Dual Diagnosis

Someone with a dual diagnosis is afflicted with both a drug or alcohol problem and an emotional or psychiatric disorder. Gatehouse Academy understands the complex rehabilitation procedures that are associated with dual diagnosis center, and we have treated many of our residents for this problem. Unfortunately, many substance abusers who are treated at other facilities might be misdiagnosed as simply having a drug problem.

If the emotional aspect of recovery is not addressed, substance abuse has a much higher chance of reappearing after detoxification. Dual diagnosis is actually less rare than many people realize. In fact, 53 percent of drug abusers and 37 percent of alcoholics have emotional problems which intensify the abuse. On the other side of the coin, 29 percent of people who have diagnosed emotional problems also abuse drugs or alcohol. These conditions cross-reference each other, and it is easy to see why.

Emotional problems rarely have easy answers, yet substance abuse quickly takes away the pain. In many cases, drugs act as a quick solution to what is otherwise a complex psychological problem. Common mental conditions that are associated with dual diagnosis include depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia. A dual diagnosis can manifest itself in the abuse of drugs and an eating disorder.

As you can see, it is extremely important to identify a dual diagnosis, as opposed to strictly a drug or alcohol problem. If a resident is identified as having a dual diagnosis, both his or her mental problems and substance-abuse must be addressed separately. Only by doing so can progress be measured in each department.

Supportive Environment for Dual Diagnosed Individuals

Gatehouse Academy is a supportive environment for those that have a dual diagnosis as well as substance abuse issues. The term "dual diagnosis" refers to someone who, in addition to having a substance abuse problem, also suffers from psychological problems. Coupled together, these two forces can wreak havoc on a young person's development into maturity.

At Gatehouse Academy, many of our residents have been to other substance abuse treatment centers before coming to us. We are oftentimes the first treatment center to correctly identify a dual diagnosis. In doing so, we can fundamentally change the nature of rehabilitation for that resident. Both substance use and emotional problems have to be reconciled on separate levels. It is essential that a resident who has been labeled as having a dual diagnosis understands that he or she has a number of issues to work out. It's not as simple as, "All I have to do is stop taking drugs."

Our goal at Gatehouse Academy is to ensure that our young graduates never have to attend any more drug treatment centers. Having helped them through their substance abuse and emotional problems, we effectively solve two problems at the same time. We recommend a full year in our program for residents who have been correctly identified with a dual diagnosis.

If, however, they have demonstrated significant progress in the first eight months of their stay, they are then eligible to be transferred to one of our extended campuses, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Saratoga Springs, New York. Even though substance abuse and psychological problems must be dealt with separately, they are linked in recovery. If one is allowed to persist, the other will most likely return. Our program is designed to support young adults with this struggle in hopes that this will never happen.

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