What Is Dual Diagnosis?
Just like it sounds, dual diagnosis is when a person has both a mental illness and substance abuse addiction at the same time. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “as much as 50 percent of the mentally ill population also has a substance abuse problem.”
If you or someone you love struggles with dual diagnosis, then you know how it can be twice as challenging to get help. Some mental illness treatment centers will turn away young adults who have a substance abuse addiction in addition to their other illness. Quite often, many long-term drug rehab facilities do not accept people with mental illnesses, because their program cannot accommodate their unique needs or their staff is not trained to provide care for the mentally ill. This unfortunate disconnection between mental illness and substance abuse treatment often means that the two disorders are treated separately, even though they are co-occurring. Solving one problem, while leaving the other untreated, often results in frequent relapse and an overall treatment experience that is unsuccessful. These difficulties often dissuade young people from getting the help they need.
To effectively treat dual diagnosis, both the addiction and the mental illness need to be addressed simultaneously through a comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment program. There is a growing, concerted effort to provide this most needed service. Gatehouse Academy is a leader in this movement and recently opened Jefferson House, a recovery program for dually diagnosed young adults. Residents at Jefferson House receive full medical care to address all of their needs from licensed professionals. The program is highly structured and includes group therapy, 12 step meetings, exercise, education and daily meditation to help build the basic life skills necessary for a successful recovery. Once the resident graduates from Jefferson House they are prepared to join their peers at Gatehouse Academy, where they will gain the strength and skills necessary to return to life outside of rehab.
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January 28th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Interesting post. Dual Diagnosis does indeed require a comprehensive treatment program. I am excited to check out more information about your recovery program for dually dosed young adults. You are doing a great thing for the community. Thanks for sharing.
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 am
Hello Friends
Thanks for the information.
Joseph
March 19th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I also find it interesting that alcoholism/addiction, when viewed as a spiritual malady and subsequently treated with the 12-steps, has a tendency to dissipate along with those co-occuring disorders like depression, anxiety, borderline personality diorder, ect. In other words, when you treat the alcoholism, the other pathology clears up a bit. Of course, primarily organic disorders such as schizophrenia (which consequently has a high rate of comorbidity with alcoholism) require additional forms of treatment, but research attending the effects of 12-step treatment on depression, anxiety, ect could be markedly beneficial to your cause. The American Psychological Association Journal has published several articicles in this arena.
Cheers