Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers (DDT) are medical facilities which specialize in the treatment of mentally ill patients who have multiple co-occurring disorders. These centers combine medication and psychotherapy to help these patients overcome their mental illnesses. A patient might have many different psychological and physical symptoms, but they all work under the same label of mental illness. Many of these patients also have co-occurring disorders, which can complicate the medical care of the patient and make it difficult to treat them. Many people with co-occurring disorders choose to enter one of these centers for the convenience of being treated at one location.
Substance abuse is one of the most common mental illnesses faced by those who enter Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers. Because so many Americans suffer from this horrible condition, there are already a great number of Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers located throughout the country. These treatment centers are staffed by both psychiatrists and psychologists, and they provide extensive psychiatric care to all of the patients who enter their doors. In fact, in some cases, there may be two full time staff members on duty at a time!
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers often receive individuals who suffer from co-occurring disorders as their first patient. After determining that the patient has both psychological and substance abuse problems, the center will begin working on each patient’s specific needs. They will work with each patient to create an individualized treatment plan. This treatment plan is tailored to the particular needs of the person suffering from the mental health issues.
Another reason why so many Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers are opened each year is because aftercare is required. Each patient is assigned a case manager, who is responsible for all of the aftercare details. The patient and his or her case manager will work together to decide upon a schedule of care, as well as a follow up plan of action. It is very important that aftercare be handled as sensitively as possible, since it can have a dramatic impact on the success rate of the treatment program.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers also utilizes a variety of support groups throughout the treatment programs. Many of these centers offer extended care recovery programs, and they also have support groups that the patients and families can attend. These support groups allow Dual Diagnosis patients and their families to become familiar with each other and to share experiences and feelings about their traumatic experiences. Many of these programs use peer support, family support groups and specially designed pre-therapy group sessions to make sure that the patient is not only receiving accurate medical care but is also receiving the types of psychotherapy, behavioral health services and support that he or she needs to survive the challenges that are a part of living with co-occurring disorders.
If you think a loved one has a dual diagnosis, then it is crucial that he or she receives the help that he or she needs to recover. The length of time that it takes for a person with a dual diagnosis to completely recover depends upon several factors including his or her severity of the disorder and his or her age. Anyone who thinks he or she may be suffering from a mental illness symptoms should contact his or her primary care doctor or a professional mental health provider. After receiving the proper medical care, recovery from a mental illness can be quite successful. In the meantime, family members and friends can participate in support groups that address common mental illness symptoms and ways to cope with them.