California Parents Wrestle with Dual diagnosis treatment or Straight Drug Rehab?
Much has been written lately on the subject of dual diagnosis, meaning the child is dealing with both a mental health disorder as well as substance abuse addiction.
It can be a bit of a wrestling match for the parent, a sort of "What came first the chicken or the egg?" debate.
The truth is that we don't know. Not a lot of research has been done in the area of dual diagnosis and there isn't any real guidance as to one method that effectively addresses both. �What has been done in the area doesn't go back further than ten years leaving us with shaky statistics since we don't know how it will turn out in the long run.
Drug use can so violently modify behavior in an individual that any number of mental health disorder symptoms can be mimicked by someone currently on or addicted to drugs. Things like depression, schizophrenia, mania, lethargy, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, poor concentration, aggression and violence are common behavioral traits to individuals high on or addicted to drugs.
Adding to the complexity are the hormonal and growth changes occurring in your teenager. Is your teenager's aggression due to mental angst, drugs, or just a short lived, soon to be corrected by the body imbalance of testosterone?
While much more research will be done in the area of dual diagnosis there is one underlying truth that a parent can use to fall back on when choosing a drug rehab program. And that is simply this: No matter what treatment option is chosen the first step will always be to help the individual safely withdraw from whatever substance or substances he or she is addicted to.
Since one size doesn't fit all when it comes to drug rehab it's important to find the program that will best fit your child's needs and we can help.
If your child has become addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, you can talk to one of our counselors to discuss the situation. There are a number of successful drug rehab programs in California and elsewhere that have the know-how and expertise in treating and working with teens and adolescents.
Withdrawal can be done safely and your child's life can be gotten back on track. Call us today, toll free at 1-877-211-7428.