What are Co-Occurring Disorders?

   People are diagnosed with co-occurring disorders when they have both a substance use disorder and a psychiatric disorder.

   A substance use disorder is:
• Alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence (alcoholism; alcohol addiction).
• Drug Abuse or drug dependence (drug addiction).
  People are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder when they have problems with feelings, thinking, functioning, or relationships that are not due to drug or alcohol use and are not the result of a medical illness.

Some common psychiatric disorders are:
•Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Mood disorders such as major depression, dysthmia, and bipolar disorder.
•Thought disorders such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders
   Treating both co-occurring disorders at the same time builds a foundation for a recovery that will last. This is called Integrated Treatment and it involves a combination of the following:
• Correctly diagnosing both disorders.
• Learning how both disorders interact with each other and what types of treatment are available.
• Exploring what your motivation and commitment are to deal with your substance use and psychiatric problems.
• Using therapies that teach new skills and provide new understanding of your illnesses and how they work, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
• The correct way to take medication.
• Getting your friends and family involved in your treatment, including education and skill development.
• Making sure you keep and maintain your recovery checkups. They will help monitor whether your psychiatric symptoms and substance use problems have returned.

   People with co-occurring disorders can benefit from attending peer support groups. They can also benefit from connecting with others who have co-occurring disorders and are in recovery.

Are Co-Occurring Disorders Common?
   Co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders are common.
   In a survey of people who had ever been diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence, more than half (52 percent) had also experienced a mental disorder at some time in their lives.
   An even larger proportion (59 percent) of people with a history of other drug abuse or dependence also had experienced a mental disorder.
   Mental health problems often occur before substance abuse problems by 4 to 6 years; alcohol or other drugs may be used to self-medicate to deal with the symptoms of the mental disorder.
   For some cases, substance abuse occurs before mental health problems. For instance, anxiety and depression may develop because of stress from broken relationships, lost employments, and other situations directly related to a drug-using lifestyle.

Co-Occurring Services at Frontier Health
Frontier Health offers a continuum of co-occurring services for children, adolescents, and adults to include:
• Education, consultation and referral
• Assessment and screening
• Individual, Group and Family therapy
• Case Management
• Gender specific and traditional intensive outpatient programs
• Residential treatment for adults

• Social Detoxification

•M edically Monitored Detoxification

Please refer to Frontier Health Service Guide links for specific locations for services.

In Tennessee
Bristol Regional Counseling Center
Charlotte Taylor Center
Church Street Pavilion
Erwin Mental Health Center
Hancock County Mental Health Clinic
Hawkins County Mental Health Center
Holston Children & Youth Services
Holston Counseling Center
Johnson County Counseling Center
Nolachuckey-Holston Area Mental Health Center
Tennessee Community Support

Victory Center
Watauga Behavioral Health Services

In Virginia
(Funding in partnership with Planning District One Behavioral Health Services)
Lee County Behavioral Health Services
Scott County Behavioral Health Services
Wise County Behavioral Health Services

Resources
National Institute of Mental Health. “Health and outreach.” Available at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/index.shtml.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “FAQ for the general public.” Available at www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English/default.htm

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Drugs of abuse information.” Available at www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages.html.