Co-Occurring Disorders

Someone with substance abuse disorder and mental illness(depression, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, etc) has a co-curring disorder. Any combo of addiction disorders qualifies for this, including alcoholism, anorexia, cocaine dependence, and prescription drug dependence. People often seek out drugs to “self-medicate” mental disorders. Others may first develop an addiction problem that grows so severe that it causes mental health issues or triggers the onset of symptoms that may otherwise have remained dormant. Co-occurring disorders can often be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms of substance abuse can cover up symptoms of mental illness, and symptoms of mental illness can be confused with symptoms of addiction. Some of the most common mental health disorders found in chemically dependent people include anxiety disorders. An even higher percentage of people with severe mental illness also have co-occurring substance use disorders.