Comorbidity and Dual-diagnosis

Let's drop some psycho-education for #mentalhealthawarenessmonth. ⁣
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Often times a person living with mental illness can be impacted by more than one disorder, this is called comorbidity. For example, you may be diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) but also have varying symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This is SUPER common, though symptoms tend to be more severe than they would be if isolated. Treatment would not be drastically different but medication would be important to get right. When you work with a psychotherapist, diagnosis is not the main focus. The goal here would be to provide you with coping skills while working to get down to the root and underlying cause of the symptoms. ⁣
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Dual-diagnosis (or co-occuring disorder) is when a person has a mental health condition along with a substance use disorder. This makes sense as people generally use substances to self-medicate and cope with the symptoms of their diagnosis. That's why it's so important to heal your mental health when working with addiction and to learn healthier coping skills to manage your condition. If symptoms stay low, you decrease the need to self-medicate in the first place. ⁣
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Please know that you are not alone. In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 adults live with mental illness. While 1 out of 10 Americans have a drug or alcohol addiction. There is no shame in getting help, in fact I see it as boss move of hope. You deserve to live a healthier life- don't let the shame of seeking treatment stop you from that. ​