What about treatment for dual diagnosis patients?

The existence of many psychiatric conditions increases the risks of substance abuse and addiction, and patients with depression, anxiety disorders, bi polar disorders and borderline personality disorders all suffer far higher rates of concurrent addiction that the general population.

Unless the severity of psychiatric symptoms makes participation in a conventional rehab impossible or unsafe, clinical professionals recommend that the substance abuse behaviors be tackled intensely through a residential rehab program. Although existing psychiatric conditions won’t disappear with sobriety, they will almost always lessen in severity when symptoms exacerbating drugs of abuse are removed.

Dual diagnosis patients benefit from the same addictions therapies as single diagnosis patients, but they will require an intensive pre intake assessment to ensure appropriate care, and they will require careful psychiatric monitoring throughout the period of treatment, with pharmacological intervention when necessary.

Because a dual diagnosis complicates the treatment and ability to benefit from offered therapies, recovery normally requires a slightly longer period of residence.

Dual diagnosis patients can and do beat addictions through the therapies of rehab, and because psychiatric symptoms are almost always worsened by illicit drug or alcohol abuse, it is imperative that these patients get treatment as soon as is possible.