South Pacific Private is a treatment centre that specialises in treating co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders at the same time, by the same group of clinicians, within the same treatment program.
Often when a person is struggling with addiction issues there may be a co-occurring mood disorder such as depression that has fueled the development of, or exacerbated, the substance use issues, or vice versa. This results in people having problems related to both their substance use issues and their mental illness.
Both clinical practice and research have established that the high prevalence of coexisting mental illness and substance use disorders is a growing concern in the mental health field in Australia and overseas. This is evidenced by national and state based policy initiatives to address these complex problems.
Dual diagnosis (or comorbid mental illness and substance use disorder) presents a complex set of challenges to the treatment team as people with dual diagnosis need a high degree of clinical expertise and a specialised treatment approach to address their co-occurring problems effectively, in order to support sustainable long term recovery.
Commonly Co-Occurring Conditions:
Mental Illness | Substance Abuse |
Anxiety | Alcohol |
Depression | Cannabis |
Bipolar | Opioids |
PTSD | Stimulants (cocaine/amphetamines) |
Psychosis | Hallucinogens |
Personality disorders | Benzodiazepines |
Pathological gambling | Inhalants/solvents |
ADHD | Nicotine |
Chronic pain | Prescription medication |