Dual Pathology: 5 Symptoms To Identify This Psychological Illness
Dual pathology can affect people who seem to have consequences from their addictions more than we think. How can we recognize this psychological illness?
Every day new concepts appear in the field of health that try to define new pathologies or further specify an existing one. The usual thing is that in most cases we tend to think that these new concepts are quite far from us, either due to ignorance or denial. One of these cases is that of the dual pathology which even many health professionals do not understand and end up giving an inadequate solution.
The dual pathology and its meaning refers to a term used in mental health to refer to those patients who simultaneously suffer from an addiction and a psychological disorder.
Two problems arise from this definition that generate the majority of errors in its diagnosis and treatment, one of definition and the other of mathematical concept.
First problem, that of definition, the concept of drugs. When we ask most people to close their eyes and think of a person consuming drugs, they automatically think of a person with a heroin or cocaine dependence, and we have said that only consuming, they do not have to have problems, and on the other hand they think in illegal drugs, but we said drugs, nobody thinks about tobacco or alcohol, which, although legal, are still drugs. Therefore, someone with depression who smokes has a dual pathology but you will not feel like you have dual pathology, and the worst thing is that the health care provider who treats you probably won’t either.
Second problem, the mathematical one, the coexistence of psychiatric pathology that is not due to consumption but also substance consumption, even if it is tobacco, generates a new pathology generally with different symptoms and that requires a different treatment.
That’s the dual pathology, two pathologies (the usual psychiatric plus substance consumption) that coexist over time, that influence each other and that require simultaneous treatment and generally different from separate treatments and that is largely responsible for the fact that many psychiatric treatments and of substance use fail.
Symptoms of dual pathology
In these cases, dual pathology It can be identified through different symptoms presented by people who are affected by them. Among the best known are the following.
1. High levels of impulsivity
In many cases this dual disorder is present due to the impulsiveness that the person presents. This is because the pathologies They can combine and worsen some of the symptoms of any of the diseases.
2. Aggression and violence
People with dual pathology They usually end up expressing a low tolerance to the symptoms in an aggressive and violent way.
3. Not respecting guidelines or rules
Due to aggressiveness and impulsivity, people with a dual pathology is very prone to leaving aside guidelines or rules.
4. Paranoid thoughts
By combining addiction with a psychiatric pathology or psychologically, the person with a dual pathology may develop certain paranoid thoughts.
5. Symptoms associated with addiction
In addition to the symptoms described, people can develop all the signs of addictive behavior.
These are some of the symptoms that people who have this condition may present. psychological illness If you think you may be in this situation, you can always count on the help of a professional psychologist.
There are different causes that can lead a person to suffer from a dual pathology Among the most important are the following.
Mental health disorder
Suffering from a type of mental health disorder is a risk factor that can lead to addiction.
Substance use
One of the consequences of substance use is that it can lead to a dual pathology
Atmosphere
In some cases, a person’s environment can cause them to have certain vulnerability factors that make it easier for them to develop. a dual pathology
Independent disorders
There are cases in which cause-effect cannot be found between an addiction and a mental health disorder.
These are some of the factors that lead a person to develop this psychiatric pathology
Dual pathology: Treatment
In most of the cases of dual pathology People are usually treated through a combined treatment to attack both diseases. In addition, treatment with a professional psychologist is usually combined with treatment through medication.
The dual pathology It can be a difficult disease to detect. Identifying the signs in time can help the person recover sooner from all the effects of their mental disorder.
