Dual Diagnosis? 6 Mental Health Disorders That Are Common In Combination With Addiction

People can become addicted to psychoactive substances as well as behaviors — think gambling, shopping, or exercise, for instance. Though each addiction has its own potential consequences, all mess with the brain's pleasure and reward systems, essentially enslaving addicts into an endless cycle of use and cravings.

As addicts' bodies and brains get used to the addiction, they're forced to chase the substance or behavior, often at great cost to their mental, social, physical, and financial health. Though they may plan to cut back or stop, addiction pulls people into a powerful orbit it's difficult to escape from — especially without professional help. 

Why do addiction and other mental disorders often go hand in hand?

The combination of addiction and other mental disorders can arise in many ways. The many theories behind this co-occurrence all play a role in some cases, while multiple factors will play a role in many cases, too. Sometimes, a mental disorder strikes first and addiction follows. For other people, it's the other way around. In other cases still, it's more of a "chicken and egg" question, and it's hard to determine which disorder came first. 

One explanation for the high rate of other mental disorders among addicts is that the same risk factors that made a person vulnerable to addiction also played a role in the development of another mental disorder. Examples include:

• Genetics account for up to 60 percent of a person's risk of becoming addicted — with adoptee studies showing that this really is a case of nature as well as nurture. Genetics partially explain why some people's bodies react more strongly to certain pshychoactive substances or addictive behaviors. The same genetic vulnerabilities that can predispose a person to addiction can also play a role in the development of other mental disorders. 
• Epigenetics. This is a complex mechanism that basically determines, through environmental paths, which genes a person has are switched "on" or "off". When genes and life come together, epigenetics happen. Adverse early experiences can, in this way, make a person more vulnerable to addiction. 
• Exposure to serious or long-term stress is another factor that makes someone more likely to develop both substance use disorders and other mental disorders. 

The so-called "self-medication" theory also explains why many people who suffer from a mental disorder become addicted.

Self-medication with addictive substance can backfire really badly, and is, in some cases, just as likely to worsen symptoms as to improve them. It isn't difficult, however, to understand why someone would use anything they could to find an "out" from their symptoms. 

Some mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, further directly contribute to the thrill-seeking and impulsive behavior that places someone at risk of experimenting with drugs or falling into a serious gambling trap. 

It's also possible for substance use disorders to trigger brain changes that then lead to the development of other mental disorders. Illcit drug use can, for instance, increase someone's risk of schizophrenia, paranoia, anxiety, depression, and even cause drug-induced pyschosis. 

What mental disorders can co-ocur with addiction?

Though no mental disorder is uniquely associated with addiction, numerous additional diagnoses can plague someone who is also battling a substance use disorder or behavior addiction. They include:

1. Major depressive disorder (clinical depression) — one of the most frequently seen mental disorders in the general population, as well. Research has identified, for example, that over 40 percent of young people with depression use marijuana, while between 30 and 40 percent of alcoholics will experience a depressive episode. 
2. Anxiety disorders, which would include specific phobias and generalized anxiety disorder, are much more common among people who struggle with addiction as well. 
3. Bipolar disorder. Characterized by intense depressive "lows" and euphoric, energetic, or impulsive "highs", people with bipolar disorder may seek to self-medicate during depressive phases. During manic phases, imuplse control can go out the window and thrill-seeking is common. Research shows that around 60 percent of people with bipolar abuse drugs or alcohol when they are manic.
4. Schizophrenia. Just over a quarter of people with this debilitating mental disorder have been found to additionally suffer from a substance use disorder. 
5. Post-traumatic stress disorder. People who have PTSD are two to four times more likely than the general population to also develop a substance use disorder. 
6. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also poses a risk for addiction, and over a fifth of adults with ADHD are believed to have a substance use disorder of one kind or another. Alcohol, nicotine, opioids, and marijuana are the most commonly abused substances in this case. 

A final word

It is no surprise that so many people who suffer from life-destroying symptoms as a result of a mental disorder would turn to anything that can take away their pain — even for a short time. Alcohol and drugs may even, for a time, do exactly what you want them to do. In time, however, they'll hijack your brain, add new symptoms to the list, harm your physical health, and place your life entirely in their service.

Anyone who is considering self-medicating to find relief should know that this is not the way forward. Whether you have already been diagnosed or not, seek help. A combination of medications and pshychotherapy, under the professional care of a medical expert, will offer a much better path towards a full life.