Reports published in the Journal of the American Medical Association tell us that about 50 percentof people with severe mental disorders are affected by substance abuse and roughly 37 percent of alcohol abusers, and 53 percent of drug abusers, also have at least one serious mental illness.
This dual diagnosis is a problem that clearly goes both ways. But science has a long way to go before we can truly understand why a dual diagnosis of mental illness and addiction is so common.
People with major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar and unipolar depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline and antisocial personality disorders are much more likely to have a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) than the general population.
Alone, this information suggests that psychiatric disorders may predispose you to developing a substance use disorder. But is truly the case?
Another popular theory is that people with mental illnesses are self-medicating when they abuse substances.
Theory of self-medication
There are obvious reasons why someone with a mental health disorder may choose to self-medicate. Many street drugs work in a way that’s similar to, or the same way as the prescription drugs that are used to treat various disorders. For people who have limited access to healthcare, street drugs are much easier to get.
Here are some examples of how street drugs may initially seem to treat symptoms of a mental health disorder.