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14 DRUG USE AND MENTAL HEALTH

behavior, trying to get drugs or alcohol at any cost. These behaviors are found in other mental illnesses as well. In some cases, mental illnesses aren’t diagnosed until the person has already started treatment for a substance use disorder, after the symptoms have become more recognizable. The opposite is also true: a substance use disorder may not be noticed until someone seeks treatment for mental health problems.

PATHS TO DUAL DIAGNOSIS

Everybody is different, but there are a couple of basic ways people can end up with a dual diagnosis. As noted, one path begins with self-medication, when a person with a mental health disorder attempts to mask, numb, or alleviate her mental health symptoms with substances. There are many examples of self-medication. People with social anxiety, or fear of interacting with others, might drink to loosen up. They may feel better at parties, but they may also do and say things that they regret when

The ability to deal with stress can be a factor in both substance use and in certain other problems, such as anxiety disorders.