Dual Diagnosis Intervention
It is amazing how often today we hear the phrase dual diagnosis, it is if it has become a household phrase. Dual diagnosis intervention almost always ends up being substance abuse only. We know that with dual diagnosis intervention it is literally impossible and of course unethical, to ever assess anybody for a second underlying issue when the primary problem is substance abuse. Honestly, if we are performing a dual diagnosis intervention on a daily meth user, is it appropriate to diagnosis him or her with bi-polar, depression or even schizophrenia until they have been off of the drug
s for at lease 3-6 months? Every intervention we do could be a potential dual diagnosis intervention, however if the primary call is for substance abuse, there is almost no way of telling if other problems exist, even if there is a history of family illness. Because almost all alcoholics are depressed, should we classify all of them as clinically depressed and then drug them with psychiatric medicine that they will just mix with alcohol anyway? Dual diagnosis intervention should only be performed by a trained intervention counselor. We are not saying that dual diagnosis never exists, however almost every time we see the substance abuser shed all mental illness behaviors after dual diagnosis interventions. This is providing the substance abuser goes to a treatment center long enough without psychiatric medications so they can become themselves again. If after dual diagnosis interventions and long term treatment the substance abuser is still showing signs of other behavioral problems, than they should be assessed and treated accordingly.
About Dual Diagnosis Intervention
Sometimes you have to wonder if dual diagnosis means dual profits for health care professionals. It seems that more and more each day health care professionals like doctors, psychiatrists and therapist are coming up with more illnesses and more disorders to make sure they draw a paycheck and have a job. Commercials about medications now tell us that if one depression medicine does not work that you may need a second one to assist it. It is amazing how much bad information is out there about addiction, dual diagnosis, and intervention. It is actually scary how many treatment centers out there take substance abusers in for 28 days, drug them with psychiatric medications and then discharge them, no wonder the succes rate of the average treatment center today is 5% -10%. Family First Intervention discourages any family, whether you retain our services or not, to take your loved one to a short term 30 day treatment that diagnosis your loved one for mental illness during the detox period. In almost every case the symptoms are not mental illness and are actually side affects of the substance abuse itself.
Dual Diagnosis Intervention Information
Dual diagnosis intervention with Family First Intervention is going to make sure your loved one is taken the appropriate treatment center so that they are not just diagnosed with some disorder, given medications that make the addiction worse, and then sent home. Treatment centers are suppose to help people get to the underlying issues of why they drink or drug so they can stop the substance abuse. Treatment centers are not suppose to give you more drugs so the substance abuser can never feel their emotions and become unable to change and get better. 80% of the calls we receive dual diagnosis intervention are from families who have taken their loved ones to short term treatment centers, doctors, or psychiatrist, who were given psychiatric medications far to early and actually made the substance abuse far worse than before.
