Information In Dual Diagnosis Explained

Dual diagnosis occurs when a person is addicted to two different substances, or is a severe mental disability disorder as well as a drug addiction. Dual diagnosis can also mean that the sufferer has a severe addiction as well as a personality disorder of any kind. These disorders require immediate medical care a long with addiction treatment.

Any combination of mental illness and drug addiction can be considered dual diagnosis. The majority of those suffering from this combination of illnesses is already being treated or is in prison. Some people who require treatment for dual diagnosis can not afford to receive if or are homeless. This means that they will most likely never be able to better their situation.

Dual diagnosis can be found in many different classifications. These consist of MICAA, MISA, MIDAA, CAMI, and CAMI with substance induced psychotic episodes. Each of these classifications is a uniquely different combination of illnesses and addictions. Some of these are purely addictions; others are mental illnesses with a type of personality disorder and other combinations of disorders.

The mentally challenged that are chemical drug users and have found themselves addicted to the substance are known as MICAA. This dual diagnosis can not contain those that may be considered severely mentally ill. If mentally challenged individual is using drugs but can not yet be considered an addict they are placed as MISA. When a drug addict is also an alcoholic, but not at all mentally ill they are considered to fall under MIDAA. A form of dual diagnosis called SAMI consists of the continuous drug users, but has not been found addicted but are severely mentally ill. This can not consist of anyone with a personality disorder.

Dual diagnosis in the mentally challenged can be very hard to detect by those who are supposed to take care of them. This is due to the fact that sometimes the mentally challenged drug user can act similar to a severe mentally ill person during an outburst. Finding treatment may also prove difficult, because if a mentally ill addict is brought to a normal addiction treatment center the people that work there may not know how to deal with a mentally challenged patient.

Those who suffer from mental illness and drug addiction have a problem that should be dealt with by those who are trained to do so. Professionals that are trained to work with these situations can better help the patient with their unique needs. They no how to best go through the process of helping the patient become clean and return to the world as normally as possible.

The dual diagnosis process of ridding the patient of their addiction and helping them to deal with their illness is a long and strenuous one. First detoxification must occur, this is when the patient is helped to rid their body of all traces of the drugs they had put in themselves. This can take up to seven days and as little as three. During the process the patient may suffer through symptoms such as sweating, nausea, vomiting, and cramps. These are just a few of the possible symptoms, some of which can be fought off with the use of medical drugs.

Long term residential programs have been set up for those trying to recover from dual diagnosis and wish to lead as normal lives as possible after their stay. These centers are much like your traditional addiction treatment center, but are better prepared for those patients with special needs.

Article by: ChrisChanning | Total views: 34 | Word Count: 599

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