DUAL DIAGNOSIS/CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS
People who have substance use disorders as well as mental health disorders are diagnosed as having co-occurring disorders, or dual disorders. This is also sometimes called a dual diagnosis.
Co-occurring disorders can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms of substance abuse or addiction can mask symptoms of mental illness, and symptoms of mental illness can be confused with symptoms of addiction. People with mental health disorders sometimes do not address their substance use because they don't believe it is relevant to their problems.
Co-occurring disorders may include any combination of two or more substance use disorders and mental disorders identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) . No specific combinations of mental and substance use disorders are defined uniquely as co-occurring disorders.
You might also hear the term comorbidity during discussions about a co-occurring disorder. Comorbidity means that the diagnosed conditions are interrelated. This might mean that the mental health condition developed as a result of the drug abuse or that drug addiction developed when substance use was used as a coping mechanism for a mental disorder.
Why Do People Develop Co-Occurring Conditions?
Sometimes, a co-occurring disorder develops because of brain changes that happen when a person uses alcohol or drugs. In other cases, the comorbid condition exists before the substance use disorder develops.
Mental illness can cause symptoms that affect everyday life, and some people turn to drugs or alcohol to ease these symptoms. Self-medicating may temporarily make the person feel better, but it can also lead to substance abuse disorders as the person becomes unable to cope with mental health symptoms in healthier ways.
Receiving treatment for substance abuse and a co-occurring mental health problem helps ensure your long-term recovery success because all the conditions are treated at once.