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A dual diagnosis treatment center treats patients who suffer from two debilitating conditions at the same time: substance abuse and mental illness. There is no limit to the combinations found, and almost any type of substance abuse can co-exist with any type of mental disorder.

Patients with a diagnosed mental illness are often put on a regimen of drugs to combat their specific disorder, and it sometimes comes about that these patients become physically or psychologically dependent on the drugs that they are taking. They could also have a lower tolerance to certain drugs - and/or to alcohol - and this could also lead to substance abuse. Conversely, those who have abused drugs or alcohol for a considerable period of time sometimes develop mental illnesses that are independent of their substance abuse. For both of the aforementioned categories of people, it is best that both their substance dependence and their mental illness be addressed at the same time, and dual diagnosis treatment centers have been established for this specific purpose.

Every patient who attends a dual diagnosis treatment center will receive a combination of treatments aimed at simultaneously alleviating the symptoms their mental illness and combating their addictive behaviors. Patients will attend individual sessions - and some centers also give the option of attending group sessions - with trained professionals who will work with them on a case-by-case basis. In an attempt to promote self-corrective behavior, patients will be encouraged to learn more about their specific mental disorder and how it is affected by the substances that they are taking. They will also be encouraged to set - and reach - certain goals concerning their substance abuse and will be assisted in this process by their therapists.

A patient who is suffering from both a mental disorder and who also abuses one or more substances cannot hope to be treated correctly by an institution that specializes in only addressing mental illnesses or only correcting addictive behaviors. Although a fairly new concept, dual diagnosis treatment centers are becoming more and more visible throughout the country, and it is therefore now somewhat easier for a dual patient to obtain the correct treatment.

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