Knowing Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis can be used to describe someone with both mental disorder and an alcohol or drug problem

. It is sometimes called comorbidity, having the occurrence of one and more disorders as well as the primary disease. Co-occuring, concurrent disorders, dual disorder are amongst its many names, nevertheless they all mean the same thing, someone with both chemical dependency and with emotional challenges and sickness.

This pose as a obstacle to clinicians as discovering the right and appropriate treatment for these people can be very difficult and some dual diagnosis facility don't have the amenities and competence for treating them. Another issue that presents a challenge is whether to approach the person as someone with mental health disorder or someone with addiction disorder or both. But these difficulties could be faced and can be guided with the proper evaluation principles and consider the significance of both, the mental and substance-related disorder.

Going through the client's historical background would greatly help in the diagnosis. Thorough investigation with the substances he has taken. Everything he took from the very beginning of the abuse and the age he started. Treatment methods undergone in past times should be taken account for, as well as the family's history of addiction. Also, the mental illness history should also be recorded, the signs or symptoms, duration, and its effect to his life. These information will be helpful in the unraveling interactions relating to the mental illness and the substance abuse.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association may be used in diagnosing the client. This provides the diagnostic standards for mental disorders along with substance addiction disorders, but it also can help a clinician differentiate between causal factors. DSM-IV gives specific criteria for mental disorders that are substance-induces, and it may imply that the client doesn't have dual diagnosis. And there are also times which a person with substance-induced psychotic disorder only possess psychotic symptom when he is under the influence. So she would unlikely have a diagnosis of a separate psychotic illness.

In distinguishing the difference between substance and mental health symptoms, clinicians should observe clients in a period of time, for single interview wouldn't be as effective and precise for a proper program for dual diagnosis. Observing the client on his drug-free time, it will be apparent if the symptoms are due to mental or substance abuse. With these, proper diagnosis can be well prepared.

These are the guidelines in assessing dual diagnosis. This aims to further improve the assessment process, staff expertise and improve the service to better help and meet the requirements of the dual diagnosis population.

by: Joey Young

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