Overview:
Dual diagnosis is a term used to describe people with mental health issues, who also have substance abuse problems. The mental health may be a cause or a result of the drug usage. An example would be somebody with a psychotic illness who also uses cannabis or cocaine.
The symptoms:
Dual Diagnosis is simply the term used to describe a wide array of, usually very different, issues. Depending on which illness and which drug is being taken, the symptoms can vary. Different drugs will produce different symptoms just as different mental illnesses would.
What causes Dual Diagnosis?
As mentioned, the mental health issue may be the reason for the drug usage, or, the drug usage may result in the mental health issue. This is likely in cases of cocaine and amphetamine (speed) use, as their effects often cause psychotic illnesses, especially if used for a long period of time.
Cannabis, LSD, stimulants and ecstasy (MDMA) can all intensify a person’s mood when they take it. If they are already feeling low, paranoid or anxious, the drugs may make this worse, although this will depend on their environment and the quantity involved. But it’s also true that these drugs can lift someone’s mood. On balance, however, someone who has a mental health problem, will more likely be in a state where intensification would be unhelpful for them and those around them.
Is there a cure?
There is no standardised cure or treatment for dual diagnosis, simply because it ranges across such a large number of problems and involves both substance misuse services and mental health services. The term can refer to many different types of individual cases without similarities.
People with this combination of problems often have a lot of additional difficulties, which aren’t solely medical, psychological or psychiatric. They are more likely to come into contact with mental health services. Medically orientated services can’t always help with multiple non-medical problems like these, which often reflect the social stigma that people with dual diagnosis face. They are not only drug users, but also mentally ill; two of the most stigmatised groups in society.
In a move away from medical definitions, the term ‘complex needs’ is often used when people have these complicated social and lifestyle problems. To tackle these complex needs, successfully, often requires a more holistic, joined up approach, from several different directions at once.
How Stepping Out can help:
Stepping Out are specialists when dealing with complex needs and challenging behaviour causes by dual diagnosis. Our staff are both experienced and qualified to handle such cases. Stepping Out can visit to provide support and general home care, as well as, in more extreme cases, provide their own 24-hour staffed housing accommodation, helping the sufferer maintain a more safe and healthy lifestyle.
Access to therapy and support groups is given and attendance encouraged. The ultimate goal would be to allow the sufferer to grow as an individual and become an independent person in society, living safely, hygienically and healthily. The housing units are primarily based in north London and Hertfordshire.
