Dual Diagnosis:
Substance Abuse + Mental Illness
At Newport Harbor Recovery our recovery program also effectively and affordably treats clients who are identified as "dual-diagnosis."
By definition, a person who has both a chemical dependency problem and an emotional or psychiatric problem is said to have a dual diagnosis. To recover fully, the person will require treatment for both the chemical dependency and the psychiatric problem.
At Newport Harbor Recovery we are frequently asked how common dual diagnosis is. Our vast experience in recovery services has shown that dual-diagnosis is more common than you might imagine. According to a report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association:
*Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and fifty-three percent of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness.
* Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent abuse either alcohol or drugs.
With Newport Harbor Recovery’s experience in successful recovery programs, we have clearly identified the solution to the question of which problem, chemical dependency or the emotional problem, which should be treated first?
We have found that ideally, both problems should be treated simultaneously.
Recovery can take a few days to a week or more, depending on what substances the person abused and for how long. There is no hope in treating the emotional condition without first complete removal of alcohol and drugs from the client’s life.
Newport Harbor Recovery is often presented with the question; “Which Develops First - Substance Abuse or the Emotional Problem?” Our experience has shown that quite often it is the emotional problem that develops first.
While trying to feel energetic, calm or happy, people with emotional conditions "self-medicate" through the use of drugs or alcohol. This continued self-medication can lead to physical or psychological dependence on the substance of choice. Once physical dependence occurs there becomes two issues that must be addressed instead of one.
In adolescents, drug or alcohol addiction and abuse that continues into adulthood may contribute to the onset of emotional or psychiatric disorders.
For others, alcohol or drug dependency is their primary condition. A person with a severe substance abuse problem can have symptoms that mirror an emotional disorder including:
- depression
- hallucinations
- mania
- fits of rage
- suicide attempts
At Newport Harbor Recovery we
avoid a “cookie-cutter” approach to
substance abuse and mental health
treatment and work with our clients
to design a treatment plan that works
in all areas of their lives.
Yes, we're unique. But unique doesn't
have to mean expensive.
In fact, our 30, 60 and 90-day treatment
programs are often 1/2 the cost of
comparable facilities.
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