Dr. Sharon Lambert:

Something that worries me when we talk about dual diagnosis specific services is that we are othering a particular group of individuals. If we are going to argue addiction is a mental health issue, why are we saying there is one mental health system for one group and another for the other? For example, if I have a problematic relationship with food, that could be behavioural addiction. I am not excluded from any services, because it is food. However, because we have positioned drugs as a criminal issue, we have othered a group of people who have a chronic health issue. Ten years ago, I would have been sitting here and asking where are the dual diagnosis services but one of the aspects of being trauma sensitive is that one is supposed to be open to change and learning. More recently, my reflection has been on why this group is not able to use the same services as other people. If I had depression or anxiety in the morning, why would I be excluded from a service if I was also using drugs and alcohol?