Dual Diagnosis Articles

If a person suffers from alcoholism, drug addiction and a mental health problem, which should you treat first?

Ideally, the alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health problem should be treated simultaneously. For someone suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism, however, the first step in dual diagnosis treatment must be drug detoxification. Drug detox a period of time during which we help the body cleanse itself of alcohol or drugs. In a high caliber drug detoxification program, drug detox should take place under medical supervision. Medical supervision should be understood as meaning, 24 hour nursing, support staff trained in drug addiction treatment and a physician who is trained in addiction medicine. The length of time a person spends in a drug detoxification program depends upon a number of factors ranging from the type of drugs used, the length of use, route of administration and amount of usage. On the average a detox program is between three to ten days in length.

Until recently, those with alcoholism and drug addiction feared drug and alcohol detox because it represented a painful withdrawal. Today, physicians are able to provide those in the detox program with specific medications able to reduce and in some cases eliminate withdrawal symptoms. Thus, when drug and alcohol detoxification is done under medical supervision, it's safer and far less traumatic. It is important to note that during drug detox, any patient in need of dual diagnosis treatment is monitored and evaluated as to their need for further care. It is difficult to accurately address and evaluate a mental health problem in detox due to the fact that many of the withdrawal symptoms a person exhibits mimic mental health problems. If possible, it is best to wait before prescribing medication

Dual Diagnosis Treatment after Drug and Alcohol Detox

Once a person is medically stable, it's time for dual diagnosis treatment to begin. A board certified psychiatrist, trained in addiction medicine, can then perform an accurate evaluation. Based upon the physician’s findings, an individualized dual diagnosis treatment plan is designed to address the patient’s alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health problems.

One aspect of dual diagnosis treatment can be the dispensing of psychiatric medication to help in managing the feelings or thoughts surrounding the psychiatric diagnosis. While in the dual diagnosis rehab, a patient is taught medication management as part of their relapse prevention plan. Medication management can be more difficult than one thinks so the dual diagnosis rehab should provide a patient with continuing care once they complete the dual diagnosis rehab. Most people that enter a dual diagnosis rehab remain in residential treatment for approximately four to six weeks depending upon the severity of their mental health issues.

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