Dual Diagnosis and the Legal System
Dual Diagnosis is like a time bomb. If it’s ignored, you just never know it’s going to make someone’s life explode into shattered pieces – over and over again. Unfortunately, dual diagnosis does just that to millions of people. Mental illness and addiction tangle themselves into a person’s judgment, emotional coping skills, decision making processes, and relationships.
How Dual Diagnosis Turns Into Legal Trouble
As if people with a dual diagnosis don’t have enough problems already, they sometimes become involved with legal trouble. Think about it – if your judgment was impaired most days by either a bipolar manic episode and alcohol or drugs, would you think twice about punching someone or driving too fast?
A person whose mind is swimming in drugs and poor judgment is likely to make the same mistakes many times. They aren’t in drug treatmentand aren’t capable of making changes to avoid more trouble. Instead of making plans to avoid the same bad decisions, they act on their emotional impulses. Pretty soon, they are faced with repeated DUI’s or the third charge of first degree assault in a few months time. A revolving door of problems and trouble.
Prison Population and Dual Diagnosis
Not everyone in jail or prison has a dual diagnosis. But having a dual diagnosis increases your odds of having a night in the clinker or spending some time up in “the big house.” A report from NAMI states that about 16% of those in jail or prison have a substance abuse disorder.
Obviously, having a dual diagnosis isn’t the only reason people end up in jail. But it’s easy to see that this section of the prison and jail population has a great risk of offending and re-offending if they are not given proper dual diagnosis treatment. Their untreated mental illnesses and addictions will perpetuate their problems.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Jail and Prison
It seems that true dual diagnosis treatment is difficult to come by in the jail and prison system. Drug treatment and mental illness services are sometimes available depending on how long a person is incarcerated. But let’s face it – jail and prison are jail and prison. It’s just not the same as going to a carefully chosen drug rehab center.
And all drug rehab facilities are certainly not made from the same mold. The Canyon has an established reputation for being experts in the field of dual diagnosis. No other place has the solid background of research and holistic drug treatment approach.
Dual diagnosis problems can be particularly tough to crack – their issues are intertwined like thick weeds with deep roots. If a person can be quickly rerouted to a true dual diagnosis drug treatment center like The Canyon, they stand a much better chance at turning a real corner in their life.
Tags: Addiction and Legal System, Dual Diagnosis, Dual Diagnosis and the Legal System
