Understanding the Connection Between Mental Health and Substance Use

Taking a break from alcohol and other substances often creates space for reflection. For many people, Dry January isn’t just about physical health, it’s also an opportunity to notice how alcohol or other substances may be connected to your mental well-being.

Today’s reflection:
As you reduce or remove alcohol or other substances, what changes if any are you noticing in your mood, energy, or stress levels?

What are co-occurring disorders?

Co-occurring disorders occur when a person experiences both a mental health condition and substance use concerns at the same time. These combinations are more common than many realize.

Common examples include:

• Depression and alcohol use disorder
• Anxiety and prescription drug misuse
• Bipolar disorder and substance use disorder

These conditions can develop independently, but when they occur together, they often interact in ways that intensify symptoms and complicate recovery.

Consider this:

• Do stress, anxiety, or low mood make it harder to cope day-to-day?
• Have certain habits ever felt like a way to manage overwhelming emotions?

These experiences are often signs that both areas need attention not judgment.

Why co-occurring disorders happen

There’s no single cause. Often, multiple factors contribute:

• Genetic vulnerability
• Neurochemical imbalances
• Chronic stress or trauma
• Environmental and social influences

These factors can create a cycle where mental health challenges and substance use reinforce each other.

How mental health and substance use interact

Mental health conditions and substance use disorders can feed into one another:

• Substance use may:
  • Increase mental health symptoms
  • Interfere with medications or therapy
  • Reduce emotional regulation and decision-making
• Untreated mental health conditions may:
  • Increase reliance on substances as a coping mechanism.

Making sense of overlapping symptoms

Co-occurring disorders are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, because substance use can mimic or mask symptoms like depression, anxiety, or mood swings. Accurate assessment requires a trained professional who can see the whole picture.

At Brightside, our clinicians take the time to identify both mental health and substance use challenges, ensuring the right care from the start.

Why integrated treatment matters

Treating only one concern can leave people feeling like something is missing. Integrated care focuses on the whole person mind, behavior, and emotional well-being.

In online-based individual therapy and IOP programs, integrated care may include:

• Mental health therapy
• Substance use counseling
• Medication management
• Behavioral and coping-skill development

Ask yourself:
What might change if all parts of your experience were addressed together?

Recovery and long-term management

Recovery from co-occurring disorders is possible and typically benefits from ongoing support. Long-term management may include:

• Continued therapy or counseling
• Relapse-prevention strategies
• Support networks and community resources
• Lifestyle changes that support mental and physical health

Support is part of the process

Dry January doesn’t have to be a solo challenge. Brightside’s online services including individual therapy and structured IOP can help you explore the mental and emotional side of alcohol and other substance use, without pressure or judgment.

Recognizing the connection between mental health and substance is an opportunity for clarity, compassion, and care.

If you’re wondering whether integrated therapy or an IOP program might be right for you, reach out to Brightside today. Our clinicians are here to guide you every step of the way.