Co-ocurring Disorders and their Effect on the Mental Health System

The consequences are harsh. Persons with a co-occurring disorder have a greater tendency for violence, medication noncompliance, and failure to respond to treatment than a person with just substance abuse or a mental illness. These problems also affect families, friends and co-workers.
Having a mental illness and a substance abuse disorder together frequently leads to overall poorer functioning and a greater chance of relapse. The person is in and out of hospitals and treatment programs without lasting success. People with dual diagnoses also tend to have tardive dyskinesia and physical illnesses more often than those with a single disorder, and they experience more episodes of psychosis.
People with mental illnesses often are more susceptible to co-occurring disorders as a consequence of their mental illness they may find themselves living in neighborhoods where drug use exists.  Some people find themselves more easily accepted by groups whose activity is based on drug use. Some may believe that a drug addiction is more acceptable than one based on mental illness.  People with co-occurring disorders are also much more likely to be homeless or in jail.
The on and off treatment alone currently given to non-violent persons with dual diagnosis is costly.  Violent or criminal persons, no matter how are dangerous and also costly. Society has to pay for jailed or hospitalized persons.   Those with co-occurring disorders are at high risk to contract AIDS, a disease that can affect society at large. Costs rise even higher when these persons, as those with co-occurring disorders have been shown to do; constantly renter healthcare and criminal justice systems again and again. Without the establishment of more integrated treatment programs, the cycle will continue. 
The constant noncompliance with treatment is a factor in the disability rates of the government system.  Homeless shelters are full of persons who refuse treatment and the homeless rate is increasing daily.  With substance abusers develop mental disorders because of the continuous substance abuse the impact on the heath system becomes a revolving door of treatment, relapse and then again seeking treatment.  Without adhering to a treatment plan and maintaining a consistent medicine regime for their problem the health care team sees a same patients repeatedly with no improvement of symptoms or worsening of symptoms.  The drugs have to be increased in order to be beneficial and the cost increases greatly.  A lot of patients go off of medication because of the high cost of medication and the absence of insurance to cover it and the cycle goes on with the burden of cost to society.
Changes in the system need to be made to help the number of people with mental illnesses and are trying to maintain their mental health with treatment and are finding it difficult to manage to comply with treatment because of the monetary cost.  Until the person can accept their problems and conform to the mental health treatment plan there will be more abuse of the system and less help available for patients seeking help.