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It is estimated that close to 9 million Americans have mental illness and substance abuse problems, and that is just in one country around the globe alone. Out of the 8.9 million with this dual issue less than 10% will receive treatment for both problems because there is a lack of treatment options in their area for dual diagnosis patients. For those who do offer treatment the difficulty of determining whether substance abuse or mental illness came first can be very challenging. Half of all the people who have dual problems do not receive any treatment at all. Some even suspect that the rise in violence may be connected at times, because the individuals do not have options and do not receive treatment of any kind for either diagnosis.

There are substance abuse programs that provide treatment options and that accept people who have also been diagnosed with mental illness, but these are few and far between. Many patients either lack health insurance coverage or they have very limited coverage options, and few health insurance plans actually cover the entire cost of treatment. For those who can afford to pay there are many additional treatment options to choose from though. Christian rehabs and luxury programs that specialize in treating the whole person are generally more successful but these can be more expensive and may not be covered by insurance. Until everyone with substance abuse and mental illness has access to treatment options the current trend will continue, and many people will fall through the cracks and never get the help that they so desperately need.