Schizophrenia and addiction treatment will be required simultaneously for those people with this type of dual diagnosis. Failure to treat one will make dealing with the other conditions ineffective, and so this needs to be considered when planning any form of treatment. In the past when this type of co-morbidity existed, it would make successful treatment a real uphill struggle, but now thanks to the availability of dual addiction drug rehabilitation things are getting easier.
In order to be able to manage the schizophrenia it is vital that the individual escape addiction. If this does not happen then treatment for the schizophrenia will be very ineffective. It is also the case that failing to deal with the other mental health issue will make recovery all the more difficult. This is why schizophrenia and addiction treatment need to be provided at the same time and where possible under the same roof.
In those cases where the person getting schizophrenia and addiction treatment from different services it can lead to what is called the ‘ping-pong effect’. Attempting to follow two different treatment programmes at the same time is extremely difficult and likely lead to frustration and in many cases in just abandoning the whole thing. The two programmes will often give conflicting instructions the individual may feel trapped in the middle. This is why it is really important for a dual diagnosis rehabilitation option to be followed where everything is provided from the same treatment team; this is the preferred schizophrenia and addiction treatment.
Not only is dual addiction rehabilitation the preferred option, but in many instances it might be counterproductive to send a person with a dual diagnosis through one of the more standard treatment facilities. Many of these programmes are extremely intensive mentally and emotionally, because for most addicts this is what is required; it is important to break down the barriers they created to protect their addictive behaviour. Offering the same treatment to a person with a dual diagnosis could lead to a lot of mental distress and could really cause a lot of damage to them. This is why all efforts should be made to find appropriate schizophrenia and addiction treatment.
Once the person with a dual diagnosis is free of their addiction and begins receiving treatment for their schizophrenia there is a lot of hope for a good recovery. The treatment of schizophrenia seems to be always improving and some individuals seem to manage this problem extremely well and go on to live productive and rewarding lives. This is why it is so important to make correct choices when treating those with a dual diagnosis. Some people only get one chance for recovery and this needs to be made the most of as possible. If the person gets sober and clean but finds that life is still difficult to manage then they are unlikely to stick with it for very long. If the correct path is followed this need not be the case.
