People in an abusive relationship are at risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), deliberate self-harm, even suicidal thoughts or behavior. 

Co-occurring disorders, also known as dual diagnoses, refer to the presence of both a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health condition in the same person. This combination is much more common than most people realize. More than half of those with a substance use disorder will also experience a mental illness at some point in their lives, and vice versa.

Trauma is not merely an event that fades with time; it etches itself into the very fabric of our being, demanding acknowledgment and resolution. Though my experience happened in 2017, it took me four years to give the pain the acceptance and acknowledgment it needed. I got a text from someone wishing me "Happy Mother's Day," and it broke me four years later. It was at that point that I realized that our body keeps the score of every experience we go through.

Did my Depression isolate me, or did my unrealized Autism isolate me and lead to worsening Depression?

According to the American Addiction Centers, 20.3 million adults diagnosed with SUDs, and more than a 1/3 also suffer from mental illness...