Dual diagnosis (also referred to as co-occurring disorders) is a term that refers to when a person is dealing with a mood disorder like anxiety or bipolar disorder at the same time that they’re struggling with a dependence on alcohol or drugs. According to a national survey on drug use and health done in 2014, 7.9 million people were undergoing substance abuse or chemical dependency at the same time that they were dealing with a mental disorder.
Half of those people – at 4.1 million – were men.
Those numbers are likely to be higher now as increasing numbers of people have access to healthcare and feel more comfortable confessing their problems and getting help!