When life feels overwhelming, and emotions or behaviors seem out of control, it’s natural to wonder: Am I struggling with a mental health disorder, an addiction, or both? If you’ve found yourself caught in a cycle of substance use, mood swings, or unhealthy habits, you may be searching for answers—trying to pinpoint when it all started and whether you can change course.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many people facing addiction or mental health challenges experience confusion about what’s really going on. The truth is, addiction and mental health disorders are closely connected. Sometimes one develops before the other, but in many cases, they fuel each other, making it difficult to separate their effects. Understanding how these conditions interact is the first step toward getting the right support.

The Overlap Between Addiction and Mental Health

If you or someone you care about is caught in a cycle of unhealthy behaviors, you may find yourself wondering: Is this caused by a mental health disorder? Or is it the result of addiction?

As time goes on, it can become difficult to pinpoint when it all started or whether change is even possible. This uncertainty is a common experience for those struggling with mental health challenges, addiction, or both. The overlap between substance use and mental health symptoms can make it feel like nothing is working, leaving you feeling stuck and unsure of the next step.

If you’re struggling today—or even if today feels manageable but you fear that might change—you are not alone. It’s understandable to want clarity, to make sense of what you’re experiencing, and to find a real explanation for what’s happening. Having the right information empowers you to move forward and regain control of your life.

You deserve to know what you’re facing. You deserve to understand yourself beyond your struggles. And most importantly, you deserve access to the help that can support long-term healing. However, the answer isn’t always simple either-or. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders frequently coexist, a condition known as a co-occurring disorder.

How Are Addiction and Mental Health Disorders Related?

To understand how addiction and mental health conditions overlap, it helps to define each separately:

• Mental Health Disorders: Conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder affect mood, thinking, and behavior. They can make daily life feel overwhelming and often interfere with work, relationships, and self-care.

• Addiction (Substance Use Disorder): A pattern of compulsive substance use despite negative consequences. Addiction affects brain function, decision-making, and emotional regulation, making it difficult to stop using even when a person wants to.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that addiction and mental health disorders are completely separate. In reality, addiction itself is a mental health disorder. It causes significant changes in brain chemistry, leading to symptoms that affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior.

While not everyone with a mental health disorder develops an addiction, many do. And not everyone with an addiction has a separate mental health condition, but the two often go hand in hand.

What Is a Co-Occurring Disorder?

A co-occurring disorder, also known as a dual diagnosis, occurs when someone has both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder (SUD) at the same time. These conditions are closely linked, often worsening each other. Co-occurring disorders are incredibly common, and it often makes both conditions feel more intense. Some people turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental health conditions, while others develop mental health struggles due to long-term substance use, which alters brain chemistry and emotional regulation.

Research from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) highlights how common co-occurring disorders are:

• 9.5 million adults in the U.S. have both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder.

• 43.7% of people with a substance use disorder also have a diagnosed mental illness.

• 16.5% of people with a mental illness also struggle with substance use.

Because these conditions influence each other, treating one while ignoring the other can make recovery more difficult. Integrated treatment—addressing both addiction and mental health at the same time—provides the best path forward.

If you have a co-occurring disorder, you might:

• Use alcohol or drugs to cope with stress, anxiety, or trauma.

• Feel like you can’t function without substances.

• Experience worsening mental health symptoms as substance use continues.

• Feel overwhelmed by mood swings, intrusive thoughts, or emotional numbness.

Common mental health conditions linked to substance use include:

• Depression: Many people with depression use alcohol or drugs to escape feelings of sadness, but substances can make depression worse over time.

• PTSD: Those with past trauma may use substances to suppress distressing memories or emotions.

• Anxiety Disorders: Alcohol or drugs may temporarily ease anxiety, but they often lead to increased panic, worry, and emotional instability.

• Bipolar Disorder: Individuals may turn to substances to manage extreme highs and lows, but this often leads to more instability.

• OCD and ADHD: These conditions can cause impulsive behaviors that increase the risk of substance use.

Since co-occurring disorders make it difficult to determine which symptoms come from which condition, it’s important to seek a professional diagnosis from someone trained in both mental health and addiction.

Am I Drinking or Using Drugs Because of Addiction or a Mental Health Disorder?

A common question people ask themselves is: Am I using substances because I’m struggling with a mental health disorder, or do I have an addiction? The answer isn’t always simple, but understanding your “why” is key.

Ask yourself:

• Am I using substances to self-medicate my emotions? (e.g., to quiet anxiety, numb trauma, or lift my mood)

• Am I using it to cope with daily stress or difficult circumstances?

• Do I feel like I can’t function without substances?

• Have I tried to stop but found it too difficult?

• Is substance use causing problems in my life, but I continue anyway?

Substance use alone doesn’t always mean someone has an addiction or a co-occurring disorder. But if substance use is consistently causing negative consequences—or if you feel like you’re losing control—it may be time to seek help.

How Do I Get an Accurate Diagnosis?

If you’re unsure whether you’re struggling with addiction, a mental health disorder, or both, a professional assessment is the best way to get answers. Mental health and addiction specialists can help determine:

• Whether substance use has crossed into addiction.

• Whether an underlying mental health disorder is contributing to substance use.

• The best treatment options to help you find relief and long-term recovery.

A proper diagnosis doesn’t just label a problem—it opens the door to solutions. The right treatment can help you feel validated, supported, and understood.

Finding the Right Path Forward

No matter what you’re struggling with, you don’t have to figure this out alone. Whether it’s addiction, a mental health disorder, or both, treatment can help you regain control and build a better future.

Professional treatment provides:

• Therapy to understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

• Medical support for withdrawal, cravings, and symptom management.

• Dual diagnosis care to treat addiction and mental health conditions together.

• Peer support through groups like AA, NA, or mental health recovery communities.

You have the power to change your path. Recovery isn’t about willpower—it’s about learning new ways to manage life’s challenges without relying on substances. And the good news is, once you choose treatment, you’ll never have to walk through recovery alone.