It is hard to say what comes first, addiction or mental illness. For some they go hand in hand and began around the same Time, there are also studies that say that Drug abuse makes the Mental illness worse and often activates certain symptoms. Many people use drugs and alcohol to medicate their mental issues and to feel something different but This often if not always has a negative " backfire effect " as The drugs make the symptoms worse or more visable. Certain drugs are the worst for Medicating although they appear helpful at first glance, Crystal Meth appears to give the user confidence, Joy, and sudden happiness but it attacks the pleasure centers of the brain and makes it eventually impossible to feel any pleasure of any kind, If you have depression this can be deadly. Other drugs such as LSD, Cocaine, and Pot are depressents and can severly inpact your mind and emotions. We must also consider that battling two disease at once is a definite challenge and often is too overwhelming for people who suffer from serious illnesses such as BPD.

For me I used drugs to understand who I was, searching for an Idenity, a purpose, and also way not to feel what I was feeling. To accept my sexuality, be part of something larger than myself, and to escape the inner turmoil. Often this turned what appeared to be an escape to a Nightmare, causing more pain and negative consequences.  During my last relapse I asked myself why am I doing this, it is not even fun anymore, I am not happy.. the addict searches for the ultimate high, feelings that they felt the first time, as The BPD searches for an Idenity that they can be comfortable with, both of these often are unattainable.. so what is attainable ? Life without drugs and alcohol is hard to get used to and hard to reach especially for the impulsive addict as they often do not have self control. Often times Borderlines suffer the most from addictive behaviors due to their constant search for meaning, their struggle to understand themselves and the world around them, This causes many BPD sufferes to turn to drugs or alcohol to "Cure " their negative feelings and emotions. Of course as we all know, Abusing chemicals does not Fix the problem but just compounds it further and causes more Pain and destruction.

Why Does this happen?

There are a few theories on why those who suffer from mental disorders are more susceptible to illicit drug and alcohol abuse. From a socioeconomic viewpoint, many of those who are severely afflicted by their mental illness may be living in areas where drug use is more prevalent, have fewer resources, and a smaller support network if any. In this type of situation, it is simple to see the ease with which the more vulnerable would become involved with drug and alcohol use.

Self-Medication is another strong argument that has been made in connection with substance abuse. In an attempt to get relief from the symptoms of the disorder, a drug would be used. For example, if a man suffered from severe depression, he might find temporary relief in the euphoric effects of alcohol. Conversely, if a woman with Bipolar were experiencing a manic high, she might seek out a sedating drug such as marijuana or even heroin to ease the severity of her symptoms.

there is little convincing empirical research about the correlation between personality traits and addictive behaviors. Substance abuse and dependence (alcoholism, drug addiction) is only one form of recurrent and self-defeating pattern of misconduct. People are addicted to all kinds of things: gambling, shopping, the Internet, reckless and life-endangering pursuits. Adrenaline junkies abound.

The connection between chronic anxiety, pathological narcissism, depression, obsessive-compulsive traits and alcoholism and drug abuse is well established and common in clinical practice. But not all narcissists, compulsives, depressives, and anxious people turn to the bottle or the needle. Frequent claims of finding a gene complex responsible for alcoholism have been consistently cast in doubt.

In 1993, Berman and Noble suggested that addictive and reckless behaviors are mere emergent phenomena and may be linked to other, more fundamental traits, such as novelty seeking or risk taking. Psychopaths (patients with Antisocial Personality Disorder) have both qualities in ample quantities. We would expect them, therefore, to heavily abuse alcohol and drugs. Indeed, as Lewis and Bucholz convincingly demonstrated in 1991, they do. Still, only a negligible minority of alcoholics and drug addicts are psychopaths.

Borderline Behavior

Those suffering from BPD are also prone to other impulsive behaviors, such as excessive spending, binge eating, risky sex, and drug and alcohol abuse. They often exhibit additional psychiatric problems, particularly bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other personality disorders. Symptoms typically begin in early adulthood, and once present, can interfere with relationships, work performance, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity.

In my opinion the fact that the Borderline does not have a clear cut Idenity is a major Factor in why those who suffer from this disorder abuses drugs and alcohol, They know that the behavior is bad for them but cannot abstain from the act as They have no self control and need an escape so bad that they will do almost anything to escape and have some sort of relief.

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg ? It is hard to tell without exstensive research of past behaviors and when one"s Drug use began But it is clear that Those who suffer from BPD are often likely to turn to some sort of addictive behavior To deal with the Chaos and in turn it becomes a repetive, and vicious cycle.

So where does one turn to end this cycle of abuse ? I feel that the person suffering must seek help for by issues at the same time as If You clear one up and are in recovery but not the other then they will reactivate each other and the damage and destruction will continue.

The fact that addiction and mental illness affect the same area of the brain is a major reason why they go hand in hand but there are many more social, economical, physical, and psycholgical reasons and causes. One must use a variety of tools to combat such problems such as 12 step meetings, religion(if one is a believer) , Therapy of various sorts, medication, and a "one day at a time" approach to both behavioral problems