Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is the continual misuse of any mind altering substance which severly interferes with the individual's physical and mental health, social situation and responsibilities.
It is not commonly treated by specialist mental health services, but rather by specific substance abuse services. If a person with mental health problems also has a substance abuse problem, the specialist mental health team would usually encourage contact for help. There are many organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors who specialise in this field.
NB Mental disorders can, and often do occur together, e.g. people with schizophrenia often get depressed, and people with anxiety may drink excessively to relieve their symptoms.
