When I went to treatment in 1989, about 6 percent of my fellow patients showed up at the front door with more than one problem. In addition to their addiction, they also struggled with what is commonly referred to as a "co-occurring disorder" — such things as depression, an eating disorder or schizophrenia.

Today, about 65 percent of the patients arrive for treatment with multiple problems. Why? For one thing, the drugs of abuse are stronger and can cause related brain disorders that show up as depression or other mental illnesses. For another, people typically wait longer before seeking treatment, either because of shame, lack of resources or there is a waiting list. By the time they get help, they're sicker.

But the primary reason is that experts in the addiction treatment field have gotten better at diagnosing these multiple disorders. It is a double-edged sword for patients and the professionals who must treat them.

Dear Mr. Moyers: I fear I'm at the end of my rope. For the third time in five years, I've completed alcoholism treatment. I actually do pretty well when I am there, and I'm able to stay sober for a while once I get out. But you guessed it — for the third time I'm back at it, drinking.

What happens is that my eating spirals out of control. It's like the food is a drug, so I feel better when I eat, and I overeat. In my last treatment, I was diagnosed as a compulsive overeater. I eat, I feel shame, and I give up and just drink again because drinking is easier than overeating. Then at least my weight doesn't balloon. Now I'm desperate. What should I do? — Jamie B. in Hallsville, Texas

Though her problem is easy to spot, finding an adequate solution is tougher.

Dear Jamie: You probably have an eating disorder, and it doesn't make much sense to treat your alcoholism if your addiction to food isn't dealt with at the same time.

As you noted, food can have the same effect as alcohol in terms of changing your mood. Eventually, you lose control — and with it come the pain, the shame and the physical consequences of overeating. But unlike other substances, food is something you cannot avoid. Your body requires nourishment each day.

There are facilities that address both addictions. Contact the National Eating Disorders Association (800) 931-2237 or www.nationaleatingdisorders.org). If treatment isn't an option, check out Overeaters Anonymous. It is an effective 12-step program for people like you.

Sometimes it is a misguided bias against the very medications used to treat mental illness in alcoholics that gets in the way of sustainable recovery.

Dear Mr. Moyers: Next week, I will have a year of sobriety! It sure hasn't been easy. Some days, I can't get out of my bed or out of the funk, I see no hope, and the sky is black even though I am clean. My therapist-psychiatrist says I should be on medication for depression. Can I be sober if I am on a drug like Prozac? That seems to go against the rules of Alcoholics Anonymous. — Terry M. in Urbana, Ill.

Dear Terry: What's the use of seeing a therapist if you don't follow directions? Do what she says, and take your meds.

There is nothing wrong with using prescribed medications to treat depression or other mental illnesses. Many people in recovery depend on medications to anchor their sobriety. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either ignorant or irresponsible.

Some people who are no longer medicating their feelings with alcohol or other drugs end up being unable to stay sober because of other mental illnesses. The result is relapse or, worse, suicide.

Take your medication, go to recovery meetings, and don't worry about what others think. Recovery is a selfish program — you are the only one that matters.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of "Broken," a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@williammoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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