What is dual diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis is a term that describes a specific condition that exists with individuals who suffer with a behavioral disorder or psychological condition and a substance addiction at the same time.  There is some debate regarding the misuse of the terminology as it can be applied quite broadly at times.  For example it can apply to alcoholism combined with depression or schizophrenia and substance misuse disorders.  However, it can also apply to individuals who have a drug dependency and a milder mental condition.

Precautions regarding treatment

Whenever a person enters a dual diagnosis drug rehab, the most important initial aspect of treatment is a correct diagnosis.  For instance, if the person entering the program has shown a history of personality disorders or similar dysfunctions of the brain, the drug that is prescribed to treat them could result in negative consequences if they have been diagnosed improperly or if the wrong medication is prescribed as a result of the misdiagnosis.

So if a person is susceptible to episodes of acute depression, you would not want to prescribe medications that can cause depression.  The person could become severely suicidal as a result.  Another example is prescribing medications that cause states of confusion for a person who is schizophrenic.  So you can easily understand why correct diagnosis is the most critical element of any dual diagnosis drug rehab program.

Patient honesty is critical

Whenever an individual enters a dual diagnosis drug rehab program it is critical that they be totally honest and open during their assessment.  Even if you feel that some information is irrelevant or you hide any information, this could cause a misdiagnosis and result in more problems down the road (see the section above).  Where the individual is concerned, recognizing what goes into determining if a dual diagnosis exists can be immensely helpful during the treatment process.

Most importantly, the key issue with dual diagnosis drug rehab is that if the condition is missed during the assessment stage, this could result in serious repercussions for the individual.  If the wrong medications are prescribed for treating this, it could trigger a dangerous or harmful psychotic episode, a mental breakdown, or the reoccurrence of a previous disorder.  This could have damaging consequences to the health of the individual that are permanent in nature and in some cases, the person could die.

We can help with dual diagnosis

The Delray Recovery Center can provide you with an individualized dual diagnosis drug rehab program that will effectively treat your condition so that you experience a total recovery and can return to a normal lifestyle.  If you would like more information about our addiction treatment and recovery programs, please fill out the form above so that one of our caring staff members can contact you immediately.