Is It Common for Someone With a Substance Abuse Illness to Also Develop Dual Diagnosis?

Question by constance d: Is it common for someone with a substance abuse illness to also develop dual diagnosis?
It’s just that I have this friend who has always been an alcoholic. Lately, I have noticed that he has gotten more depressed as well. I was just thinking that maybe he has dual diagnosis.

Best answer:

Answer by arlyn h
Researches have shown that around 50 percent of the people suffering from substance addiction also have psychological issues. There are those who started out as having mental problems that led to their addiction, but there are also others who started out with substance addiction leading to the development of a psychological illness. It would be good if you ask your friend to go to a doctor. Dual diagnosis is harder to treat than just a mental health problem or a substance addiction alone. The co-occurring illnesses will have to be treated simultaneously as treating only one will not mean that the other will go away.

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