Demonstrate an understanding of “dual diagnosis/co-occurring disorders” and the challenges it presents in treatment.

Counselors working with substance use issues will find that many of their clients are also dealing with mental health issues. A dual diagnosis is used to indicate the reality of substance use disorders and other psychological concerns occurring together. These issues are complex because of the difficulty in identifying causal relationships, what came first the chicken or the egg? Is the client using alcohol and drugs because of their mental health issues (to self-medicate) or are the mental health symptoms a result of the substance use? This can be a challenge for the clinician to determine until some sobriety is achieved.

• Read Chapter 5 of your SAC textbook and view the following video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLseAvC8Heo
• Write a 3-page paper in which you give a general overview of what is meant by the term “co-occurring disorder”.
• To achieve maximum points for content and analysis, the following elements need to be thoroughly addressed.
  • Examine the challenges presented in diagnosing the co-occurring disordered client.
  • Explore the psychopathology and associated drugs of choice
  • Discuss the problems associated with this population and the various treatment approaches used.
  • Research at least two articles on co-occurring disorders and cite them in your paper.