Dual Diagnosis is a term often used to describe the co-morbid situation where the patient is suffering from both mental illness and drug and/or alcohol addiction. This can be used generally, for example depression and alcoholism, or it can also refer to critical mental illness paired with substance abuse (like vicodin abuse). The term dual diagnosis is also interchangeably used with the terms co-occurring illnesses, co-morbidity, co-morbid disorders, co-occurring disorder, concurrent disorders and dual disorder.
People having dual diagnosis often are victims to a wide range of psychosocial issues and they also may have multiple interacting illnesses. Now-a-days, dual diagnosis is often being referred to as “co-occurring disorders” or psychiatric/emotional illnesses and co-occurring substance abuse disorders.
Causes for Dual Diagnosis
When a person is affected by substance abuse and/or alcohol abuse and a severe psychiatric/emotional illness, it leads to dual diagnosis. In dual diagnosis condition, both illnesses will affect the victim psychologically, physically, spiritually and also socially. The symptoms of dual diagnosis interfere with the patient’s ability to function effectively. In dual diagnosis, the situation is very critical as the victim is not only affected by two separate illnesses but they interact with each other (multiple interacting illnesses). The illnesses aggravate each other and each disorder influences the relapse in the other disorder. Also, there is a chance that one disorder masks the other disorder’s symptoms which makes it even more difficult for treatment.
The victim may not acknowledge one disorder and may just try to recover from one disorder. As the victim overlooks his or her psychological illness, that illness may return. This recurrence can influence the victim to try and “self-medicate” himself through drug usage. Feelings of failure and social withdrawal may rise due to the lack of any progress overtime and this affects the victim’s self-esteem which may again lead to substance abuse.
Prevalence

According to a US study which made attempts to find the prevalence of dual diagnosis found that 47% of people who had schizophrenia had dealt with substance misuse at some point in their life. Also, they had found that there is a higher chance among people with serious mental illnesses to become addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.

Another study showed that among 187 people with mental illnesses, around a third were involved with substance abuse, alcohol addiction or drug usage on a regular basis.

Also, a UK study’s results showed that prevalence rates of dual diagnosis were 33% for the substance abuse, 20% for alcohol misuse only and 5% for drug misuse only.

Consequences of dual diagnosis
A variety of problems are possible as a result of a dual diagnosis. For example:
• Psychiatric symptoms may be covered up or masked by alcohol or drug use.
• Alcohol or drug use or the withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs can mimic or give the appearance of some psychiatric illness.
• Untreated chemical dependency can contribute to a reoccurrence of psychiatric symptoms.
• Untreated psychiatric illness can contribute to an alcohol or drug relapse.
• Family problems or problems in intimate relationships.
• Isolation and social withdrawal.
• Financial problems.
• Employment or school problems.
• High risk behavior while driving.
• Multiple admission for chemical dependency services due to relapse.
• Multiple admissions for psychiatric care.
• Increased emergency room admissions.
• Increased need for health care services.
• Legal problems and possible incarceration.
• Homelessness.
Diagnosis & Treatment
A single type of dual diagnosis isn’t present and the reason is that there are several types of psychiatric illness. Also, there are many forms of alcohol or substance abuse. Due to this, the possibility of different forms of dual or multiple disorders is present.
It used to be almost impossible to treat people suffering from dual diagnosis. Drug rehabs won’t take people with severe psychiatric illnesses and psychiatric treatment centers don’t have the amenities to rehabilitate substance abusers.

Now, there are various treatment centers to treat people suffering from dual diagnosis. Christian drug treatment centers are present to rehabilitate people from drug usage and bring back sobriety in their lives and at the same time, they inculcate a deep sense of faith in people’s minds. They have a Christ-centered approach and respond kindly to their patients/clients. Dual diagnosis can effectively be treated when you are at a Christian drug treatment center.

Prayer and Daily Meditation
Typically, addicts and alcoholics tend to be self-centered and selfish so it is important to spend time reading a spiritual daily meditation or a few chapters from the Bible. Prayer is key in building a long lasting relationship with God and clients are inspired to spend 15-30 minutes per day in prayer and meditation.

Individual and Group counseling is extremely valuable to clients while in Christian drug rehab. Many hours of fellowship are spent digging through the wreckage of the past and finding healing through Jesus Christ and other group members.