Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders must handle both issues if there is any hope for them to recover completely. Some people take drugs or alcohol to alleviate symptoms of mental health problems, and some individuals take drugs which then, in turn, creates symptoms which are identical to mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Addiction treatment professionals know how to differentiate between the two, and can work with clients to properly treat real mental health conditions in tandem with any other substance abuse treatment that is done with the individual. This has proven to be effective in keeping people with mental health problems off of drugs and mentally stable and happy.