subject: What Are The Best Approaches To Dual Diagnosis Treatment? [print this page] A dual diagnosis is a medication situation in which the patient is diagnosed with two or more specific health issues. The scope of those issues can vary greatly, although they may be linked in some manner. For example, the patient may be suffering from some sort of physical addiction that is complicated by the presence of a mental disorder. At other times, the combination of health issues may be unrelated but must be taken into consideration when attempting to treat those issues. Since the circumstances of patients can vary greatly, there are multiple ways to go about structuring a dual diagnosis treatment.
The Integrated Approach
In many instances, it is possible to structure the dual diagnosis treatment so that both ailments are addressed at the same time. This approach is particularly helpful when there is some specific connection between the health issues. With this type of treatment process, the steps taken will focus on using combinations of medication, therapy and other medical tools to address each issue in a manner that ultimately has a positive impact on the other medical problems present.
An integrated approach is not uncommon when the patient is suffering from a mental issue such as depression or anxiety, and that condition developed as the result of some sort of substance abuse. In order to stabilize the patient, efforts are often made to help control the frequency and severity of panic attacks or utilize medication or therapy to lessen the level of depression. At the same time, efforts to slowly wean the patient off addictive substances will also occur. This approach often calls for a controlled environment, where the treatments can be administered and the result monitored on a continual basis.
Prioritizing Treatments
A slightly different approach to dual diagnosis treatment involves assessing the range of health issues present and then deciding which one should be addressed first. Healthcare professionals may use this strategy when one of the ailments included in the diagnosis is clearly more serious than the other issues. When this is the case, the focus is on dealing with that priority issue and ultimately alleviating the pain and suffering caused by the ailment. Once that issue is under control or is no longer afflicting the patient, attention is turned to the secondary issues.
This approach works very well when there is one health problem that would effectively undermine or nullify any attempts to treat the remaining health issues. By placing greater attention on that one issue, the medical staff can bring the condition under control, at least to the point that treatment of the other issues becomes possible. For example, a patient who is suicidal may require intense psychological treatment before any other issues can be addressed. Once the patient is not longer in danger of committing suicide, it is possible to move on to any other physical or mental issues that may be present. Assuming the assessment of the medical team is correct and they do address the more severe issues first, this will often expedite the elimination of other issues.
A Hybrid Approach
It is important to understand that the circumstances of the patient will change over time. This means that one approach to dual diagnosis treatment may be appropriate in the early stages of the process. As the patient begins to respond to the approach, an evaluation may indicate that changing to a slightly different strategy is now a possibility. This is often true after a major health issue is addressed and resolved. With that major issue out of the way, the medical team may determine that all remaining issues can be treated concurrently rather than continuing to address them in some specific order.
by: Tyrion Lannister
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