Addiction treatment can be very complex, especially when a dual diagnosis is involved. The argument over whether substance abuse causes mental illness or whether the mental disorder causes the individual to self medicate with drugs or alcohol is an old one that is still going on today. It is important that any mental disorder is properly identified, diagnosed, and treated in order for the addiction to be effectively treated and eliminated. If this is not done then the root causes of the substance abuse are not addressed and full healing and recovery can not take place. All of the mental illness and substance abuse issues must be confronted and treated at the same time, otherwise repeat rounds of treatment may be required later on.
Every individual is different, and some illegal drugs or other substances can cause mental disorders to occur. In other cases the mental disorder causes the substance abuse as the individual tries to medicate and stop the symptoms of the mental condition. Addiction treatment must look at the individual, and the right program will create a custom treatment plan based on the specific situation and all of the factors in the case. A dual diagnosis may complicate the treatment criteria because all of the aspects and components must be treated for ideal recovery results. Without a full diagnostic assessment it is difficult to tell which of the two conditions started first, and the right treatments may not be used. Until the comprehensive diagnostic assessment is completed it is not possible to tell which condition started first and which condition followed. The Crossing Point can help with single and dual diagnosis cases, providing quality addiction treatment that is highly effective.
