How can I get support?
If you have a mental illness and take drugs, you probably will be diagnosed with ‘dual diagnosis’ or ‘co-occurring diagnosis’.For more information, check the page ‘Dual Diagnosis’.
If you have ‘Dual Diagnosis’, you can receive support from a range of services: mental health and social services, self-help groups, support in the criminal justice system, drug and alcohol support services (Mind, 2020).
If you do not receive help for your mental health, book an appointment with your GP to design your treatment plan. If your needs are too complex for your GP, the GP refers to the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and drug and alcohol abuse services or Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) (Mind, 2020).
According to NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), people that experience mental conditions and severe drug or alcohol abuse, should seek help under the Care program Approach (CPA) that is responsible for planning your long-term care (Mind, 2020).
All NHS services connect with local services that support groups of people that struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.
You can use the following links to find more information:
Care for people with mental health problems
How to access mental health services
Care for people with mental health problems (CPA)
WHAT CAN I DO WHEN I DON’T GET HELP?
If you experience mental health problems and alcohol and drug addiction and feel that you do not receive enough help, speak to your GP or ‘care coordinator’, as they can help get through it. Also, there is a choice of complaint to the NHS.
Follow the below links for further information:
Someone to speak up for you (advocate)
(Rethink Mental Illness, 2020)