There are two categories within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which address drug use disorders: drug abuse and drug dependence. When thinking in terms of addiction, drug dependence is the technical diagnosis given. Drug abuse, however, is related to the unintended, detrimental consequences one encounters when using a drug. Drug abuse doesn’t include factors such as tolerance or compulsive use—those are reserved for signs of addiction, i.e. drug dependence. One of these diagnoses is just the beginning of an effective drug rehab program.
When evaluating a person for drug addiction treatment, other factors must be taken into consideration such as the possibility of a second diagnosis. If a second diagnosis is suspected, the proper course of action is evaluation by a clinical team comprised of a social worker, a health professional such as a doctor or nurse with specialization in addictions and/or a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, many
drug rehab New York facilities don’t have the capabilities to screen for a dual diagnosis.
“When dealing with issues of substance abuse, it’s always important to evaluate all of the social, physiological and psychological factors that can and are contributing to the cycle of abuse,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “When evaluating a drug rehab option for yourself or a family member, it’s important to make sure that the facility you are looking at has a team of credentialed professionals who are able to fully meet the needs of an individual, regardless if those needs are emotional, physiological, social, psychological or a combination of any, or all, of those. There seems to be a stigma related to dual diagnosis which just isn’t true. The possibility of a dual diagnosis doesn’t mean that an individual is mentally incompetent. It simply means that there may be other factors that contribute to the cycle of substance abuse. And, if those factors aren’t identified, no amount of drug addiction treatment will be effective for that individual.”
The prevalence of dual diagnoses has been well documented since the 1980’s. Statistics show that individuals diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders were nearly twice as likely to also suffer from either drug abuse or drug dependence.
For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. In addition to a psychiatrist, Mountainside also has a team that is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as an on-staff Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment.
Their program, along with their professional addiction treatment team has earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
