The path back: Reconnecting with “the self” and others in recovery from schizophrenia and substance use disorders

Schizophrenia and substance use disorders (or SUDs for short) are two significantly complex conditions that share overlapping symptoms and result in serious complications without treatment. Research suggests that a number of complex features are associated with these disorders, including neurological, physiological and bio-psycho-social. When these conditions occur together, they often create profound experiences of disconnectedness, both with oneself and with others in the support community. An article authored by Dr. Nicole Hune and Dr. Tom McGovern at Texas Tech University explores how treatment and recovery from co-occurring schizophrenia and SUDs could benefit from viewing these conditions from an integrated neurobiological and intersubjective understanding of connectedness.