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Benefits Of Dual Diagnosis

Decent Essays

Dual Diagnosis: Combating Drug Addiction and Mental Illness

Through the Creation of Government Assisted Programs

Drug addiction and mental illness are two topics that are becoming more popular for discussion in American households. As stated from DrugAbuse.com, “mental illness is common amongst a population suffering from substance abuse and addiction. The relationship is so strong that many people believe the drugs play a causative role in the development of the mental illness. In most instances, this is not the case. In the United States, approximately 8.9 million people have both a mental health and a substance abuse issue”. This overwhelming amount of the United States population is often give as a dual diagnosis making persons suffering …show more content…

From, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, “under the Affordable Care Act, substance use disorder services are essential health benefits that are required to be covered by health plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace. The law also required that covered substance use disorder benefits are comparable to medical and surgical benefits”. The problem with this solution that is it is limited and not equally effective on state levels for persons who suffer from drug abuse and mental illnesses. The solution needs to be universal among the 50 …show more content…

Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.

Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors in the brain to produce morphine-like effects. Opioids are most often used medically to relieve pain.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Under the act, hospitals and primary physicians would transform their practices financially, technologically, and clinically to drive better health outcomes, lower costs, and improve their methods of distribution and accessibility.

Comorbidity describes two or more disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person.

Summary:

Many Americans are given this dual diagnosis of mental illness and drug addiction and it seems to be rapidly increasing. The federal and state governments are responsible for the citizen’s well-being and they must create more programs and assistance in order to treat more than one diagnosis. As well with the changing presidential administration in office currently the states need to act on what they will do to continue to support these

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