What if a person has an addiction and a psychiatric problem at the same time?
Chemical dependency causes changes in the way the brain functions. Because of these changes, individuals who are dependent on substances often experience psychiatric problems, such as anxiety, depression, confusion mood swings, hallucinations, irritability, insomnia, memory loss, and poor impulse control. Some individuals struggling with chemical dependency report psychiatric problems prior to their first use of alcohol or drugs. For these individuals, alcohol or drug use may have begun as a solution for their psychiatric problems. Whether the psychiatric problems began before or after the addiction, both problems are treatable while in residential treatment.
