Recovering from alcohol and drug addiction can be a difficult journey, but addicts who also struggle with depression face even greater hurdles in treatment. People who struggle with depression and addiction often blame themselves or are blamed by others for not being able to recover from their co-occurring disorders. The truth is that addiction and depression are both diseases; they are not an indication of poor character or a lack of willpower. People who struggle to recover from co-occurring mental and substance use disorders are not to blame, especially if they haven’t been exposed to proper dual diagnosis treatment.

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For many people, substance abuse develops as a way to cope with a co-occurring disorder. Co-occurring disorders are any mental health issue that co-exists with a substance abuse problem. Statistics show that nearly half of all people with a severe mental disorder are affected by substance abuse, and 29 percent of all people diagnosed as mentally ill abuse either alcohol or drugs. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, mental health issues can be painful and difficult to cope with, which is why many people with mental health problems use substances to feel better. Using drugs or alcohol can provide a temporary escape and temporarily numb their symptoms, but it does not solve the underlying problem. Unfortunately, this escape is only temporary and the mental health symptoms will inevitably worsen over time as a result of the alcohol or drug use.
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Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol that, for many people, develops as a way to cope with a co-occurring mental disorder. Co-occurring disorders are very common among alcoholics; in fact, as many as 50 to 75 percent of people in addiction treatment also suffer from a psychiatric disorder. These co-occurring disorders complicate the challenges in overcoming addiction, and recovery is nearly impossible unless both the alcohol addiction and the co-occurring disorder are treated together at the same time.

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Drug and alcohol addictions are serious problems for men and women alike, but women face a unique set of challenges that may require different treatment approaches than those offered at standard rehab centers. This is because the root causes of addiction in women are often different than in men and the psychological and physiological effects of drugs are often more severe, requiring specialized and intensive treatment.

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According to statistics, more than half of all individuals who abuse drugs also suffer from a co-occurring mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, an eating disorder or anxiety disorders such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder or social phobia. Treating the substance abuse problem without treating the co-occurring disorder will almost always lead to failure (and vice versa), which is why choosing a drug rehab for individuals with co-occurring disorders is essential to full recovery and long-term sobriety.
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