What is Dual Diagnosis?
When a person has a mental health disorder in addition to a substance use disorder, this is referred to as dual diagnosis. Treatment for both substance use and mental health disorders may become more complicated with a dual diagnosis. These circumstances frequently interact in intricate ways, with each influencing the other.
Those with co-occurring mental health disorders and substance abuse issues must receive integrated treatment. A comprehensive strategy incorporating counseling, therapy, medication management, and support services is necessary for effective treatment. Integrated treatment aims to treat the individual while acknowledging the connection between substance abuse and mental health problems.
People who have dual diagnosis need to be treated by specialists who have experience treating co-occurring disorders. Programs for integrated treatment, such as those provided by Ritual Recovery, are made to help people manage their mental health issues and substance use in a way that promotes long-term recovery. They are intended to offer thorough and customized support.
How We Assess and Re-Assess Dual Diagnosis
Active substance use can blur the line between addiction and mental health symptoms. At Ritual Recovery, our team reviews and updates each client’s diagnosis on an ongoing basis as they stabilize and their symptoms come into focus.
That work is shared across a multidisciplinary team whose members hold a wide range of licenses and specialties. Each week, clients usually see their therapist, medical provider and case manager, and extra support is added when someone needs it. Because our program is small, the same team stays closely involved in each client’s care, which helps them pick up on the details of complex psychiatric, medical and substance use concerns.
