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

It is not uncommon for someone with HIV/AIDS to end up in an addiction rehabilitation center receiving help for severe addiction issues. Sometimes individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol are predisposed to such diseases because of certain circumstances which afflict the drug culture such as sharing dirty needles to inject drugs or becoming involved in risky sexual behavior because of lowered sexual inhibitions caused by drug use. Persons with HIV/AIDS should have effective treatment just like any otherwise healthy addicted individual. Drug and alcohol treatment facilities that accept and cater to persons with HIV/AIDS offer specialized care to address any health issues that may come up in the course of treatment. This way, any physical barriers to recovery are resolved so that they can conquer their addiction once and for all.

Gays and Lesbians can sometimes have unique treatment needs when receiving substance abuse rehabilitation. A specialized curriculum and treatment atmosphere which is conducive to the needs of gays and lesbians is obtainable at certain drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs across the nation which recognize the unique needs and challenges which gays and lesbians will experience during treatment. Gay and lesbians can achieve full rehabilitation and recovery just like any other individual in treatment, although it can be helpful for gays and lesbians to be in a supportive setting which doesn't judge them or segregate them because of their sexual preference.

Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in the United States offer payment assistance to people struggling with drug or alcohol addiction and want to get help. The individual in need of rehabilitation can select a rehab program which is a good fit, meaning the treatment plan and design of the program would offer them the best results. The addicted individual can then seek advice from one of the treatment professionals at the drug treatment center to talk about what kind of payment assistance options are available or that they qualify for. The financial department in most drug rehab programs are more than willing to work with potential clients to get them started by offering payment assistance, and if this is unavailable, treatment professionals will typically work with the individual to find an equivalent or similar rehabilitation facility which is more affordable or that can provide workable financing options so that they can get the rehabilitation they so desperately need.