The Relationship Between Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Mental health and substance abuse often create a circle within individuals that makes both conditions more difficult. Here at Memphis Recovery, we don’t diagnose mental health problems. However, we have both a physician and a psychiatrist on staff and can address mental health conditions. With the help of dual diagnosis treatment, you or your loved one can overcome both addiction and mental health conditions. With individualized plans for each client, you’ll understand the intricate dance between mental health and substance abuse. Being aware of how these two conditions interact will help make your road to recovery easier to navigate and will lessen the chances of relapse. Mental Illness Awareness Week seems the perfect time to see how these two things often interact. For more information about your treatment options, contact Memphis Recovery Centers today at 866.304.8254.

What is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

When you experience both a substance abuse disorder and a mental health issue, you are said to have a dual diagnosis. When this is the case, it is not important which came first. However, it is important that you seek treatment for both issues. The two tend to become entwined and can lead to a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. Bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders are the two most common mental health conditions that accompany substance abuse. Yet another is PTSD, which requires a trauma-based therapy program.

Which Came First?

Scientists agree that mental health issues and substance abuse issues often show up together. What they don’t all agree upon is which is most likely to have come first. This disagreement is because that can be different for each individual. The only thing they are sure of is that one causes the other to be worse, and both need treatment when they are present at the same time. Let’s look at each scenario.

An individual with depression or anxiety will often take a drink or some drug to ease their symptoms. Since the bad feelings return, the individual returns again and again to the self-medication. In the meantime, the individual’s body begins to crave the sensations the drugs or alcohol produce. As you consume the substance more often, you begin to experience money issues, family problems, and even legal issues. These problems add to the depression or anxiety, leading the individual to return to self-medication. The cycle continues, continually getting worse. Eventually, something has to give, and the individual experiences a crash, both mentally and physically.

Our Programs

Every program looks different at Memphis Recovery. We understand that no two people have reached the point of seeking our help the same way, and therefore, no two recovery roads can be identical. We combine our programs in a way to offer you the tools to carry into your future. You may find yourself experiencing:

Whatever your individualized program consists of, we will design it to lift you up, give you strength, and increase your power to change and grow.

Healing at Memphis Recovery Centers

You or your loved one do not need to struggle with addiction any longer. Reach out and contact Memphis Recovery at 866.304.8254 today and talk with our intake specialist to see how we can help get you started on your healing path to recovery. Your program will be designed solely for you, making it all the more potent than a cookie-cutter version often used at for-profit rehab centers. Your decision to seek treatment takes strength and courage. You deserve nothing less than a program that cares about what you need the most. Reach out to Memphis Recovery Centers today.


memphis recovery center logo, the best rehab and addiction treatment center in memphis tennessseMemphis Recovery Centers Memphis Recovery Centers, Inc., (MRC) provides compassionate treatment services for youth and adults suffering from substance addiction and co-occurring disorders, utilizing professional methods to improve spiritual, physical, emotional, social and occupational well-being. Learn More