Often, we find that individuals who struggle with substance abuse are not suffering from only addiction. There are several co-occurring disorders to consider when analyzing a person’s need for substance abuse. Moreover, these issues often go hand-in-hand with the addiction itself.1
Comorbidity is not as dark a term as it seems at first glance. Comorbidity is defined as two or more diseases or disorders occurring in an individual at one time. It is more easily stated by using the term co-occurring disorders rather than comorbid disorders.
Comorbidity can occur both psychologically and physiologically. Upon occasion, it can be difficult to discern what disorder or disease occurred first. Regardless, both issues are present at the same time, and both would need treatment simultaneously. However, the treatment may be more complex when the two disorders interfere with one another, and they can even lead to a vicious cycle.