An issue that is shared by the mental health, medical, and criminal justice fields involves differentiating substance abuse disorders from other mental health disorders.
In your initial post, address the following:
Identify how substance use or abuse could mimic another mental illness. Please include the substances and potential symptoms.
Describe factors that you would look for in differentiating a mental health disorder from a substance abuse disorder.
Conclude with how you would assess and determine an accurate diagnosis for the client.
Provide a rationale for your responses and include at least two peer-reviewed journal articles as support.