The Cause of Dual Addiction
If someone has an addiction to alcohol or drugs, it is impossible to get a true mental health assessment whilst that individual is still using. The term “dual diagnosis” is often used when a person has a mental health condition and also an addiction to alcohol or drugs. This does not mean that one has caused the other.
Medical research has shown that there are three possible reasons for the conditions to occur together. Dual diagnosis is not a diagnosis in its own right but rather it is a combination of diagnoses.
- The use of illegal recreational drugs may trigger changes in the brain structure and thus the person will start to develop a mental disorder
- People with a mental disorder such as, depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism or post traumatic stress disorder are more likely to use alcohol or drugs to self medicate. Research has shown that though this self medication may have helped in the short term, long term it makes the initial symptoms worse.
- Mental health and addiction disorders can run in families due to genetics and the genes may contribute to the risk of developing either or both conditions. There are also environmental factors that can be attributable to mental change through stress, anxiety and trauma.
The UK Challenge on Mental Health of Addicts
The problem in the UK for those requiring treatment is that mental health and drug and alcohol services are provided almost entirely separately from each other. Mental health services in particular will usually not treat people if their problem is also seen to be substance related. This makes it impossible to get a mental health assessment, leaving people in a worsening mental condition. They are unable to get help. This often leads to increasing substance abuse.
It will also be the case that everyone with a dual diagnosis will have seen their GP or even been referred back to their GP following a visit to a hospital A and E. Many will have been prescribed some form of medication, for example, anti-depressants. However, what also makes the individuals daily life a worsening scenario is that anti depressant medication does not work when drinking alcohol, so the individual thinks they should be feeling less depressed but it is actually the reverse and they start to feel more depressed.
Lack of Mental Health Treatment for Addicts
The basic fact is that no reputable and professional psychiatrist will diagnose a mental health condition if the individual is abusing alcohol or drugs. The effect of the alcohol and drugs on the individual’s brain and psyche will mask the effects from any other mental health related condition. It is therefore vital for the individual to be clean and sober for a period of time before any reliable diagnosis of any other mental health condition can be made.
Access to Combined Treatment
Health services are completely stretched by both the numbers seeking help for mental health conditions and their available funding. If alcohol dependency or drug addiction is at least part of the picture, the best option is to be admitted into a residential addictions rehab clinic to deal with that aspect of the condition. A private clinic, such as The Haynes Clinic, can usually be accessed within 24 hours if required.
Having been admitted, the individual will receive a medically supervised detox from alcohol or drugs. At the same time they will start on a therapeutic daily structured programme of recovery that will enable them to remain alcohol or drug free. They will need to remain free from alcohol or drugs to allow for a mental health diagnosis to take place and to benefit from any subsequent prescribed medication.
Rehab Process for Someone with Mental Health and Addiction Challenges
The common form of therapy and counselling used in alcohol and drug rehab is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT which is an evidence based approach that can help manage both addictive behaviour and mental health conditions. CBT can help identify negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to both conditions. It will help the individual to develop new coping strategies by basically learning new ways of thinking to avoid falling back into the same pitfalls that led to the problems in the first place. It is also important to remember that both conditions must be addressed and not to blame one condition on the other.
Whilst in treatment, group therapy and 1/1 therapy for addiction, any other mental disorders can also be taken into account in a safe environment. Personal issues can be discussed with trusted therapists, some of whom will have been through similar experiences.
So, if you are concerned that you or someone you love has a dual diagnosis, the best starting place is a residential rehab addictions clinic. It offers the most accessible route for anyone wanting immediate help and will also enable the individual to feel immediately better once they are clean and sober, and ready to get any further mental health assessment needed.
Call The Haynes Clinic on 01462 851414 to start the process of getting treatment for your dual diagnosis.