Dual Diagnosis A Challenge to Medicine

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with diagnosis.

Dual diagnosis is the term thats given to individuals having a mental illness and alcohol or substance abuse both occurring at the twin time. Conditions corresponding these occur frequently together within a persons behavior.

Management of either one of these problems are draining enough to the medical practitioner handling the case. To make things more complicated, adding the symptoms caused by the mental disorder that overlaps and masks the ability of the practitioner to recognize both events again make an accurate diagnosis. End game? A difficult status which is complex, challenging and is extremely exhausting to be able to make a possible solution.

In able to achieve the desired outcome, both of the disorders should be treated in a way that both ill be affected by the treatment. Simultaneous attempts must be trumped-up in order for cumulative effects to influence all aspects of an individuals personality and can greatly increase any pledge for relapse upon recovery.

Dual relationship

There is relative make evident that both mental illness and substance dependence go hand – in – helping hand. Although, it is still a bugging question which aggravates which. Experts are trying to figure out if the cause for the mental disorder is because of the abuse of the person in drugs or alcohol. Another contradictory statement elicits that when a person is already experiencing symptoms of mental sickness, it ends up in nondiscriminatory alcoholism because of the negative ways of how the person is coping with the situation.

Majority has concluded that oftentimes the psychiatric problems are the one that initiates in the person. When the person can no longer sustain the problem, in orderliness to get and feel better, the personalized results to self – medication thus, leading to chemical dependency. Whereas when a person is already at the brink of alcoholism or drug addiction, evidences of anxiety, depression and other emotional breakdowns will occur thus affecting the mental capacity of the person.

Whatever the cause is, the primary step in living a healthier and more productive life is to eradicate the individuals body from all the harmful and addictive substances. Detoxification is ideally done inside a rehabilitation center or under the supervision of a professional medical practitioner. The process can last for a couple of days and even weeks. Itll all depend on the substances that the person took and how long was he exposed to the substance.

Dual diagnosis is sometimes referred to as co – existing morbidity, co – occurring disorders, and the like. Statistics show that in dual diagnosis, crackerjack are about 53 % of drug dependents and about 38 % of alcoholics that has one mental illness thats seriously co – existing. More or less, there are about fifty percent of persons suffering from the severity of a mental disorder who is also being affected by the problem is substance dependency.

The possibility of indentifying co – existing disorders is cloudy. It is can be quite difficult on the part of the psychiatrist to hit two birds with one stone. Several symptoms of substance and drug maltreat can act as also be the identical symptoms of mental illness some of which are depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations besides delusions. With these symptoms impact, the individual can no longer function in a proper also healthy state because of the decline in self – mobilization and self – care.

Dual diagnosis affects the lives of people around the individual suffering from it. Ergo, it is important that the family can also recognize the early symptoms for treatment to yield place.
So now you know a little bit about diagnosis. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

Difficulty in an Accurate Dual Diagnosis

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

Dual diagnosis is defined as the recognition of two possible reasons for a person to cope as so. It is a diagnosis of mental disorder and disorders combined with substance or alcohol hurt and addictions. Out of two million Americans, there are about fifty percent that is suffering with sever mental illness and abusive avail of illicit substances and drugs. The problem counts as this if there are two or more kinds of reasons to explain a persons behavior, how can someone predict the most accurate diagnosis?

Know onions counselors and psychologists are having difficulties in diagnosing accurately a persons behavior because of the person having mental illness over involved in alcoholism and drug addiction. Abusive use of any substance for that matter can cover, aggravate further even mimic various disorders of the mind.

It is known that one of the most obvious sidekicks of mental disorders is alcohol again drug dependence. Hole up alcoholics, there are overlapping tendencies to mental illnesses and other substances. Dependence with original substances can cover serious problems pertaining to psychiatric illnesses. On the other hand, depression has the capability to disguise a disorder that is caused by substances.

Patients who are troubled twice as much is very difficult to recognize because there are cases wherein only one headache is diagnosed and identified while the other is left untreated. Someone who is diagnosed with a mental illness may deny his present status and point the finger on substance abuse and alcoholism while some of those who are classified as obvious substance abuse have the capability to disguise it complete mental health disorders.

The notably difficult part of the diagnosis is bringing veritable out from a teenager. There are thoughts of doubt regarding separating a teenagers normal mood swings to intentional manifestation of bipolar disorder besides alcoholism. Variables tend to stagger because of the combination of mood fluctuations and substance and alcohol abuse.

It is common for people to mask one disorder from the other. A client may admit the mental disorder but not the addiction or vice versa. And once the psychiatrist has already laid out the plans and treated the disease, they will instantly drop out from the treatment besides go on with their addiction.

Some clients may deny the grief through being a junkie is less threatening than accepting a psychiatrists diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Depression and frustration will hinder the clients ability to peg and recognize the problem, thus, not wanting to ask for help.

The clients families are fake burly time. Someone within the family who manifests the problems that are compounded by elements and substances lets the entire group face graver problems in proportions that are enormously laid out. Services for involved mental health and substance problems are not yet equipped to deal with clients who are experiencing the affliction. Sadly, they may also get lesser support from their families and close friends.

Single of the most prevalent behaviors for someone who is diagnosed dually is violence to himself again the people that surrounds him. Violence within the familiar is severe and the person may manifest suicidal attempts that develop into one of the most common attempts made by the client. Mentally ill people who get locked up in prisons are most likely drug addicts and abusers.
You can’t predict when knowing something extra about diagnosis will come in handy. If you learned anything new about diagnosis in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

Theories of Dual Diagnosis Prevalence

Are you looking for some inside information on diagnosis? Here’s an up-to-date report from diagnosis experts who should know.

Individuality is the barrier that makes people different. The way a person thinks, feels and acts are the things that make someone one. Some may choose how they conscious; some will uncolored go with the flow. Others may enjoy necessary will others may not even behold the slightest fun underneath it. Some people take drugs in regulation to have a haven of escape from too much stress also pressure. For other tribe, peer pressure, work pressure and boredom can trigger the illness. It is easy to generate something bad than something good because you never really have to prove yourself. This is where dual diagnosis comes in.

Theories

There are multiple theories to explicate why an individual who tends to experience severe mental disorder are very powerfully vulnerable to substance abuse. On the other hand, there are also certain explanations why co – sense of these behaviors is prevalent. Complications will be further explained through the following theories:

1. Theory of Self – medication

In this mindset, it suggests that when an individual who suffers from a severe mental illness starts to use several forms and kinds of drugs in order to relieve specific symptoms. Dealing with psychotic medication side effects are also dealt with. Meaning, substances are not primarily chosen in a random case but with good purpose.

Although, with the dependence of the secluded to the medications in regulation to alleviate the symptoms of his or her mental illness, it impression that the person can no longer continue life without having that medication. Example, nicotine is a stimulant which deals with sedation that is caused by increased doses of anti – psychotic drugs.

Although, this research is not entirely accepted because of the evidences that certain individuals use drugs the same way that person who doesnt show any sign of mental illness do.

2. Theory of multiple risk factors According to Mueser, qualified are several factors in the environment which needs attention and can cause co – existing disorders. Some of which is:

Living a life where drugs is highly available again the person can sustain the habit

Poverty and lack of resources

Lack of adult or parent supervision and responsibility

Lack of structured everyday activities

Being associated to people who are already using drugs

Isolation from the typical social norms of life

Other evidences also suggests that events in the past life which are traumatic like sexual abuse can be nowadays associated to the psychiatric problem development and abuse of illegal substances.

3. Theory of Dysphoria

The simplicity of this theory states that when a person experiences dysphoria, he or she will result in drug dependency just to alleviate or reduce the bad feelings. Research shows that this is one of the foremost motivators in why a person results to alcohol or gravity abuse.

4. Theory of Supersensitivity

According to Mueser, people who suffer severe mental disorders have psychological and biological vulnerabilities which can be regarded to hereditary causes. Connotation, those who are suffering vulnerability when a stressful event occurs in his or her elan will result to triggering a mental illness or relapses.

Some of these theories are entirely accepted by medical practitioners dealing with the client who is experiencing dual diagnosis. These theories can greatly help in the effective diagnosis and plan of treatment of the same occurring disorders.
Sometimes it’s tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I’m positive you’ll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

Getting to Know Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

Whenever someone in the down home or a familiar person suddenly acts strange and the behavior can be associated with some kind of mental disorder, it is important that symptoms must be seen and accurately determined to equal able to know the kinds of treatment since the disease.

Before claiming that someone really suffers from bipolar disorder, it is key chief to identify the symptoms to strengthen the amiable guess.

A sudden gush of excitement cant be categorized as being bipolar. People have the right to be angry, happy, sad and exhaustive those behaviors. Although, when one experiences the disease, it will be vastly unlikely that the person will show a condition that had become tragically habitual. Typically, there are four episodes that a person will engage into if he or she suffers from the disorder. These episodes are:

1. Major Depressive Episode

Someone who is experiencing a uppermost depressive episode in his or her life expresses symptoms like:

persistent emotional feelings of anxiety, anger, sadness, guilt, isolation and hopelessness indifference, apathy or self – loathing appetite and sleep disturbances fatigue and extreme restlessness unable to become interested in usually enjoyable activities depersonalization and extreme loneliness lack of interest in having sexual activities social anxiety and shyness chronic pain that usually triggers irritability suicidal tendencies or morbid thinking

In worst case scenarios, most especially if the person suffering from the disorder never had the opportunity to go into psychological help, he can become rabid which is also known as a severe condition of the disease.

2. Manic Episode

Major characteristics of people who experiences manic episodes are those that have a distinct condition of expansive, irritable or elevated mood state. Someone who suffers manic episodes experience a common insurmountable amount of energy but lacks the capability to carry proper sleep.

Furthermore, the speech of the person is pressured in a way that even thoughts are racing. Attention span is decreased and can be easily distracted. Impairment of judgment onus also be experienced whereas the sufferer consign undergo sprees and abnormal behavior that is quite unusual on his or her part.

Indulging in substance abuse can also be possible. Substances may include depressant drugs, stimulants, and even sleeping pills. Behavior may range from being intrusive or aggressive. Grandiose and delusional ideas may become prominent. During extremes, a person may exhibit psychosis which is a cause that perceives fantasy more than reality.

3. Hypomanic Case

This is the junior part of mania episode. Extremes are less prominent. Symptoms and attitudes are also decreased. When a person experiences a hypomanic episode, he would feel sudden uncontrollable behavior like up out loud even with no specific reason behind it or there might be a reason but it would be shallow.

Duration of the episode occurs only for a short period of time. Oftentimes, this is associated with the artistic mind of the person involved owing to sharp thinking, jog of ideas, and an abnormal increase in energy obligatoriness be seen.

4. Mixed Episode

Mixed episodes usually refer to the combined state of depressive episodes and manic episodes that may occur simultaneously. Some of which are experiencing impulsiveness, racing thoughts, rage, agitation, paranoia, aggressiveness, etc.

It is better that unequaled understands the different episodes a bipolar disorder expresses in order to diagnose the disease earlier and treatment culpability equate performed.
Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about bipolar. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.