Dual Diagnosis Support Group

From Mind disorders.com for refference only

http://www.minddisorders.com/Del-Fi/Dual-diagnosis.html


Definition

Dual diagnosis is a term that refers to patients who have both a mental health disorder and substance use disorder. It may be used interchangeably with "co-occurring disorders" or "comorbidity." According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an estimated 10 million people in the United States will have a combination of at least one mental health and one substance abuse disorder in any twelve-month period. Substance abuse is the most common and significant co-occurring disorder among adults with such severe mental illnesses as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It may also be observed in individuals with mental health diagnoses that include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or eating disorders. The term "substance abuse" refers to substance use disorders that range along a continuum from abuse to dependence or addiction.

The term "dual diagnosis" is considered to be misleading by some professionals because most people with this diagnosis actually have many problems rather than just two discrete illnesses. Occasionally, the term is used to describe a person with developmental disabilities and/or a mental health disorder or substance abuse disorder. More commonly, dual diagnosis refers to those with severe mental illness and a drug or alcohol abuse disorder, and who receive therapy in the public treatment systems.

Dual Diagnosed--Temptation/obsession

Article by James Rist

Almost all my close friends are recovering from SOMETHING--alcohol,drugs,mental illness; so it's not unusual that every get together and every conversation contains some reference to our recovery.

Statistics are "all over the board", so to speak as to the extent of drug abuse among the spectrum of mental illnesses. Almost all clinicians, counsellors, and health professionals who are aware of the phenomenon seem to agree that the individual with, especially chronic, mental illness has a strong tendency to substance abuse, addiction, self-medication.