Psychology Issues and Debates

Mental symptoms

The term “comorbidity” describes two or more disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person. They can occur at the same time or one after the other. Comorbidity also implies interactions between the illnesses that can worsen the course of both.

Is Drug Addiction a Mental Illness?

Yes. Addiction changes the brain in fundamental ways, disturbing a person’s normal hierarchy of needs and desires and substituting new priorities connected with procuring and using the drug. The resulting compulsive behaviors that weaken the ability to control impulses, despite the negative consequences, are similar to hallmarks of other mental illnesses.

How Common Are Comorbid Drug Addiction and Other Mental Illnesses?

Many people who are addicted to drugs are also diagnosed with other mental disorders and vice versa. For example, compared with the general population, people addicted to drugs are roughly twice as likely to suffer from mood and anxiety disorders, with the reverse also true.

Why Do These Disorders Often Co-occur?

Although drug use disorders commonly occur with other mental illnesses, this does not mean that one caused the other, even if one appeared first. In fact, establishing which came first or why can be difficult. However, research suggests the following possibilities for this common co-occurrence:

• Drug abuse may bring about symptoms of another mental illness. Increased risk of psychosis in vulnerable marijuana users suggests this possibility.
• Mental disorders can lead to drug abuse, possibly as a means of “self-medication.” Patients suffering from anxiety or depression may rely on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs to temporarily alleviate their symptoms.

These disorders could also be caused by shared risk factors, such as—

• Overlapping genetic vulnerabilities. Predisposing genetic factors may make a person susceptible to both addiction and other mental disorders or to having a greater risk of a second disorder once the first appears.
• Overlapping environmental triggers. Stress, trauma (such as physical or sexual abuse), and early exposure to drugs are common environmental factors that can lead to addiction and other mental illnesses.
• Involvement of similar brain regions. Brain systems that respond to reward and stress, for example, are affected by drugs of abuse and may show abnormalities in patients with certain mental disorders.
• Drug use disorders and other mental illnesses are developmental disorders. That means they often begin in the teen years or even younger—periods when the brain experiences dramatic developmental changes. Early exposure to drugs of abuse may change the brain in ways that increase the risk for mental disorders. Also, early symptoms of a mental disorder may indicate an increased risk for later drug use.

How Are These Comorbid Conditions Diagnosed and Treated?

The high rate of comorbidity between drug use disorders and other mental illnesses calls for a comprehensive approach that identifies and evaluates both. Accordingly, anyone seeking help for either drug abuse/addiction or another mental disorder should be checked for both and treated accordingly.

Several behavioral therapies have shown promise for treating comorbid conditions. These approaches can be tailored to patients according to age, specific drug abused, and other factors. Some therapies have proven more effective for adolescents, while others have shown greater effectiveness for adults; some are designed for families and groups, others for individuals.

Effective medications exist for treating opioid, alcohol, and nicotine addiction and for alleviating the symptoms of many other mental disorders, yet most have not been well studied in comorbid populations. Some medications may benefit multiple problems. For example, evidence suggests that bupropion (trade names: Wellbutrin, Zyban), approved for treating depression and nicotine dependence, might also help reduce craving and use of the drug methamphetamine. More research is needed, however, to better understand how these medications work, particularly when combined in patients with comorbidities.

Other Information Sources

For more information on comorbidity between drug use disorders and other mental illnesses, visit:

This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from the NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated, using the following language: Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

london ontario canada london pound cake strain london population london postal codes london plane tree london phone number london pound mints strain london pound cake london population 2021 london quarantine london queen london quarantine rules london quotes london quarantine requirements london quiet room london quireboys london quick lube london real london review of books london restaurants london road rental london real estate for sale london road london river name london rentals london school of economics london system london stock exchange london square london skyline london stadium london soccer teams london square apartments london time london time zone london tipton london to paris london to paris train london tube map london to edinburgh london travel restrictions london uk london underground london underground map london university london uk weather london urban dictionary london uk time london underground shoes london vacation london vaccination rate london vet clinic london vs new york london victoria london visa london vs paris london vacation rentals london weather london weather by month london west hollywood london weather today london walmart london weather in december london west end london weather november london xmas london xmas markets london xi london xr london xmas bandeau london xrp london xoyo london xxl london yellow london young london york london young thug london yearly weather london yard london yellow net worth london zip code london zoo london zip code uk london zones london zip london zones map london zack and cody london zillow london about the city london about essay london about tammy london about history london about mask about london eye about london bridge about london in english london after midnight band london after midnight found london after midnight movie london after midnight kiss lyrics london after dark london after midnight found 2021 london after ww2 london against e5 london against king's indian london against dutch london against lockdown london against c5 london against corona london against sicilian london against brexit london among us fallen london among the monster-hunting academics fallen london among the dead edifice in london among the higher kind london around christmas london around the world london around places visit london around areas london around hiking around london around london poem around london in 40 steps london as diet london as a first name london as a girl name london as a name london as diet recipes london as a boy name london as atlantic port city the light at the bottom of the world london shah london pool top of building best rooftop swimming pool london london at christmas london at night london at christmas time london at midnight london at night wallpaper london at night joke london at home covid test london at new years london before and after ww2 london before the great fire london before the romans london before sewers london before industrial revolution london before it was london london before ww1 london before ww2 london behind the scenes tours london behind vaccine london behind time london behind scenes behind london fields behind london tooting london grammar behind her eyes london is behind me london beneath the pavement beneath london beneath london book beneath london tour beneath london documentary london lies beneath fallen london beneath the neath london lies beneath review oli london beside jimin radley london beside the sea cities beside london hotel beside london eye country beside london places beside london hotels beside london city airport bridge beside london eye london between christmas and new years london between font london between the bridges london between the wars london between between london and birmingham between london and manchester london pool between buildings london beyond retro london beyond sight london beyond meat london beyond burger london beyond meat burger beyond london beyond london club beyond london agency london butchers london but me but london julie london but not for me best buy london london nothing but thieves buy house london 2am london but first prosecco london by william blake london by william blake analysis london by english laundry london by night london by william blake theme london by edward rutherfurd london by citizen bike london by land sea and air london contra jody london contra costa london barndance contra london pro und contra london during christmas london during ww2 london during the blitz london during the industrial revolution london during winter london during christmas time london during shakespeare's time london during covid london evening standard london evening tours london evening gowns london evening standard archives london evening standard business london evening dresses london evening standard crossword london evening news archive london for christmas london for kids london for sale london for new years london for rent london for men burberry london for thanksgiving london for a week london from suite life on deck london from shahs of sunset london from suite life on deck now london from ready to love london from paris london from above london from suite life london between font free download pool in london between buildings pool in london between two buildings london cook in front of you london front of house jobs london front of house london man jumps in front of train london theatre front of house jobs japanese london cook in front of you hotel in front of london eye building in front of london eye london in march london in february london in the sky london in december weather london inside london london inside out building london indoor dining london indoor golf london indoor mask london indoor tennis courts london indoor activities london inside out london into the woods london into inr london into tier 3 london into lockdown london to tier 4 london to tier 2 london to tier 5 london into london like a local london like home london like a local book london like names london like tøj like london buses like london and nip lyrics like london grammar london made with love bridal london bridge made of london museum made of metal london buildings made of portland stone london eye made of what is london made of london dry gin made of london is made up of two cities london near me london near toronto london near paris london near country london near places london near city