How Do Co-Occurring Disorders Affect Veterans?
For those who have spent time in the military, leaving behind one’s military family, the routines and regimens to re-enter civilian life can be an incredibly difficult transition. Most often, the experiences men and women had in the armed forces leave lasting impressions on them, for better or for worse. The challenges of transitioning out of the military combined with potentially traumatic experiences within the military can have significant impacts on mental health. Sadly, this creates alarmingly high numbers of veterans with co-occurring disorders. What are Co-Occurring Disorders? A co-occurring disorder is when an individual with a substance use disorder [...]
What is the Relationship Between Mental Illness and Substance Use
Whether you have experienced it in your own life, or have witnessed it happen in the life of a loved one, you may have noticed that some people who battle a mental illness of some kind also struggle with substance abuse; or vice versa – someone diagnosed with substance abuse struggles with some form of a mental health disorder. While not everyone will be affected by it, individuals who battle substance abuse or a mental illness are occasionally diagnosed with what is called either a co-occurring disorder or a dual diagnosis. This is often a result of the way in [...]
