Question

Considering comorbidity, why must it matter to us how and why addiction and mental disorders often go hand in hand? What does the prevalence of comorbidity say about the human condition? Use Scripture to support your answers if possible.

Answer 1

Comorbitdity can be defined as cooccurence of one or more diseases or disorders in an individual.comorbity of substance disorders and mental disorders can be called as dual diagnosis.Data has proved that a person with mood or anxiety disorder has more chances of being addicted to substance abuse than others in general.Rather substance abuse is not random it goes hand in hand with rather it is the by product of unhealed mental and emotional pain.The areas that can be concentrated on comorbitity are early intervention,education and training,many people who are addicted to drugs are diagnosed with mental health problems .Addiction has an affect on the brain in ways such as disturbing a persons needs on needs and desires,weakening ability to control impulses.The risk factors that could be associated are stress,trauma,early exposure to drugs are environmental factors that lead to mental health problems,predisposing genetic factors make a person susceptible to both mental disorders and addiction,Early symptom of mental disorder may indicate later drug use in an individual.There are significant problems with management of people with comorbidity.An assesment is to be taken on pattern of substance abuse,reasons for substance abuse,effect it may have on mental disorder,nature of mental disorder and treatment.Comorbidity should be present in response to a therapy for mental disorder or substance abuse.