a drug addiction considerably more difficult. It basically involves a diagnosis of another disorder or even multiple disorders, in addiction to the diagnosis of a drug addiction. Also called co-occurring disorders because they happen simultaneously with the drug addiction, these can include such afflictions as schizophrenia, manic depression, or even an eating disorder.
Dual diagnosis is a very complicated phenomenon that can be very difficult to identify and treat. For instance, take the example of schizophrenia and a cocaine addiction treatment. The patient may admit that they have schizophrenia, but deny the cocaine addiction, or vice versa. The schizophrenia could have been triggered by the ongoing drug abuse, or the drug abuse could have stemmed from the frustration of dealing with schizophrenia. Alternatively, the two may not be related at all.
The effects of a person’s drug abuse and the symptoms of a psychological or emotional disorder can be very similar. It can be very difficult to determine at any given time whether the addiction or the other disorder is “acting up” at that moment and causing the depression, anxiety, aggression, etc. Thus, dual diagnosis can be extremely difficult to diagnose accurately, let alone treat. It is an unpredictable, constantly fluctuating battle.
The two parts of a dual diagnosis can be just different enough to aggravate each other, yet cause such similar reactions that it can be nearly impossible to differentiate between the two. Treatment of dual diagnosis requires a highly trained professional, and this person must be able to prescribe the appropriate medications for each disorder. The medications must be able to be taken simultaneously without negative reactions.
Dual diagnosis can affect a person mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is an exhausting battle and professional intervention will certainly help. However, there is the distinct possibility that the two parts of a dual diagnosis are not related. In other words, one half of the dual diagnosis was not a contributing factor to the existence of the other part. Because this might be the case, each half of the dual diagnosis should be treated individually and separately. Although both treatments will occur at the same time, professionals should not assume the two disorders are interrelated. A good drug rehab facility will have staff on hand experienced in dealing with the difficult phenomenon known as dual diagnosis.
If a person denies the existence of one half of their dual diagnosis, it can be detrimental to overall recovery. For example, a patient can be in the process of recovering from their drug addiction while a psychological disorder is growing worse. A worsening psychological disorder may cause them to lose heart and confidence, turning once again to drugs and losing ground on their battle to overcome that addiction. Some of the most common afflictions recovering drug addicts face are depression, anxiety and panic attacks. It is important that co-occuring disorders be diagnosed as soon as possible in the drug rehab process, and then treated separately yet simultaneously.
