Co-Occurring Disorders

Of the 23 million Americans struggling with addiction, nearly 14 million also suffer from some form of mental illness, either stemming from or leading to substance abuse.

Over 30% of people with alcohol addiction have a co-occurring mental health disorder, and over 50% of drug abusers are living with mental illness.

Symptoms of substance abuse/addiction can mask symptoms of mental illness. Additionally, symptoms of mental illness are confused with symptoms of addiction. During early recovery, mental health professionals defer their diagnosis for at least 30 days to allow an opportunity for patients’ mental health symptoms without the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Regardless of which came first, the individual still needs to address both, their mental illness as well as their addiction. It is strongly recommended that those suffering with co-occurring disorders receive simultaneous treatment for existing substance use disorders and mental health disorders.

Research has evidenced that the integrated approach model is far more effective at treating co-occurring disorders than separate, parallel treatment models that target each disorder individually. It is essential to treat “the whole person!”