Dual Diagnosis

Services which support anyone who has been received a dual diagnosis (also referred to as co-occurring disorders) - a term for when someone experiences a mental illness and a substance use disorder simultaneously.

Either disorder — substance use or mental illness — can develop first. People experiencing a mental health condition may turn to alcohol or other drugs as a form of self-medication to improve the mental health symptoms they experience. However, research shows that alcohol and other drugs worsen the symptoms of mental illnesses.