A mood disturbance is any condition which prevents a victim from properly regulating or adjusting to her emotional state. Mood disorder victims, in other words, are incapable of coping with emotional highs and lows, and are thus in an important sense quite literally slaves to their own feelings. The net result is, obviously, an extraordinarily unpleasant way of being…which perhaps explains why so many victims of mood disturbances resort to substance abuse as a means of dulling the pain.

The obvious corollary here is that an addict suffering from a mood disturbance can’t get sober without first achieving meaningful psychological recovery. In practical terms, that means that the best addiction treatment centers are those which use dual diagnosis techniques to address patients’ underlying mental health issues. The most successful drug and alcohol rehab promotes holistic healing, and helps addicts get better from the inside-out. With so much to lose, and so much more to win, you’d be making a gross mistake if you didn’t resolve to learn that lesson for yourself.

Social phobia is exactly what it sounds like: a fear of social interaction. It’s important to note, though, that social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is by no means a choice, or a product of rational will. On the contrary, it’s a disease, and like all diseases it can only be eradicated with expert clinical help. Victims of social phobia cannot reason their way to healing. They cannot simply decide to get better, or resolve to overcome their pathology. On the contrary, they need help from caregivers they can trust. Any other course of action is a recipe for failure.

It’s also important to note here that there exists a strong correlation between social phobia and substance abuse. This is perhaps unsurprising. Social phobics are subject to acute psychological distress in social situations, and thus are likely to turn to drugs and alcohol as means of relief. That connection, of course, means that addiction treatment can only be successful if it includes intensive psychological counseling. In fact, successful dual diagnosis can mean the difference between the success and failure of a rehab program. If you or someone you care about is a victim of addiction and social phobia, it’s well past time you learned that for yourself.