Someone with a dual diagnosis is afflicted with both a drug or alcohol problem and an emotional or psychiatric disorder. Gatehouse Academy understands the complex rehabilitation procedures that are associated with dual diagnosis center, and we have treated many of our residents for this problem. Unfortunately, many substance abusers who are treated at other drug rehabs might be misdiagnosed as simply having a drug problem.

If the emotional aspect of recovery is not addressed, substance abuse has a much higher chance of reappearing after detoxification. Dual diagnosis is actually less rare than many people realize. In fact, 53 percent of drug abusers and 37 percent of alcoholics have emotional problems which intensify the abuse. On the other side of the coin, 29 percent of people who have diagnosed emotional problems also abuse drugs or alcohol. These conditions cross-reference each other, and it is easy to see why.

Emotional problems rarely have easy answers, yet substance abuse quickly takes away the pain. In many cases, drugs act as a quick solution to what is otherwise a complex psychological problem. Common mental conditions that are associated with dual diagnosis include depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia. A dual diagnosis can manifest itself in the abuse of drugs and an eating disorder.

That question can be answered with another question… When does an intervention take place? Ideally this has less to do with the family schedule and more to do with getting them into drug detox program and a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center. It also has to do with what’s going on in the addict’s life. Even if they are not willing to go to a drug addiction treatment center, the best time to perform an intervention is just after a major event. Such an event would be that the addict got arrested, or when he/she has wronged (lied, stolen, cheated etc.) a family member and would show remorse or guilt. Another good time would be if his /her spouse is leaving, if they are about to lose custody of the kids. Yet another would be after an overdose, which, if they don’t die, is a form of detoxification. Although you obviously don’t want to risk the addict’s life by postponing forever, an intervention will be more effective after such events when the addict is down and feels like his/her world is coming to an end.

Even in the absence of these situations, an intervention can be successful especially if the family is close to the addict on a daily basis so that every little situation is known by the family. An addict’s life can be a major roller coaster and the only way an addict can deny their problem is to successfully hide these problems from those who love him.