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Anyone suffering through a concurrent mental health and addiction problem needs help even more desperately than a mentally healthy substance abuser. The stakes are significantly higher, and the social and physical cost of the substance abuse can grow quickly. A concurrent disorder is more difficult to diagnose and treat, but the earlier treatment is initiated, the better the prognosis is.

Since substance abuse makes pharmaceutical compliance less likely, and relapse to an addiction can also trigger relapse to mental health deficits, after care, family support, and behavioral strategies that minimize the temptations to use are very important. A long term residential rehabilitation program can give the addict the tools they'll need to avoid temptation, can educate the family of the supportive role they can play in relapse prevention, and ensure that appropriate psychiatric medications are prescribed, and taken, during the initial period of substance abuse recovery.

With appropriate treatment, concurrent mental health and addictions problems can be beaten.