The connection between mental health and substance misuse is frequently misunderstood and underreported. In March 2025, Us Weekly presented 'The Missing Issue' - which was dedicated to an exploration of co-occurring disorders. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 48.5 million Americans battle substance misuse - and approximately 50 percent of those people are misusing substances to cope with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD. Us collaborated on 'The Missing Issue' with the harris project, a nonprofit organization that offers support for those dealing with mental health and addiction-related issues. Us subsequently spoke with The Valley cast member Jesse Lally, How I Met Your Father alum Francia Raisa and more stars about the intersection between mental health and substance misuse at the Cure Addiction Now's 2nd Annual Fundraising Evening in Beverly Hills in November 2025. Through these discussions, several celebrities reflected on their own experiences with co-occurring disorders - and what they've learned about them from their loved ones, friends and fans. Co-Occurring Disorders Experiences: Family and Friends Share Their Experiences Keep scrolling for their stories about the complex relationship between mental health and addiction. Francia Raisa Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now Former Grown-ish star Francia Raisa advocated for open and frank discussions about mental health and addiction so others do not feel alone. "All of us have mental health issues," she told Us. Raisa disclosed that she had recently been diagnosed with both "chronic PTSD and ADHD." (According to the Mayo Clinic, PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a "mental health condition that's caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event," while adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can be characterized by "difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.") "I am on medication, and I can see how certain medications that you take can lead to certain addictions. Mine aren't that, but I understand how some things make you feel like you're numbing wonderful and not dealing," she clarified. The actress also mentioned that her passion for promoting mental health and addiction awareness comes from a deeply personal place. "As someone that grew up with a father who struggled with it, sometimes it's better to go through the pain, and then on the other side, it's a lot better," she advised. "But I think with mental health issues, you just want to numb the pain." Siedah Garrett Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Cure Addiction Now Singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett shared her belief that mental health and substance misuse can be "married" because of the way they "feed off each other." "I think when one exists, the other one definitely exists," she said. "And when that happens in people, and they don't understand what's going on with them, they don't understand what's happening, it's really frightening and kind of scary." The Grammy Award-winning musician was a close collaborator with the late Michael Jackson, who died in 2019 of cardiac arrest linked to acute propofol intoxication. (Propofol is a powerful anesthetic that Jackson was misusing as a sleep aid.) Speaking to Us, Garrett argued that there is still "a stigma about mental health and drug addiction" despite a greater awareness and empathy for both conditions today. Linking Mental Health and Substance Misuse: the harris project Founder's Letter "If you have both those things going on, nobody wants to talk to you, nobody wants to help you, nobody wants to deal with your issues," she said. "But this is something that's taking our country over. It's the biggest problem among Generation X. It's the thing that's killing them the most." Looking ahead, Garrett suggested a significant shift in the way society views mental health and addiction. "It's this generation. It's the generation after," she said. "I just don't know how we cannot fix this problem. I don't think we can exist as humans, without having to find, without having found a cure for this. I think this is a necessity for humanity." Eden McCoy Leon Bennett/Getty Images Eden McCoy - who has played Josslyn Jacks on General Hospital since 2015 - explained how personal experience helped her to understand that mental health and addiction are "directly related." "I mean, addiction is a disease. It's a physical disease," she told Us. "I have had people very close to me suffer from addiction, family members, non-family members that feel like family. While I can understand the frustration that the disease brings to all parties, the victim being one party, I think that it's an extreme exercise in human empathy, and it's all about perspective." McCoy later reflected on the emotional toll of watching loved ones trying to recover from addiction. "For me, to see people that I love very dearly suffer from addi