Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Private Health Insurance (PPO & EAP) Accepted
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Dual Diagnosis Treatment
A dual diagnosis involves patients who, in addition to substance abuse and/or addiction, also suffer from a medical condition such as an eating disorder or other special dietary needs. When thinking in terms of dual diagnosis, other words such as co-occurring disorders or co-occurring illnesses can be used interchangeably with dual diagnosis. People in the medical field might also refer to dual diagnosis as dual disorder or co-morbidity. It is very difficult to diagnose a person with dual diagnosis because the symptoms of both of the illnesses can overlap. There are many symptoms that can be found in patients with substance abuse problems that also can occur when the individual has depression, anxiety, paranoia, personality disorders, bi-polar and other similar illnesses. Highly trained professionals must make admission into a treatment program for dual diagnosis care carefully. Dual diagnosis can be defined as someone that is suffering from two illnesses at the same time of which one example would be substance abuse and depression. The person exhibits symptoms of a psychiatric illness and an addiction, however it can refer to other types of illnesses as long as there are at least two (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder, narcissistic personality, and depression), and a chemical dependency. The chemical dependency can include drug addiction, alcoholism, or often times both.
Usually an appointment is necessary and there are many centers available 24 hours a day. If you have a serious problem you can also go directly to an emergency room. Attention should be given to finding support groups for people with co-occurring disorders that can serve to reinforce important issues such as opportunities to socialize, having access to recreational activities, and developing peer relationships. The Malibu Horizon program uses a non 12-step approach that allows more freedom for our clients and leaves the recovery process more open to interpretation for each individual’s belief system.