What is the History of Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment?
It’s important to treat addiction and mental health disorders simultaneously. People with mental health disorders may self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, but those substances tend to exacerbate mental health disorder symptoms. This makes it crucial to address both. However, we didn’t always know this. For much of the history of addiction and mental health treatment, […]
What Is Comorbidity?
When two or more health conditions are present in an individual, it is referred to as comorbidity or co-occurring disorders. Some of the most common comorbidities are addiction and mental health disorders, which are close companions. The likelihood of having a mental health condition alongside substance use disorder is very high as either one can […]
Can Depression and Anxiety Co-Occur?
Depression and anxiety are separate mental health disorders, but they commonly co-occur. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an estimated 60% of those with anxiety also have depression, and that number is similar for those experiencing depression.[1] Depression and anxiety both also have a high co-occurrence with addiction. Anxiety and depression may […]
How an Anxiety Disorder Can Impact Addiction
Most people understand what anxiety is. Everyone experiences situational anxiety, for example, when anticipating something unpleasant like a major test or surgery. But an anxiety disorder is a mental health diagnosis that affects approximately 40 million adults in the US. An anxiety disorder treatment program, where medication and therapy can help manage someone’s symptoms, is […]
4 Common Co-Occurring Disorders
Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or borderline personality disorders often overlap with alcohol or drug addiction. While these disorders can coincide independently, they are often related and require dual diagnosis treatment. If left untreated, co-occurring disorders can trigger each other, making it more difficult for a person to function. For instance, depression can […]