Dual Diagnosis 2023-03-13T21:37:44+00:00

Dual Diagnosis

Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Greece

When an individual receives a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders of mental sickness and addiction, successful treatment comes with many unique challenges.   Note that “Dual Diagnosis” and “Co-occurring Disorders” are interchangeable terms.
A popular erroneous belief is that drug use is the only cause of mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, although they produce similar symptoms. The distinction between the two is that in the case of a drug or alcohol related psychosis, the substance affects the brain chemistry but often diminishes once the effects of the substance wear out. On the other hand, psychosis due to mental health conditions can last for longer periods and require specialized treatment programs.

What are the Common Types of Co-occurring Disorders?

A lot of mental health disorders can result in a dual diagnosis condition when combined with substance abuse. The common disorders include the following:
Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Personality Disorders, Anxiety Disorders.
Even though this list is not exhaustive, it is essential to know that these disorders are the ones usually mentioned by doctors, therapists, and the general public. Some of them include multiple disorders grouped under the psychiatric category mentioned earlier.
For instance, in the latest release of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals for diagnosis, there are ten types of disorders listed under the “Personality Disorders” category. These include disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCD) and eight others.

What are the Symptoms?

Symptoms of Dual Diagnosis can take many forms, but the common types include:
Aggressiveness, Confusion, Impulsiveness, Mood swings, Isolation from family and friends, Strained Personal Relationships, Poor physical health, Poor hygiene, Poor work performance which may lead to unemployment, Increased risk of homelessness, and Increased risk of injury and disease.
What are the Challenges of Dual Diagnosis?
A lot of reasons are responsible for the challenges faced when treating people who are suffering from a combination of mental health diseases and alcohol or drug addiction. The biggest problem is how to treat both conditions simultaneously as this is critical to the success of the treatment. The causes and symptoms of both conditions are usually interconnected, and this makes it hard to identify the one that came first; was it the addiction or the mental health disorder.
Co-occurring disorders pose a great challenge to patients and their doctors. The following facts are examples of some of the problems:
The National Alliance on Mental Illnesses (NAMI) says that one in three people afflicted with substance abuse also has a mental health problem.
Drug and alcohol can worsen the severity of mental disorders and manifests symptoms similar to that of mental disorders. Severe intoxication and detox can manifest as mental illness and vice versa. An estimated 50% of people suffering from severe mental disorders are also substance abusers.
Bipolar Disorder victims are seven times more susceptible to develop substance abuse issues than non-bipolar people.
Over 33% of people with schizophrenia satisfy the criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder, and 47% of people with schizophrenia suffer from substance abuse problems. This means they are over four times more prone to drug addiction than the general public.

An individual with a dual diagnosis rehab requires specialized professional treatment.

Summary of Dual Diagnosis

Do All Substances Abuse Facilities Treat Dual Diagnosis Patients?
Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Greece or dual diagnosis rehab is hard because a lot of issues require treatment at the same time. Substance abuse alone requires much effort and time to recover mentally and physically. Combined with mental illness, a difficult situation becomes complicated, as treating mental disorders also require time and plenty of care.
Many addiction treatment facilities lack the needed equipment and expertise to treat a combination of drug or alcohol addiction and mental illness. A conventional addiction treatment center, therefore, makes matters worse for patients with dual diagnosis and their families because the person is already weakened emotionally and mentally.
The patient may face stigmatization from the detox specialists and residents in recovery, and they have a higher chance of dropping out of a mental health program than people not suffering from alcohol or drug abuse.
Many dual diagnosis rehab centers do not have the necessary professional staff who can treat the combination of addiction and mental disorders. For the treatment to be successful, it’s necessary to treat both addiction and mental illness simultaneously. Doing otherwise in most cases leads to relapse.
The primary objective of treatment is to correctly identify the source of the problems and try to fix them. Some rehab centers understand the futility of accepting patients with dual diagnosis and do not admit them into their care.
The first step in treating dual diagnosis conditions is to concentrate on substance detoxification. Medication may be used to make detox more bearable.

Dual Diagnosis Rehub

After detox, many types of treatment are used to teach the patient how to accept their new personality and work on changing their habits.
Dual Diagnosis is also difficult to manage because it can rob therapy sessions of the clarity found in substance abuse sessions. This is because it’s difficult to determine the impact of substance abuse on mental abuse and vice versa, and symptoms of substance abuse are similar to that of mood and personality disorders.
At Hellenic Practice, our specialty is the treatment of addiction, and we have many years of experience in the treatment of a broad range of psychiatric disorders. This is why we have a unique capability to offer dual diagnosis treatment.
Our clients also enjoy a high staff-to-client ratio which permits our staff to give dual diagnosis patients the necessary support they need to manage two serious problems at once.

To guarantee successful treatment,

Our staff employ a variety of proven, evidence-based therapies for addiction and mental health disorders including:

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
  • Motivational Enhancement Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  • One on One Therapy

If you are seeking Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Greece for multiple conditions such as a combination of substance abuse and mental disorders like bipolar disorder, it is important to use a treatment center that is qualified to treat the two issues.

Call phone number at  +1 281 6999070 for more information about our Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center programs.

Contact Hellenic Practice TODAY to Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Greece

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