Substance Abuse Problems Can Masquerade As Other Psychiatric Disorders

Getting an accurate diagnosis can be complicated, and even elusive, when substance use is involved. The effects of substance use can masquerade as other mental health issues and psychiatric disorders. For this reason, many substance users who seek treatment will be misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed at some point. This is often a frustrating process. It’s not uncommon, for example, for one’s diagnosis to be unclear for some time especially if there are significant symptoms that could be attributed to a condition other than substance use. Further, it is also not uncommon for diagnoses to change throughout the course of treatment.

One of the major difficulties in obtaining an accurate diagnosis is that substance users often have a very complicated history of symptoms and stressors. Individuals who have used substances over a long period of time may have symptoms directly related to substance use and another disorder simultaneously. Also, especially for people who have had only brief periods of sobriety, it is not always possible to understand where past symptoms have come from. In these cases, history — although perhaps given honestly — is not always enough. A substantial period of abstinence may be required before a thorough evaluation can be completed and other disorders are diagnosed or ruled out.

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Study Highlights Need for Substance Abuse Programs Among Highly Educated

There is a common assumption among certain cultures and societies that pursuing a higher education can automatically protect against risky behavior. By making these assumptions, opportunities for prevention and intervention can easily be missed as the higher educated are not immune to developing substance use and abuse problems.

It is important to examine evidence of substance-related problems among those with higher educations. While education tends to decrease the likelihood of substance-related addiction, assuming these individuals are immune can put them at greater risk for developing problems that could go untreated.

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Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Abuse May Be More Common Than We Think

A new study finds that anxiety, depression, and substance abuse may be twice as high in as the mental health community has been led to believe, due to the vast amount of people who don’t report or aren’t asked about their problems.

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