Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders and Grief during Recovery

Abstract

Background Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) often experience loss and grief when recovering from addiction. With fatal overdoses and suicide rates increasing for individuals with SUDs and other mental health concerns, individuals in recovery are often faced with mourning the loss of a loved one while navigating their life in recovery. The loss of a loved one can be compounded by the effect of losing their relationship with their drug of choice. These co-occurring losses may prove overwhelming during recovery and precipitate a relapse. Objectives We wish to propose the use of two bereavement models to address the grief present for individuals with SUDs experiencing loss so that providers are better able meet the complex needs of this population. Methods This article presents two separate bereavement models that may be used to shape treatment for individuals in recovery from addiction with co-occurring grief from the loss of a loved one: the dual-process model of coping with bereavement (DPM) and the two-track model of bereavement. Results We propose the application of these two grief models in treatment for individuals with SUDs who are experiencing co-occurring grief issues. We discuss therapeutic interventions that may be utilized to support clients with co-occurring losses. Conclusion/Importance: If an individual experiences the loss of a loved one while navigating their life in recovery from a SUD, they can experience complicated grief due to co-occurring losses. These models provide an opportunity for mental health providers to help those with SUDs work through this complex grief.