Having a substance use problem and a mental health condition at the same time is called a co-occurring disorder. It's very common. Sometimes drinking or drug use starts as a way to cope with symptoms, and sometimes the use itself causes them.
What it can look like
- Using to calm down, sleep or feel numb
- Symptoms that get worse when you try to stop
- Past treatment that helped one problem but not the other
How we help
We look at the whole picture from your first day, and your care plan covers both, so one doesn't pull the other back.
Depression is more than a bad week. It's a low mood or loss of interest that lasts for weeks and makes everyday things feel heavy. Alcohol and many drugs make it worse over time, even when they seem to help at first.
Common signs
- Feeling sad, empty or hopeless most days
- Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
- Sleeping or eating much more or less than usual
How we help
Therapy, steady routines, and medicine when it's right for you, with extra support through the low days of early recovery.
Anxiety disorders include constant worry, panic attacks and fear of social situations. Many people reach for alcohol or benzos to quiet it, which brings short relief and more anxiety later.
Common signs
- Worry you can't switch off
- Racing heart, tight chest or panic attacks
- Avoiding places or people because of fear
How we help
You learn skills that calm the body and the mind, like CBT and breathing work, so you don't need a drink or a pill to get through the day.
Trauma is what stays with you after something frightening or painful, like abuse, violence, an accident or combat. PTSD can bring flashbacks, nightmares and the feeling of always being on edge.
Common signs
- Flashbacks or nightmares
- Feeling jumpy, numb or always on guard
- Avoiding anything that brings back the memory
How we help
Trauma-informed care means you set the pace. Nobody pushes you to relive anything before you're ready.
Bipolar disorder causes big shifts in mood and energy: low, depressed stretches, and high periods called mania with little sleep, racing thoughts and risky choices. Alcohol and drugs can set off these episodes and make them harder to treat.
Common signs
- Days of very high energy with little need for sleep
- Periods of deep depression
- Impulsive spending or other risky choices during highs
How we help
Steady sleep and routine, careful medication management, and therapy that helps you spot early warning signs.
OCD means unwanted thoughts or fears that keep coming back (obsessions), and repeated actions or mental rituals to ease them (compulsions), like checking, cleaning or counting.
Common signs
- Thoughts that won't stop, even when you know they don't make sense
- Rituals that take up an hour or more a day
- Feeling unable to rest until something feels "just right"
How we help
Therapy that targets OCD directly, like exposure and response prevention (ERP), alongside your addiction care.
