Emerging Treatment Guidelines for Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers

Dr. Miller's Introduction: We are becoming more and more aware that many alcoholics and chemically dependent individuals also suffer from a psychiatric disorder. This reality emerges now after a period in which the possibility of coexisting mental and addictive disorders was often denied by the alcoholism and drug fields. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals need to be alert to patients with these dual disorders so that relapses of both the dependency and the psychiatric disorder can be averted. This month's column presents useful guidelines to help professionals deal effectively with this difficult problem.