How does a mental health disorder affect co-occurring addiction and treatment and recovery?
Having a mental health disorder could make a person even more sensitive to the effects of substances. The consequences from excessive use or chronic long-term use happen more rapidly. With the best of intentions, a person with a mental health disorder may try to stop using substances, but after doing so they notice that their psychiatric symptoms return, sometimes more severe. They wonder, “why bother getting clean and sober?” A mental health disorder complicates and compounds the challenges in overcoming an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
