Progress are a consortium of consultant nurses working in dual diagnosis and substance use settings. The website provides information on dual diagnosis for people in treatment, carers and professionals.

Alcohol and drug use can affect us in a number of different ways. Substance use may lead to or exacerbate mental health problems. Likewise psychiatric disorders may lead to harmful or dependent substance use. It can be difficult to say with certainty the precise nature of this relationship. The ?chicken' and ?egg' syndrome.

Assessing which condition is ?primary' diagnosis and which is ?secondary' diagnosis may be possible. But, all too often they are used as a barrier for accessing treatment. It is important that the needs of the individual are placed first, and treating both the mental health and alcohol and drug difficulty together should be the treatment of choice.