Addiction and mental health treatment go hand in hand. At our intensive outpatient treatment program in Greenwich, mental illnesses and substance use disorders are treated simultaneously, providing faster relief from your symptoms, reduced risk of relapse, and overall higher quality of life once you’ve completed treatment.
By taking this multifaceted approach to substance use and mental disorders, people with addiction can get the targeted services they need, not just to achieve abstinence but to learn to thrive in their new lives in recovery.
Prevalence of Substance Use and Mental Health Conditions
Both substance use and mental health disorders are widespread in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 57.8 million adults in the United States have a current mental health diagnosis. This accounts for roughly one in five adults.[1]
Similarly, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that 44.3 million adults — or 18.1% of the United States population — have an active substance use disorder.[2]
These two groups have substantial overlap with one another. People with mental health disorders are far more likely to engage in drug use and addiction, and people with substance use disorders are far more likely to develop a mental health disorder.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 37.9% of people with substance use disorders have an active mental health diagnosis and that 18.2% of people with a mental illness have a co-occurring substance use disorder.[3]
Why Substance Use and Mental Health Issues Co-Occur
There are several theories for why substance use and mental health disorders happen together so frequently. The most common explanations for why people experience addiction include genetic factors, age of first use, and emotional, psychological, and social challenges throughout development.
Similarly, mental health disorders are caused by a combination of genetics, upbringing, and environmental circumstances. The causes for each disorder overlap significantly, and both typically require professional intervention for people to achieve recovery.
Further, one disorder will often lead to another. There are two main theories for this effect.
Self-Medication
The self-medication hypothesis explains how mental health conditions can lead to the development of a substance use disorder. Depending on their specific diagnosis, people can experience intense and uncomfortable mental health symptoms such as:
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Chronically depressed mood
- Lack of motivation
- Fatigue
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Unexpected weight changes
- A feeling of hopelessness
When mental health disorders are left untreated, these symptoms can quickly become unbearable. People will often turn to drugs or alcohol as a means of coping with their symptoms, which can ultimately lead to addiction.
The problem occurs because drugs or alcohol can often substantially reduce mental health symptoms. However, these benefits are short-lived and quickly begin to require higher doses and more frequent administration to provide any mental health symptom relief. This spirals into dependency and addiction and leaves the root cause of the mental health disorder unaddressed.
Substance-Induced Mental Health Disorders
The second pathway is known as substance-induced mental health disorders. People who develop a substance use disorder often experience crippling symptoms and external consequences, which can lead to feelings of depression or anxiety.
When people develop a mental health disorder as a result of an addiction, their mental health symptoms often remain even after they’ve achieved abstinence. These people will still need extensive behavior therapy and treatment planning to achieve a more holistic recovery.
How an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program in Greenwich Can Help
Connecticut Center for Recovery’s intensive outpatient treatment program in Greenwich is committed to helping people recover from both mental health and substance use simultaneously. Our intensive outpatient program (IOP) uses several strategies to help people in their path to recovery.
Evidence-Based Addiction Intervention
Substance use disorders can be incredibly debilitating, but decades of research have proven they are treatable. Most people who seek help from an addiction treatment facility will recover from their substance use disorder.
We use several evidence-based techniques in our program, including:
- 12-step facilitation
- Relapse prevention programming
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Family therapy
Each of these interventions has been shown to reduce the risk of relapse, decrease cravings, and help people achieve lasting sobriety.
Targeted Mental Health Treatment at an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program in Greenwich, CT
The science of mental health treatment has been expanding for decades, with several effective options for helping people achieve lasting recovery. Some of the approaches used to treat mental health disorders at the Connecticut Center for Recovery include:
- Peer support groups
- Family counseling
- Prescription medications
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Social skills training
Our mental health program is designed to cater to a wide variety of mental health disorders and provide you with the support you need to overcome your symptoms.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment
Dual-diagnosis treatment is a style of treatment that treats both addiction and mental health disorders simultaneously. It combines both types of interventions listed above and is an overall philosophy throughout our treatment program.
Science has shown that treating both mental health and substance use disorders together provides significantly higher chances of treatment success. When both disorders are overcome, you’re more likely to find that you enjoy your life in sobriety, and you have an easier time maintaining it.
Start Treatment Today at an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program in Greenwich, CT
To increase your chances of overcoming an addiction, you must also address your mental health concerns while in IOP. To get started at Connecticut Center for Recovery, call one of our counselors or complete our online contact form for more information.
Sources:
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
[2]https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt42728/NSDUHDetailedTabs2022/NSDUHDetailedTabs2022/NSDUHDetTabsSect5pe2022.htm
[3] https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/comorbidity/comorbidity-substance-use-other-mental-disorders-infographic

Alexis earned both a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University and an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. She holds licenses in Marriage and Family Therapy in Florida, Connecticut, and Massachusetts and is also a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Alexis works with families, couples, children, and groups and also has a sub-specialty in addiction and recovery. She utilizes an integrated, systemic approach to counseling; empowering people to define what is not working for them in their lives and to discover the possibilities for making life work. In doing this, clients are guided towards identifying their strengths, accessing their resources, tapping into their potential for success, and taking action toward achieving their desired goals.
Alexis also has extensive experience in the administration of behavioral health organizations. She has developed, built, and supervised several facilities encompassing all levels of care while leading them through state licensing and The Joint Commission accreditation process.