Substance Misuse & Dual Diagnosis

Here are four stories about people with a dual diagnosis involving mental illness and drug misuse, including cannabis, heroin, crack cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy and alcohol. The stories are an excellent training resource and are presented as an online e-learning course. Aimed at people with a dual diagnosis, as well as practitioners and trainers, the course contains essential information and advice about reducing the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol.

This colourful and engaging course is particularly attractive to those seeking to provide practical information in jargon-free language to users and practitioners working with dual diagnosis clients. It can be used as a focus for discussion in a group setting but is equally suitable for those who would rather work by themselves or in one-to-one sessions at their own pace and at a time and place of their choosing.

Developed in association with Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, this course is derived from a series of four booklets. The stories are based on the experiences of people in psychiatric treatment and were told as part of a PhD sponsored by the Trust and the University of Salford and in collaboration with Lifeline. Original research and text by Michael Linnell and Mark Holland. Michael also produced the booklet illustrations.

Course comprises:

• David - the man with the transparent head (Cannabis)
• 'Raving Mad' Martha (Ecstasy)
• Jason - the psychonaut (Alcohol and other drugs)
• A man called God - in heaven and hell (Heroin and Crack Cocaine)