Question by Audrey Rickard: Do people with drug addictions go to mental hospitals or institutions?
I am writing a one act play and the characters are living in a mental hospital. One suffers from hallucinations and schizophrenia. The other is a heroin addict and the last suffers from social anxiety and hates change. I was wondering, do people with drug addictions go where people with other mental illnesses go? Thank you! It would really help!

Best answer:

Answer by Rachel
Sounds interesting!

Addiction and mental health disorders go hand in hand. Both have a negative impact on the other. Addiction makes mental health symptoms worse and some people use substances to alleviate mental health symptoms.

When someone suffers from a mental health illness and addiction he or she needs to seek dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment will address both issues at the same time offering relief from both ailments.

I have worked in a psychiatric hospital and we had locked units both for chemical dependency detox and for those who were straight psyche we had a psychiatric unit. Most of the time if a mentally ill person is in need of addiction treatment dual diagnosis is the correct term.

I am attaching several resources for information about this subject for you.

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