What is dual pathology and how does it affect people?

If substance addictions are such severe alterations, it is, among other things, because this class of pathologies give rise to other health problems very frequently.

So much so that a term has been coined to refer to the clinical picture of those who have developed a drug addiction and also have a mental disorder. It is about pathology, a concept that we will talk about in this article.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

What is dual pathology?

As we have advanced, dual pathology is a combination of health problems: on the one hand, an addiction to one or more substances, and on the other, a psychological disorder.

In such cases, both types of pathologies damage the quality of life of the person in parallel, although not completely independently, since they are reinforced each other as the mental and physical state of the subject deteriorates, which encourages him to continue reproducing behavior patterns that worsen his problem. In addition, those with poorer physical health are also more prone to anxiety disorders and psychopathologies such as depression, due to how problematic it is to manage the negative emotions that this discomfort physical produces.

Now, as you can see, within the concept of dual pathology many different types of disorders fit. In addition, it must be taken into account that there is no clear scientific consensus about the definition of the term, so that sometimes it is used including all the psychological disorders that exist, but at the same time it is used especially when the psychological alteration is severe, as occurs with the schizophrenia, major depression, etc. However, beyond the theory and official definitions used in the manuals diagnoses, in practice it is a useful concept to help people who suffer from this class of pathologies.

How does it affect people?

These are the main ways in which dual pathology damages the health status and quality of life of the person.

1. Use of drugs to try to relieve discomfort

Many people with dual pathology are caught in a loop: They try to overcome their discomfort through the moments of temporary relief that the consumption of addictive substances produces.

2. Facilitates social exclusion

The accumulation of physical-behavioral complications lays the foundations for the person to be socially isolated, either by inability to adapt to this new situation while preserving family or friendship ties, or by the reaction of rejection of the the rest. This, on the other hand, also goes hand in hand with economic problems, which can lead to the loss of the social support network that was available.

3. Can truncate careers

Even those who had a good standard of living before developing these disorders go on to have many problems to perform at work. On the other hand, dual pathology occurs especially in medium and medium-low cases, in these situations it is even more difficult to escape from job insecurity.

4. Emotional instability

Emotional imbalances are caused by the hours that have passed since the last consumption, and by the intensity with which the symptoms of the psychological disorder are expressed at that moment.

5. Trouble organizing the day

The fact that discomfort from the addiction or disorder can arise in relatively unforeseen ways (and with great intensity) makes people with dual pathology have to face difficult situations without seeing them coming, which makes it difficult to organize the tasks of the day or the week without help.

6. Possible risk of death

It should not be forgotten that the abuse of many drugs entails a risk of death from overdose. Also, an altered state of consciousness can put people in very dangerous situations.

Looking for addiction treatment and psychotherapy?

Faced with dual pathology, it is very important to have therapeutic assistance and to start a process of medical and psychological treatment as soon as possible. Therefore, in the face of this type of health problem, we invite you to contact us.

On CITA Clinics We have both a multidisciplinary team of health professionals and fully equipped facilities. We offer both psychotherapy sessions and psychiatric assistance and outpatient service as well as the possibility of entering our residential module, surrounded by nature and full of activities and leisure options, in which continuous support and supervision is available by doctors, nurses, trainers and psychotherapists.

Bibliographic references:

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• Drake, R.E.; Mueser, K.T. (2000). Psychosocial Approaches to Dual Diagnosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 26 (1): pp. 105 - 118.
• Upadhyaya, HP. (2007). Managing attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder in the presence of substance use disorder. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68 (11): pp. 23 - 30.
• Samet, S.; Nunes, E.; Hassin, D.; et al. (2006). Diagnosis of comorbid psychiatric disorders in substance users assesses with the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders for DSM-IV. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163 (4): pp. 689 - 696.
• Sciacca, K.; Thompson, C.M. (nineteen ninety six). Program Development and Integrated Treatment Across Systems for Dual Diagnosis: Mental Illness, Drug Addiction And Alcoholism, MIDAA. Journal of Mental Health Administration, 23 (3): pp. 288 - 297.
• Wright, S.; Gournay, K.; Glorney, E.; Thornicroft, G. (2000). Dual diagnosis in the suburbs: prevalence, need, and in-patient service use. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 35 (7): pp. 297 - 304.