Substance abuse and Psychiatric disorders

In recent years there has been a growing recognition that many people with drug or alcohol problems are also experiencing a range of other psychiatric and psychological problems. The presence of concurrent psychiatric or psychological problems is likely to have an impact on the success of treatment services.

Similarly, the presence of a substance misuse problem amongst those suffering from a major

psychiatric illness often goes undetected. For example, the use of illicit drugs such as cannabis

and amphetamine is higher amongst those individuals suffering from schizophrenia (Hall, 1992) and the misuse of alcohol in people suffering from schizophrenia is well documented (e.g. Gorelick et al., 1990; Searles et al., 1990; Soyka et al., 1993). High rates of alcohol misuse have also been reported in a number of groups including women presenting for treatment with a primary eating disorder  individuals suffering from post traumatic stress disorder  from anxiety and depression.

Sunil Kumar                                       Jayasudha Kamaraj
Clinical Psychologist                          Counseling Psychologist
Founder                                               co-founder
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