Dual Diagnosis

People with substance abuse issues often have used drugs and/or alcohol to alter thier mood. For example, someone may feel depressed and use alcohol to avoid the feelings of depression. If the person suffers from clinical depression that is a disorder that could be best addressed with a mental health professional such as a psychologist or social worker. If the person also suffers from a alcohol dependency disorder he is dealing with two different significant disorders co-occurring at the same time. One disorder is a alcohol dependency and the other disorder is a clinical depression. This having two co occuring disorders is called Dual Diagnosis. Research has shown that a person with both disorders may have more severe life problems. These usses can often need to be addressed in a residential treatment setting, especially if the person is experiencing withdrawal symptoms.