A member asked:

Can a person have two psychiatric disease together? or there can be only one diagnosis?

8 doctors weighed in across 5 answers
Dr. Theresa-Ann Clark answered

Specializes in Family Medicine

There can be two: Having two psychiatric diagnoses is called a dual diagnosis. This often occurs if the second diagnosis is substance abuse or a personality disorder. Sometimes a person receives different diagnoses because symptoms may not clearly indicate a particular disorder. This is especially true if symptoms are new. Additional observation of symptom patterns can be help refine diagnoses and guide treatment.

Answered 1/20/2017

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Can be more than 1: The official diagnostic system in psychiatry (called dsm-4) is set up to allow multiple diagnoses at the same time. For example, a person may have "major depression" and also "panic disorder". Nonetheless, it's often useful to see if everything can be explained by one problem. For example, depression can cause anxiety and insomnia — treat the depression and those other problems get better too.

Answered 6/10/2017

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Dr. Matthew Davis answered

Specializes in Child Psychiatry

They often do.: Psychiatric diagnosis describe disordered behaviors of acting, thinking, and feeling rather than specific anatomic or cellular defects. They are felt to be the result of many biological, developmental and environmental causes that act together like so many instruments that make music together. Imagine how water or fire damage to a music studio may result in many changes in the sounds produced.

Answered 6/10/2017

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Dr. Alan Koenigsberg answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

yes: Think about the field of psychiatry as any other field of medicine--sometimes, more than one illness exists at one time. People may have diabetes and low thyroid, or headache and multiple sclerosis. In a similar manner, a person may have bipolar disorder as well as adhd. They both deserve and benefit from treatment. In fact, a person cannot really fully heal if an illness is left untreated.

Answered 10/14/2013

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Dr. Humberto Quintana answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

There can 1 or more: Co-Occurring Disorders Formerly known as dual diagnosis or dual disorder, co-occurring disorders describe the presence of two or more disorders at the same time. For example, a person may suffer substance abuse as well as bipolar disorder. Psychiatric disorders most prevalent among dually diagnosed patients include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders.

Answered 7/21/2014

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