What Is Comorbidity?

The majority of people struggling with a substance abuse issue have co-occurring mental health or medical disorder. Addiction and substance abuse disorders are on the rise, with unintentional drug overdoses becoming so common that clearing a public health emergency helped combat the opiate epidemic.

Pearl of the Sea Recovery offers a drug addiction treatment center to help you get started on your path to recovery. But, what is comorbidity?

Co-occurring disorders are when you have substance abuse and mental health disorder. Nearly half of all people with a substance abuse disorder have a co-occurring condition. Unfortunately, many people battling substance abuse and mental health disorders may also have medical problems.

Having an underlying medical or mental health disorder can play a significant role in substance abuse problems. Symptoms may cause you to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol or could begin to worsen because of your drug or alcohol use. Our dual diagnosis treatment center can address both your addiction and any underlying mental health disorder.

When you have two conditions, which can be any combination of mental health and medical disorders, you are said to have comorbidity conditions.

WHAT IS COMORBIDITY?

So, what is comorbidity? Comorbidity is when you have two or more mental health or medical problems. These conditions can occur at the same time or occur one after another. For instance, you could have a substance abuse problem, recover, and then receive a diabetes diagnosis. Or, you could have a substance abuse problem and suffer from diabetes at the same time. In both instances, you would have comorbidity conditions.

While there’s an infinite number of comorbidity conditions, some of the most common to occur in combination with substance abuse disorders are:

• Severe back and neck pain
• Chronic migraines
• Mood disorders, depression, and trauma
• Depression, anxiety, and insomnia
• Diabetes, thyroid problems, and pituitary issues
• Joint pain and stiffness caused by arthritis
• Personality and psychotic disorders

Sometimes, comorbidity conditions can make it more difficult to treat substance abuse. When you suffer from chronic pain, your symptoms could worsen when you begin to detox and withdrawal. Your treatment options for chronic pain also become more restricted during recovery, preventing you from taking narcotic pain relievers. If you are asking what is comorbidity and discover that you may have comorbidity conditions, it is important to find a treatment center that can help support you during recovery.

HOW COMORBIDITY IS TREATED

Comorbidity treatment in St. Augustine, FL offers you the ability to find the support you need to manage comorbidity conditions. Receiving help from a treatment center ensures that qualified medical and mental health professions can monitor your conditions. Staff will also better understand your personal needs and can create an individualized treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms through an addiction recovery coaching program.

CONTACT PEARL OF THE SEA RETREAT TODAY

Now that you found the answer to the question of what is comorbidity and how is it treated, it is important to find a treatment center that best meets your needs. Asking for help may seem overwhelming, but it can be as simple as making one phone call. Pearl of the Sea Retreat, which has the best dual diagnosis treatment center St. Augustine FL offers, is here to lead you to recovery. To find out more about our programs and your treatment options, call us today at 866-962-1907.