01/30/2026
Empathy is foundational in treating substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions—especially across inpatient and outpatient settings, where shame, fear and mistrust often run high. In substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health care, empathy is the ability to understand a person’s behavior in the context of their pain, survival strategies and nervous system—without excusing harm or abandoning boundaries.
It’s not sympathy.
It’s not agreement.
It’s accurate attunement + respect + accountability.
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