If you have been told that you have a condition called dual diagnosis then perhaps you wonder what exactly this is and why you have ended up with this combination of problems. These are understandable questions and this article will attempt to answer your concerns.
A dual diagnosis means that you have an emotional or psychiatric problem alongside a substance abuse problem. Many different disorders have been found to be associated with this condition including; anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. The substance abuse might mean an addiction to alcohol or drugs; this could be illegal drugs like heroin or perfectly legal prescription drugs such as morphine. Any drug that you can become addicted to can be associated with a dual diagnosis.
One reason why a dual diagnosis occurs could be that a person with a mental health problem attempted to escape the situation through turning to drugs or alcohol. Maybe they realized that they had an underlying mental health condition or maybe they didn’t. In many cases people simply feel that their life is unbearable and without trying to find the cause they gladly accept the release offered by substance abuse. In the beginning using alcohol or drugs can make life more bearable, but this reprieve does not last forever. As the years go by the individual will require higher and higher doses of their drug to get any relief and eventually a stage will be reached where the substance they are abusing will no longer bring them any relief; in fact things will feel far worse than when they began. This could well be the position that you find yourself in now. The good news is that if you manage to get treatment for both your problems then you won’t be just going back to where you were before becoming addicted, but escape from both conditions.
Many of those with dual diagnosis develop the syndrome as a result of their substance abuse. Addiction to any type of drug not only has physical consequences, but can also have serious consequences for your mental health. As your addiction progresses you increase your risk of developing these other problems and the real danger is that your added mental health problems might lock you into your addiction further. Just like the person who had a mental health condition to begin with, you too will increasingly use drugs or alcohol to escape the symptoms caused by your addiction.This really is a terrible situation to find yourself in and the only possibility for relief is to escape your addiction and have your emotional or psychiatric problems dealt with.
No matter which came first, your addiction or your substance abuse, the priority will remain the same. While you are still drinking or using then there is no way to treat your other problems. It is vital that you make it safely through withdrawals and into recovery. Once you have done this then it will be possible for you to go on and lead a wonderful life free of addiction and with your mental health problems no longer causing you suffering.
