While exploring these concepts, share your answers to the following questions:
There is a difference between a mood disorder that a person is self-treating by abusing substances versus mood disorder symptoms that are caused by the abuse of substances. How might you distinguish between the two?
Some therapists will not treat a person who is abusing substances until he or she stops using the substance, while others believe you have to address the other issues to get the substance abuse to stop. If you are faced with a client who has a mood disorder and abuses alcohol, which issue do you think should be addressed first? Why?