Last Updated:
January 30th, 2026
Mental Health
What is a dual diagnosis?
A dual diagnosis describes a situation where someone is living with both a mental health condition and an addiction at the same time. Rather than existing separately, these two experiences tend to influence each other in ways that can make recovery more complicated. A person might use substances to cope with distressing thoughts or emotions linked to their mental health or their substance use may begin to worsen existing psychological symptoms.
Because of this overlap, it can be difficult to tell where one issue ends and the other begins. Symptoms can blur together, change over time or mask what is really going on underneath. This is one of the reasons people with a dual diagnosis are sometimes misunderstood or misdiagnosed, especially if only one side of the picture is being addressed.
What are the most common types of dual diagnoses?
It’s important to state that any type of mental health condition and an addiction can become a dual diagnosis but some are more common than others. This is usually due to how one influences the other on a psychological and sometimes even biological level.
Below, we take a look at some of the most common:
ADHD and addiction
ADHD and addiction can overlap because difficulties with impulse control and reward processing increase vulnerability to substance use. When both are present, coping patterns can reinforce one another and make recovery feel more complex. Treatment tends to work best when attention differences and addictive behaviour are explored together.
ADHD and addiction
ADHD and porn addiction
People with ADHD may be more prone to compulsive porn use due to heightened reward sensitivity and difficulty pausing urges. This pattern can become self-reinforcing and hard to step away from. Recovery is usually more effective when both attention regulation and compulsive behaviour are addressed.
ADHD and porn addiction
Autism and addiction
Autism and addiction can intersect when substances are used to manage anxiety, social pressure or sensory overwhelm. Differences in communication and emotional processing can shape how addiction develops and how support is received. Recovery benefits from an approach that feels structured, predictable and individually adapted.
Autism and addiction
Depression and addiction
Depression and addiction frequently exist side by side, with substance use sometimes filling the gap left by low mood or emotional numbness. Any relief tends to be brief, while difficulties deepen beneath the surface. Treating both together helps support steadier progress and reduces the risk of setbacks.
Depression and addiction
Anxiety and addiction
Anxiety can lead people toward substances as a way to quiet physical tension or persistent worry. As reliance grows, anxiety may become more intense rather than settling. When these issues overlap, recovery usually involves understanding fear-driven habits and building safer ways to manage distress.
Anxiety and addiction
Schizophrenia and addiction
Schizophrenia and addiction can appear together when substances are used to cope with distressing thoughts or internal experiences. This combination can affect stability and engagement with care. Recovery usually works best through joined-up support that addresses mental health symptoms alongside addictive behaviour.
Schizophrenia and addiction
ADHD and sex addiction
Impulsivity and reward sensitivity linked to ADHD can increase vulnerability to compulsive sexual behaviour. This can lead to cycles of loss of control and shame that feel difficult to interrupt. Recovery tends to be more effective when attention-related challenges and sexual compulsivity are worked through together.
ADHD and sex addiction
Depression and sex addiction
Sexual behaviour can become a way to escape emotional heaviness or numbness linked to depression. While it may bring brief relief, it can deepen distress and self-criticism. Recovery is more effective when both depressive symptoms and compulsive sexual patterns are addressed together.
Depression and sex addiction
Bipolar disorder and addiction
Bipolar disorder can raise the risk of addiction, particularly during mood changes that affect judgement and impulse control. Substances may seem to bring balance at first but usually disrupt stability further. Addressing both conditions together supports safer recovery and emotional steadiness.
Bipolar disorder and addiction
ADHD and gambling addiction
The speed and stimulation of gambling can strongly appeal to people with ADHD. Difficulties with impulse control can make stopping feel especially challenging once habits form. Recovery works best when gambling behaviour is explored alongside the underlying attention-related differences.
ADHD and gambling addiction
How are dual diagnoses treated in addiction recovery?
Treating a dual diagnosis means recognising that mental health and addiction are closely linked, rather than separate problems to be handled one after the other. When both are present, recovery works best when support looks at how they interact and influence each other, rather than focusing on substance use alone.
Treatment usually begins with a detailed assessment to build a clear picture of the mental health difficulties someone is living with, alongside their relationship with alcohol or drugs. This understanding helps shape a plan that supports both areas side by side, allowing progress in one to support progress in the other.
Below are some of the main therapeutic approaches commonly used in dual diagnosis treatment, with an explanation of how each supports both addiction recovery and mental health.
- Helps uncover thought processes that drive substance use and reinforce cravings.
- Supports the development of healthier responses to stress or internal pressure.
- Can reduce symptoms linked to anxiety or low mood by challenging unhelpful beliefs.
- Helps manage intense urges that can lead to relapse.
- Builds skills for coping with emotional overwhelm in safer ways.
- Allows difficult memories or patterns linked to addiction to be talked through safely.
- Encourages insight into emotional triggers that influence behaviour.
- Supports self-understanding and emotional processing at a steady pace.
- Create connection through shared experience, reducing isolation.
- Offer perspective by hearing how others manage similar challenges.
- Support confidence and communication in a structured setting.
If physical dependence on a substance is present, detox may need to happen first so the body can stabilise before therapeutic work begins. This stage creates the foundation for engaging fully in treatment and addressing both sides of a dual diagnosis with clarity and care.
What are the next steps?
If you are living with both mental health challenges and addiction, you do not have to face it alone. Reaching out can help you feel steadier, understood and supported as you take your next step forward.