from Todd Lange


Generally speaking, any method of treatment that looks at healing two or more coexisting conditions is known as a dual diagnosis method of treatment. There are some coexisting conditions that can influence the treatment of each other. When that happens, it is necessary to select a treatment approach that can cure both these forms of addictions. This is what the dual diagnosis approach of treatment makes possible.

There are various dual diagnosis approaches that are used in the addiction treatment in Colorado. Here, the addiction of the person is one of the problems that they face. In addition, there might be another problem that complicates their addiction condition. For example, the person might be suffering from anxiety disorder. In order to come out of this problem, it is quite possible that the person will resort to some kind of abuse, mostly alcohol abuse. Now, whenever the person will suffer from a bout of depression, he or she would want to consume alcohol for the quick intoxicating effect that it produces. A time will come when the person will not be able to distinguish between anxiety and alcohol consumption; the two problems will become one. At such a time, treatment is possible only when both the problems are tackled at once.

Most of the dual diagnosis methods that are used in addiction treatment in Colorado are based on the treatment of an underlying mental condition within the patient. These mental conditions make the addiction problem much severe because the user begins to make the connection between the two problems. Some of the mental illnesses that are treated in the dual diagnosis addiction treatment program in Colorado are bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, etc.

When a dual diagnosis treatment program is implemented for such a person, one of the first things that is done is to put the patient through a detoxification program. Detoxification is usually preceded by a pretreatment analysis, but in cases of people who have binary problems, it becomes quite difficult to analyze their condition. The detox treatment itself becomes quite difficult because of the coexisting conditions. The treatment phase requires more time than usual treatment procedures will warrant and will require different kinds of medications.

A patient with a mental illness will find it very difficult to go through the withdrawal phase. It will also become very difficult to create the determination in them to stay away from the addictive substance. This is what further complicates the detoxification phase.

Once the detoxification has been effectuated, i.e. the person has been effectively pulled out of their addiction problem, they will need to be put through an aftercare procedure, where psychiatric counseling will become extremely important. This is when the patient will be analyzed to assess the extent of their mental condition and suitable treatment procedures will be implemented. The treatment process will go on for a very long time, and the family of the patient will also be involved, which is quite expected considering the very sensitive nature of the treatment program.

At the same time, there are various other kinds of problems that can make addiction treatment difficult. There are chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular problems and diabetes. Such people who are also in a chemical dependency are treated through a dual diagnosis program. The methods of treatment are definitely different, and they depend on the kind of health complication the person is suffering from.

Dual diagnosis treatment in Colorado is not just about mental illnesses and health complications. People who are with some habitual disorders are also treated through this process. An example here is the people who have an eating disorder to complicate their addiction problem. Again, methods of counseling are very important in bringing these people to complete addiction recovery.

It is easy to find a dual diagnosis addiction treatment program in Colorado that will be suitable for the needs of the patient. The highest density of these programs is found in areas such as Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo. You can also search on the Internet to find a suitable program or visit a healthcare center that is nearest to your home to get information and counseling on which program you must use. Be sure to check the licensing of the program you are considering and look at whether the program has the necessary qualifications in the form of accreditation and affiliate programs. It is also a good idea to look into the qualifications of the treatment providers of the center and to make sure whether they are qualified to provide the kind of treatment you are looking for or not. The best qualification for them is from a national center such as the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

from Todd Lange

Addiction treatment follows different principles and policies depending on the part of the world in which it is provided. As an example, we can consider the different kinds of addiction treatment provided in the US and the UK. In the US, addiction treatment means the pull the person completely out of the dependency of the substance. The aim here is the make the person stop abusing whichever addictive substance he or she is hooked to. However, in the UK, addiction treatment means to bring down the dependency of the person to a lesser extent so that it is no longer dangerous to the health of the patient.

The basic difference is in the outlook of the treatment providers towards the addiction. American treatment providers believe that a person can be completely brought out of an addiction; however, European treatment providers believe that this is not possible or at least, not practicable, considering that the person might be using the substance since a long time. Hence, their endeavor is only to reduce the dependency of the person while the attempt in the US is to completely remove the usage of the substance from the person’s life.

There are several more aspects that the US treatment includes. The following are some of the points.

Convincing the Patient for the Treatment

This becomes the first aspect of addiction treatment in all treatment centers of the US. Never will a patient of addiction be completely willing to get into treatment. It will become quite necessary to use certain motivational and encouragement programs to create in them in this need. This is done through an intervention process. The intervention can be conducted by just about anybody that is in some way influential on the person. In most cases, the intervention is provided by the family of the patient and includes some friends, but it may also be conducted by religious and spiritual groups, educational groups, employers or even the law.

The basic meaning of intervention is to form a group of people that can come forward and coerce or cajole the patient to get into treatment. Some of these groups will use the services of an intervention specialist to guide them through the intervention process.

The intervention does not end with merely bringing the patient to the treatment center. They will further keep track of how the treatment is progressing and will also play a major role in the aftercare when the person is out of the treatment center.

Detoxifying the Patient

Detoxification is a very important aspect of addiction treatment in the US, and in some cases, it comprises the entire treatment program. Basically, this is the process where the patient’s body is purged of all the toxins and other undesirable materials contained in it due to the addiction. By using a method of abstinence and then a careful medical therapy that weans off the patient from the addictive substance, the patient’s body is cleansed from the toxins. This process is known as detoxification.

Detox is usually conducted in an inpatient treatment format in the US. The patient is housed in a treatment center and careful medical supervision is provided so that the patient’s condition during the detox is monitored. The patient is first put on abstinence and then put on a medication therapy to combat the withdrawal effects produced by the substance.

Normally, a detox treatment in an American treatment center can take up to three days to a week, depending on how serious the addiction is. However, there are certain substances, such as heroin and methamphetamine, which require much longer detox treatments. These treatments can even go on for as long as a month.

Counseling Care and Maintenance Medication

Once the patient is out of the obvious form of the addiction treatment, which is the detox, it is important to provide maintenance medication so that the person does not feel the urge for the substance again. These medications are again provided under strict medical supervision, but they can be provided in both an inpatient and an outpatient format.

Counseling is done mainly so that the person can learn ways and methods to keep the temptation for the substance at bay. It is always an attempt to prevent the person from getting re-addicted to the substance. Towards this end, the family of the patient is also coached on how to cope with the addiction treatment and how they can monitor the patient’s condition and become a constructive force in the treatment of the patient.