Adult Inpatient – Dual Disorders
A dual disorder occurs when a patient has a psychiatric disorder (such as depression, mania, an eating disorder or schizophrenia) as well as an addiction disorder (such as alcoholism, cocaine dependence or heroin dependence).
Dual disorders, also called dual diagnoses, occur in up to 60% of patients needing inpatient treatment for a substance use disorder or mental illness. While dual disorders are very common, it is also very common for one or the other disorder to go unrecognized or, if recognized, to remain inadequately treated. This failure to recognize and treat both disorders together is particularly problematic because the presence of one often adversely affects the course of the other.
At Silver Hill Hospital we are proud of our special expertise in the treatment of dual disorders. We have over 70 years of experience in diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders and we are one of the nation's best known addiction treatment centers. We have become extremely proficient at identifying the co-occurrence of dual diagnoses and skilled in treating both simultaneously. One of Silver Hill’s strengths is the fact that our psychiatrists are all additionally trained in the treatment of substance use disorders and many of our psychiatrists have addiction specialty boards.
Those who have been diagnosed with a dual disorder are usually admitted to the Patricia Regnemer Main House . Treatment for patients who suffer from a dual disorder includes both a program for the treatment of their addiction (which may include medically managed detoxification) and a program for the treatment of their psychiatric disorder.
Treatment is provided by a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, social workers, nursing staff and a dietician. After admission, each patient meets his or her team, including his/her psychiatrist, at morning rounds. There they will discuss the patient’s goals for treatment and begin to formulate a treatment plan and discharge plan. After that, and with the patient’s permission, the patient’s psychiatrist will call the referring clinician regarding the admission and the social worker will call the patient’s family to arrange a family meeting
After initial treatment in the General Psychiatric Unit, which is a short-stay unit, patients may be offered extended treatment in our residential Transitional Living Program, or may be discharged home for continued treatment by their referring clinician, often in conjunction with an aftercare outpatient program in the community. Family members are encouraged to participate in our Family Forum. |
