Treatment
Mental illnesses are brain disorders that are biologically based medical problems. Untreated, they can cause severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, and relating.
This results in a substantially diminished capacity for dealing with the ordinary demands of life. Mental illness can affect persons of any age and occur in any family. They are not caused by bad parenting, and they are not evidence of a weakness of character.
The treatment of individuals with coexisting psychoactive substance abuse and severe psychiatric disorders requires an integration of principles from the mental health and chemical dependency fields. We have outlined a conceptual model for treating dually diagnosed patients that consists of various treatment phases. The components of these phases include case management, group therapy, psychopharmacology, toxicologic screening, detoxification, family involvement, and participation in self-help groups. We strongly encourage the development, implementation, and scientific evaluation of integrated treatment models.