person with a dual disorder has two biological illnesses. They are not to
blame for these illnesses. They did not cause them. They did not choose to
be affected by them. And they do not deserve them. Both illnesses are
diagnosable, medical conditions. With proper medical treatment and the
support of self-help groups such as Dual Recovery Anonymous, a person with
a dual diagnosis can learn to become responsible for working on both
illnesses in a constructive and positive way.
Mental or psychiatric illnesses are disorders of the brain that can
disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to
others. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas that may require
medications to stabilize blood sugar levels, psychiatric illnesses are
brain disorders that may require medications to help balance certain
chemicals in the brain.
Chemically dependant people don’t choose to be alcoholics and addicts
- they just are. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to know if
someone is chemically dependant until they start drinking or taking drugs.
By the time they realize there is a problem they have lost the power of
choice and ability to stop on their own.
Neither illness is caused by moral weakness or personal shortcomings.
Nor can they be overcome by "pulling oneself up by the
bootstraps" or by an act of willpower. Both are diseases that do not
see age, sex, race, IQ, religion, or economic status. Unfortunately, a
great deal of social stigma and misinformation surround both diseases and
this sometimes keeps people from getting the help they need. These are
truly "no-fault" illnesses, and any approach to them that feeds
or produces irrational guilt and shame, blocks recovery.