Many people with depression ask themselves this question—repeatedly. So, is there a cause? And if you find it, can you pluck it like a weed and get better?
Though healing isn’t often that simple, depression does have a cause and it is treatable. And it’s okay if you can’t identify a cause for your depression, too. Treatment can be just as effective for people who know exactly why they’re depressed and the ones who have no idea.
The causes of depression will vary widely from person to person. But for each cause–whether it’s genetics, environment, situations, or anything else–you have resources to heal.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a mental health condition characterized by low mood, hopelessness, and sadness1 that affects your daily life for 2+ weeks. Symptoms of depression and their severity often vary by person. For example, someone with severe depression may have suicidal thoughts and require intensive care. Others may experience depression as a more mild but ongoing concern, which is also called persistent depressive disorder or dysthymia. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), another type of mood disorder, correlates with the seasons.
You can have depression and another mental illness or addiction, too. For example, anxiety disorders often co-occur with depression,2 and bipolar disorder includes episodes of severe depression as a primary symptom. Depression can also occur by itself, with the DSM-5 listing distinct symptoms like
A loss of interest in daily activities
Weight loss or weight gain without trying
Feeling a sense of worthlessness and having low self-esteem
Sad or hopeless mood most of the day
It’s vital to seek a diagnosis from a healthcare professional to determine the type of depression you may have, the prevalence of your symptoms, and the types of treatment available.
Is Depression Caused by Chemical Imbalance?
Sometimes, yes. An imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain can poorly affect your mood3 and cause clinical depression. Common messaging around depression often places specific blame on low levels of dopamine and serotonin. But, this popular ‘blanket cause’ of depression is becoming less and less validated.
Harvard Medical School, for example, says,
Depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression,3 including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events.
Chemicals and neurotransmitters are part of the picture, but not nearly all of it. For instance, antidepressant medications raise neurotransmitter levels immediately, but it takes weeks to see results. Ongoing research finds new nerve connections must form and strengthen in the brain to bring relief—not just balancing out neurotransmitters.
What Is the Leading Cause of Depression?
Everyone reacts differently to life events, adversity, and abuse. Similarly, everyone has their own unique levels of neurotransmitters and nerve connections in the brain. That’s why a singular leading cause of depression can’t be identified—but we can broadly name its causes.
8 Common Causes of Depression
1. Family History and Genetics
Depression runs in families,4 so having a family history of depression, plus other risk factors, can produce depression in yourself. Adolescents with a depressed parent are 1.5–3x more likely to develop depression than other populations. Bipolar depression has particularly high chances of affecting immediate family members. Identical twins, for example, are 60–80% likely to share their diagnosis of bipolar with the other.
Several genes affect how we respond to stress, which can increase or decrease the likelihood of developing depression. Genes turn off and on to help you adapt to life, but they don’t always adapt helpfully. They can change your biology enough to lower your mood and cause depression, even if it doesn’t run in your family.
2. Medications
Depression and medical illnesses commonly co-occur,5 which led researchers to wonder if medications and their side effects could cause depression (unrelated to the distress of medical conditions). They found that to be the case in some situations.
Several medications were found to potentially cause depressive symptoms6 and clinical depression. Medications can also cause symptoms like fatigue, sleepiness, or low appetite, which can progress into depression.
Physical, psychological, and sexual abuse can cause depression.9 Abuse can change how you see yourself and the world around you, which can lead to feelings of sadness, low self-worth, and hopelessness. Those feelings can then contribute to, or solely cause, depression.
Survivors of abuse may also isolate themselves and shut down, which can make depression more likely to develop. Emotional abuse and childhood abuse tend to correlate strongly with adult depression.10 Largely, any kind of abuse makes the development of depression more likely.
5. Pregnancy and Menopause
Pregnancy can lead to postpartum depression10 due to a sudden change in hormones, stress, and sleep deprivation after birth. Between 10–20% of new mothers develop depression. Like trauma and abuse, pregnancy can make the likelihood of depression higher, but not guarantee its development.
Menopause (the ending of a person’s menstrual cycle) causes similar changes in hormones. That, combined with other bodily and life changes common with aging, can lead to depression.
6. Illness
Depression is more common in those with physical illnesses11 like diabetes, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, and chronic pain. Feeling hopeless, unwell, and discouraged because of a health condition contributes to depression developing. Short-term illness, like being hospitalized and immobile after an accident, can also cause an episode of depression. Those with chronic illnesses may experience more frequent and long-lasting depressive episodes.
Depression can reduce normal functioning, and even life expectancy, in those with co-occurring physical illnesses. Treatment for depression can improve symptoms of physical ailments, too.
7. Drugs and Alcohol
Drugs and alcohol can cause physical and emotional symptoms that lead to depression.12 For example, feeling dependent on a substance may cause discouragement and hopelessness, which can then progress into depression. Plus, coming down from a substance-induced high mood can make low moods even more profound.
Losing relationships due to challenges with drugs and alcohol can erode support systems and lead to isolation. Sickness and ongoing effects of substance use can make you feel physically ill, which also connects to depression.
Grief can be a powerful catalyst. The loss of a loved one, sudden or not, can cause low mood, hopelessness, and intense emotional pain. Though healthy grief cycles do include pain and depression, these emotions can become severe13 and interfere with your ability to function.
Sometimes, those in grief need help from a mental health professional to navigate the loss and feelings associated with it. This is especially true for anyone with thoughts of suicide or experiencing severe loss of function (can’t get up in the morning, can’t work, can’t eat).
Any of the above causes can lead to depression, but this list is far from exhaustive. Recognizing any of these causes in your life doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get depression, either. But they can explain why you feel how you feel, and even guide you towards more relevant treatment.
Can You Develop Depression?
Anyone can develop depression. It’s most common in young adults,14 but anyone of any age, sex, and race can become clinically depressed. You don’t need a history of depression, nor get depression by a certain age, to develop it.
Depression can come on suddenly, or as a gradual build-up of symptoms. For example, the loss of a loved one and other uncontrollable traumas could spur a quick onset of depression, while stress and anxiety can more slowly progress into depression. In cases like these, depression isn’t always noticeable until it’s glaring.
Thankfully, treatment can meet you wherever you’re at.
How Is Depression Treated?
The treatment options for depression are as vast as its causes. But to boil it down, here are some of the most common approaches to treating depression:
Medications: A psychiatrist (a doctor in psychiatry) can prescribe antidepressants, which typically reduce symptoms in about a month’s time. It can take some patience and finagling to find the correct dosage and medication, but the results can be life-changing.
Therapy: Attending psychotherapy in a group or 1:1 setting can improve symptoms of depression. Common therapies for depression include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to improve unhealthy thought patterns, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), which focuses more on managing emotions and thoughts in a healthy, productive way.
Alternative treatments: Nowadays, there’s much more to treating depression than medications and talk therapy (though both can be extremely helpful.) Ketamine treatment, spiritual guidance, yoga, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a gentler form of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), can all contribute to your healing.
For severe or treatment-resistant depression, you may benefit from a residential depression treatment center. Here, you’ll spend 21+ days immersed in therapy, education, and skill-building with others in the same boat as you. Partial-hospitalization programs offer intensive care too, but you can go home at night—similar to a day in school.
Psychiatric hospitals offer a safe space for those experiencing suicidal ideation, which means they have a plan and desire to attempt suicide. Short periods of stabilization here often lead to starting a residential or outpatient program, depending on your needs.
Escape the Dark: Find Help for Depression
Navigating depression isn’t something you have to do on your own. You can begin your journey by talking with a therapist or your primary healthcare provider, who can refer you to an appropriate treatment program. A psychiatrist may also prescribe antidepressants to work in tandem with therapy.
A: The main causes of depression include genetics, trauma, abuse, and negative life events like job loss or losing a loved one.
Q: How can I tell if I’m depressed?
A: A mental health professional can most accurately determine if you have depression. But if your symptoms concern you and you feel like something’s not right, it probably isn’t.
Q: What is clinical depression (major depressive disorder)?
A: Clinical depression defines a period of 2+ weeks where you meet at least 5 of the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. A health professional diagnoses this.
Q: When should I see my healthcare provider about my depression?
A: You should see your healthcare provider as soon as your symptoms start causing distress and concern. Don’t wait until it’s unbearable—the sooner you get help, the sooner you can feel better.
Q: What are the biological factors that contribute to depression?
A: Biological factors like age, genetics, physical health, and hormones can all contribute to depression.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a proven approach for treating substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
It combines FDA-approved medications such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone with counseling and behavioral therapies to address both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction.
Unlike treatment models that rely solely on abstinence, MAT targets the brain changes caused by substance use, helping to stabilize brain chemistry, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and control cravings. This allows patients to engage more fully in therapy and other recovery-focused activities.
MAT is recognized as one of the most effective interventions for improving treatment retention, reducing illicit drug use, and lowering the risk of opioid overdose.
The History of Medication Assisted Treatment
The history of MAT can be traced back to the 1960s when methadone was first utilized as a treatment for heroin addiction and public health approach to drug addiction. Its introduction marked a significant shift in how addiction and substance abuse treatment was perceived and treated.
Before this, traditional treatment methods focused primarily on counseling and abstinence, often leaving many patients struggling with withdrawal symptoms and cravings without adequate support.
One of the primary advantages of MAT is its ability to target the biological aspects of addiction. Medications such as buprenorphine and naltrexone work by modulating neurotransmitter activity in the brain, addressing the underlying physiological components of addiction.
By alleviating withdrawal symptoms and reducing the euphoric effects of substances, MAT allows people to engage more fully in counseling and other therapeutic interventions while focusing on the medical treatment of substance use disorders.
You can find other regulations and stipulations on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) official website. This dual approach not only helps patients manage their addiction but also confronts the psychological, behavioral health, and emotional challenges that accompany recovery.
“When providers combine medications like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone with behavioral therapies, patients have a much higher chance of staying in recovery and avoiding relapse.”
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is not only effective for opioid use disorder, it can also play a key role in recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). By combining FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies, MAT addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of alcohol dependence.
Medications such as naltrexone, disulfiram, and acamprosate each work in different ways to reduce cravings, block the rewarding effects of alcohol, or support brain stabilization during recovery. These treatment options can make it easier for patients to focus on therapy, avoid relapse, and maintain long-term sobriety and psychosocial wellness.
The following includes more information about specific types of MAT for AUD.
Naltrexone | Vivitrol and ReVia
What Is It?
Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist that blocks the euphoric effects of alcohol and reduces cravings.
How Does It Work?
Naltrexone blocks the effects of alcohol at the receptor level, meaning receptors in the brain can’t receive them. This prevents any euphoric effects if someone drinks alcohol, and can also reduce cravings.
How Is It Taken?
It can be given as a daily oral tablet or as a monthly extended-release injection (Vivitrol).
Benefits
Naltrexone reduces cravings for alcohol and prevents pleasurable effects, which can make people generally uninterested in alcohol. A study even found that Naltrexone can reduce relapse rates by 50%, compared to not taking it.
Serious but uncommon risks include liver damage, infection (if injected), depression, and allergic reactions.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Naltrexone is for people diagnosed with AUD who have a strong desire to quit drinking, but can get overwhelmed by cravings. Patients can begin naltrexone once they’ve passed through the acute detox phase and have no or minimal alcohol left in their bodies.
For that reason, naltrexone isn’t a good fit for someone in acute withdrawal or someone who is actively drinking. It can cause side effects and even make symptoms feel worse if alcohol isn’t mostly out of their system.
Disulfiram | Antabuse
What Is It?
Disulfiram helps people stay in recovery from alcohol use disorder by causing extremely unpleasant reactions to alcohol. This discourages any alcohol use—even tiny amounts can trigger reactions like flushing, nausea, pounding heart, and dizziness.
How Does It Work?
Disulfiram causes what’s called the disulfiram-alcohol reaction, which means a compound, acetaldehyde, has built up in the blood. That’s what causes the unpleasant physical reactions. These effects can last 1-3 hours.
How Is It Taken?
Disulfiram comes in a pill you take once a day. Any alcohol in your system will trigger the reactions, so it’s important to go at least 24 hours without a drink before taking disulfiram. Your prescribing doctor will explain what else may trigger it too, like mouthwashes with alcohol.
Benefits
Disulfiram deters alcohol use, which means people are much less likely to drink—even when cravings are strong. People taking disulfiram have a lower risk of relapse and generally stay in recovery longer, but motivation is a major factor in its success. Combining disulfiram with a behavioral therapy can help with motivation.
Side Effects
Disulfiram is designed to cause side effects, but not all are intended. These are some potential side effects, going from common to rare:
Vomiting
Fatigue
Rash
Shortness of breath
Liver failure
Heart failure
Psychosis
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Disulfiram is for people who have stopped drinking alcohol and want to maintain that. They may want extra assurance and protection against resuming alcohol use, especially if they’re newly sober.
Motivation is a major factor in disulfiram’s success. If people stop taking it, they’ll stop having negative reactions to alcohol, so they must be ready to commit. It can take upwards of two weeks for disulfiram to leave someone’s system, so one missed dose won’t erase its potency, but those who decide to permanently stop taking it risk returning to substance use.
Acamprosate | Campral
What Is It?
Acamprosate stabilizes your brain after alcohol has destabilized it.
How Does It Work?
Acamprosate lowers levels of excitatory neurons, which can make people feel calmer and less agitated. This can lead to reduced cravings for alcohol.
How Is It Taken?
Acamprosate comes in a pill that you typically take three times a day.
Benefits
Acamprosate has been proven effective for alcohol use disorder recovery. It’s most beneficial when combined with therapy, as it doesn’t treat underlying causes of alcohol use disorder.
Side Effects
Common side effects for acamprosate include
Diarrhea
Headache
Fatigue
Irritability
Muscle weakness
Kidney damage is a rare but serious side effect.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Acamprosate is for those nearing the end of detox or in early recovery. It essentially serves as a ‘settling’ tool that can make people less prone to wanting alcohol. It is not for those who want something that directly impacts cravings, or who want negative reactions to alcohol to further discourage their use.
Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
For people living with opioid use disorder (OUD), medication-assisted treatment (MAT) offers a proven, evidence-based path to recovery.
By combining FDA-approved medications, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, with counseling and behavioral therapies, MAT addresses both the physical dependence and the psychological aspects of opioid addiction. Referrals to social services and community support groups further enhance the treatment experience
These medications can reduce withdrawal symptoms, control cravings, and block the euphoric effects of opioids, making it easier for patients to focus on recovery. Whether provided in an opioid treatment program (OTP), primary care setting, or specialty clinic, MAT for the treatment of OUD has been shown to improve treatment retention, reduce illicit opioid use, and lower the risk of opioid overdose.
Methadone | Dolophine and Methadose
What Is It?
Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist that helps to stave off withdrawal symptoms and cravings for people with opioid use disorder (OUD).
How Does It Work?
Methadone works by binding to the same opioid receptors in the brain as other opioids, but it does so in a way that’s minimal and controlled. This alleviates withdrawals because methadone is still bonding with receptors and filling empty spaces, but without euphoria.
How Is It Taken?
Methadone most often comes as a pill, but injections may be used when rapid detox is needed. Patients will go to a methadone MAT clinic to receive their daily dose and take it under supervision, so staff know that they’re getting the right amounts, not in crisis, and not misusing their dose. As patients remain in an MAT program, they may be allowed to take pills home with them and go to the clinic every other day, for example.
Benefits
Methadone is a major tool in preventing relapse and overdoses. It contributes to long-term sobriety by reducing cravings and making withdrawals less uncomfortable, which can reduce relapses.
Side Effects
Common side effects of methadone include:
Dizziness
Nausea
Sweating
Weight gain
And, though rare, serious side effects can cause circulation issues, shallow breathing, and heart complications. Since methadone functions similarly to other opioids, there’s also a possibility of developing an addiction to methadone at high doses.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Methadone is for those in acute detox from opioids and those wanting to maintain their sobriety by managing cravings. Methadone isn’t for people who take benzodiazepines (because both benzos and methadone are sedating) or have breathing problems. Those in active addiction aren’t a good fit for methadone either, as it may be difficult or impossible to take doses as prescribed.
Buprenorphine | Suboxone, Sublocade, Subutex, Zubsolv, and Bunavail
What Is It?
Buprenorphine is a synthetic opioid and type of MOUD that helps alleviate withdrawals and reduces cravings for opioids.
How Does It Work?
Buprenorphine is a partial agonist and antagonist for opioid receptors in the brain, which means it dampens the effects of opioids and can even boost mood. Unlike methadone, it has a ‘ceiling’ to its effects, so it’s less likely to lead to addiction.
How Is It Taken?
Buprenorphine is available as a daily pill, a sticker-like patch that goes on your skin (think of a nicotine patch), monthly injections, or as implants that slowly release buprenorphine for months.
Benefits
Buprenorphine makes opioid withdrawals less uncomfortable and reduces overwhelming cravings, so people can focus on treatment. It can keep people in treatment longer, leading to improved recovery rates and much lower risks of overdose. It’s also considered to be safer than methadone because its effects have a limit.
Side Effects
Buprenorphine is generally well-tolerated, but can cause nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness. Severe but rare side effects include shallow breathing, liver damage, and potentially worsening withdrawal symptoms if it’s started too soon after opioid use.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Buprenorphine is for those who want to stop taking licit or illicit opioids and do not need daily or regular check-ins to maintain their sobriety (as you would getting methadone). It may not be the right fit for people newly in recovery, who would benefit from more constant support, or people with respiratory or liver issues.
Naltrexone | Vivitrol and ReVia
What Is It?
Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist that blocks the effects of opioids and reduces cravings for both opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). It’s not to be confused with naloxone, a similar-sounding but different medication that reverses opioid overdoses.
How Does It Work?
Naltrexone binds to opioid receptors in the brain without activating them, preventing any other opiate from producing euphoric effects.
How Is It Taken?
Naltrexone is available as a daily oral tablet (ReVia) or as a monthly extended-release injectable (Vivitrol) administered by a healthcare provider. Before starting naltrexone, patients must complete detox and be free of opioids to avoid triggering withdrawal symptoms.
Benefits
Naltrexone helps prevent relapse by blocking euphoric effects and reducing cravings. In people with OUD, it can protect against overdose if opioids are used, although the risk still exists if high doses are taken. Its non-addictive nature makes it a valuable long-term option for many patients.
Side Effects
Common side effects include nausea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and decreased appetite. Rare but serious risks include liver damage, depression, and injection site reactions for the injectable form.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Naltrexone is for patients motivated to maintain sobriety from opioids who have already completed detox and have no opioids in their system. It is not suitable for those currently using opioids, in acute withdrawal, with significant liver disease, or who may have difficulty adhering to follow-up care.
MAT isn’t about replacing one drug with another. It does not need to be a stigmatized or misunderstood approach to finding or sustaining long-term addiction recovery. MAT is a clinically proven intervention that stabilizes brain chemistry, reduces cravings, and prevents opioid overdose deaths.”
These over-the-counter or prescription medications, called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), deliver nicotine without the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke. They help people quit smoking or reduce smoking by easing withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
How Does It Work?
These medications provide a steady, controlled dose of nicotine to reduce cravings and withdrawal discomfort, helping people lower their nicotine intake. Instead of the quick, intense nicotine hit from cigarettes or vapes, NRT gives your brain smaller, slower doses—allowing you to taper down gradually.
How Is It Taken?
NRT comes as patches you wear on your skin, as gum, nasal sprays, and as lozenges. It can also come in an inhaler. You can use them every day for as long as you need; NRTs are sold in tapering doses so you can take less and less over time. Depending on someone’s usual use of nicotine, they may need to taper down across weeks or even months.
Benefits
NRTs have been found to increase quit rates by 50–70%, reduce cravings, and help people lower their nicotine consumption over time, which typically has better outcomes than stopping cold-turkey.
Side Effects
Common side effects of NRTs include
Skin irritation (when using a patch)
Mouth soreness (from lozenges or gum)
Hiccups
Nose discomfort
Rare but severe side effects include an irregular heartbeat or allergic reactions.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
NRTs are for adults who want to stop smoking, but haven’t had success when stopping all at once or don’t want to experience withdrawals. It’s not a good fit for people who want to cut nicotine out of their life completely—at least not right away. Children and those pregnant or breastfeeding aren’t a good fit for NRT either.
Bupropion and Varenicline | Zyban, Chantix
What Is It?
Buproprion is a prescription antidepressant that also helps reduce nicotine cravings.
How Does It Work?
Buproprion increases the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It calms the brain’s nicotine “alarm” and boosts mood, making cravings feel less intense.
How Is It Taken?
Buproprion is taken as a pill, usually twice a day, starting 2 weeks before someone intends to quit smoking.
Benefits
Buproprion has been found to double quit rates, and even helps with mood and weight. It works well combined with NRT, but can be used on its own.
Side Effects
Buproprion’s common side effects include
Dry mouth
Insomnia
Headache
Severe, but much less common side effects include seizures and allergic reactions.
Who It’s For (and Who It’s Not For)
Buproprion is for adults who’re motivated to quit smoking and may not have had success trying on their own. It requires a prescription from a medical doctor or psychiatrist. Someone who does not want to take medications may not be the right fit for buproprion, along with people with seizures, eating disorders, or withdrawal symptoms from drugs or alcohol.
What’s happening: Originally designed for diabetes and weight loss.
Emerging use: Studies show semaglutide can reduce alcohol consumption and cravings by about 40% and even lower overdose rates in opioid use disorder by 40%.
Anecdote: One report found a man experienced majorly reduced cravings for cocaine, which he’d been taking for years, when he started semaglutide for weight loss.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive substance that’s illegal in America, but currently undergoing trials to be FDA-approved for addiction treatment. It acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Some have experienced serious side effects, like heart attacks, so researchers and clinicians are proceeding cautiously.
MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy:
While initially studied for PTSD, researchers are evaluating its use in alcohol use disorder, other substance use disorders, and in improving therapy due to its ability to open the mind.
It calms the body’s “fight or flight” response during withdrawal, but doesn’t stop symptoms entirely.
Nalmefene (for Alcohol Dependence)
Approved in the EU (marketed as Selincro), nalmefene is used as needed to reduce heavy drinking. It blocks opioid receptors, making alcohol use less pleasurable.
It’s taken only on days when someone expects to drink, theoretically helping them have less.
Vaccines Against Addictive Substances
Vaccines like this are still in the investigational phase, but their potential is exciting.
These “addiction vaccines” encourage the body’s immune system to neutralize drugs before they reach the brain and produce addictive effects, like euphoria.
With individualized treatment plans and support from qualified providers, MAT offers a compassionate, evidence-based pathway toward lasting recovery. From methadone and buprenorphine to naltrexone, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) offers life-saving options for people living with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders.
Top 5 Myths About MAT
“MAT is just replacing one addiction with another.”
This myth is pervasive, but untrue. Medications used in MAT (like methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone) are prescribed in controlled doses under medical supervision. They do not produce a high when used correctly—they stabilize brain chemistry, reduce cravings, and enable recovery rather than perpetuate addiction.
“People on MAT aren’t truly sober or in real recovery.”
Sobriety means more than abstinence. It means regaining stability, health, and control. Major health organizations, like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), endorse MAT as a valid, evidence-based path to recovery.
“MAT should only be short‑term.”
Recovery plans vary. Some people will need MAT for months, or even years. Some may only require it during acute detox. The longer someone does MAT, the lower their risk of relapse becomes.
“MAT is only for severe or long‑term addiction cases.”
MAT isn’t just a last‑resort measure. It can be beneficial even in early stages of substance use disorder and helps prevent conditions from escalating.
“MAT increases the risk of overdose.”
Quite the opposite—MAT reduces overdose risk by preventing relapse and withdrawal, which are commonly tied to fatal overdoses.
By addressing these misconceptions, providers, patients, and communities can better understand that medication-assisted treatment is a safe, evidence-based intervention that improves recovery outcomes, reduces opioid overdose risk, and supports long-term stability.
Ready to Explore Treatment Options?
If you or someone you love is living with opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, or another substance use disorder, help is available. MAT with FDA-approved medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—combined with counseling and behavioral therapies—can reduce cravings, prevent relapse, and save lives.
Find treatment providers near you or talk to your healthcare provider today to see if a MAT program is right for your recovery journey.
FAQs
Q: What is medication-assisted treatment?
A:Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. It helps reduce withdrawal symptoms, control cravings, and support long-term recovery.
Q: What drugs are approved for MAT?
A: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several medications for MAT, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone for opioid use disorder, and acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone for alcohol use disorder.
Q: Who can provide medication-assisted treatment?
A: MAT can be prescribed by licensed healthcare providers who have completed specific training and certification. Depending on the medication, this may include physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
Q: How long does medication-assisted treatment take?
A: The length of MAT varies depending on each patient’s needs, goals, and progress. Some people may use MAT for months, while others benefit from longer-term treatment. Decisions should be made in collaboration with a qualified provider.
Q: Who is eligible for medication-assisted treatment services?
A: Eligibility depends on the type of substance use disorder, overall health, and assessment by a qualified healthcare provider. Many people with opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder may qualify for MAT.
Q: What is methadone?
A: Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist medication that reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings in people with opioid use disorder. It is typically dispensed through certified opioid treatment programs.
Q: What is naltrexone?
A: Naltrexone is a non-addictive medication that blocks the effects of opioids and reduces alcohol cravings. It can be taken daily in pill form or as a monthly injectable.
Q: How does an opioid treat opioid use disorder?
A: Medications like methadone and buprenorphine work by activating opioid receptors in the brain in a controlled way. This reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing the intense euphoria associated with misuse.
Q: How do medications treat opioid addiction?
A: MAT medications stabilize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of opioids, relieve cravings, and normalize body functions without the harmful effects of illicit opioid use (NIDA).
Q: What are other medications used in the treatment of opioid dependence?
A: In addition to methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, some patients may receive clonidine or lofexidine to help manage withdrawal symptoms, though these are not FDA-approved as primary MAT medications.
Q: What are the benefits of medication-assisted treatment for addiction recovery?
A: MAT has been shown to improve treatment retention, reduce illicit drug use, lower the risk of overdose, and increase overall quality of life when combined with counseling and support services.
The best therapy for you isn’t necessarily the most popular one—it’s the approach that matches your specific needs, goals, and circumstances. Understanding your treatment options can help you make an informed decision about your mental health care, no matter what challenges you’re facing.
Let’s explore these therapies so you can find the best treatment for you.
Commonly Used Therapies in Addiction and Mental Health Treatment
Some of the most common therapies include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most widely researched and effective1 forms of therapy available today. It focuses on challenging and reframing negative (and often untrue) thoughts, using thought corrections and helpful behaviors to positively affect your emotional state.
Core Focus
Challenging and reframing negative (and often untrue) thoughts
Using thought corrections and helpful behaviors to positively affect your emotional state
Time-limited and goal-oriented: typically 10–20 sessions
Session length depends on condition severity, insurance coverage, and recovery progression
Structured sessions include agenda-setting, skill practice, review, and homework planning
Special Features
Collaborative: clients are co-investigators, not passive recipients
Includes homework between therapy sessions
Uses behavior-analyzing exercises, behavior tracking, and worksheets
Widely effective across multiple mental health conditions
CBT’s structured approach makes it helpful for people who prefer clear goals and measurable progress in their treatment.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT centers on being mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and feelings. It’s effective for both mental health problems and substance misuse. DBT was originally created to help people with borderline personality disorder (BPD)2 but has since been used to address mental illness more broadly, focusing on practical skills for communication, emotional regulation, and navigating crises.
Core Focus
Being mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and feelings
Teaching practical skills for communication, emotional regulation, and crisis navigation
Balancing acceptance and change strategies
Typically Used For
Mental health concerns
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Substance misuse (mindfulness techniques can help you manage cravings)
Pretreatment (commitment phase): Build motivation and commitment to treatment, orient to DBT principles, and agree on goals
Individual therapy (weekly): Attend one-on-one sessions that focus on your specific challenges, issues that get in the way of treatment, and problems that impact your daily life, using techniques to understand behavior patterns and provide emotional support
Group skills training (weekly): Learn 4 core skill modules in a classroom format:
Mindfulness
Distress tolerance (crisis survival skills like TIPP, distraction, and radical acceptance)
DBT’s comprehensive approach makes it effective for people who experience intense emotions and need both individual support and community practice.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is highly effective for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),3 as it helps your brain reorganize traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation (like looking left-to-right). The act of tracking an object back and forth, or being touched on your left and right side, allows your brain to recall and process traumatic memories without such strong emotional reactions.
Core Focus
Processing traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation
Reducing the emotional intensity of traumatic memories
Helping the brain naturally heal from psychological trauma
Designed to make trauma processing as comfortable as possible
EMDR’s unique approach makes it helpful for people who want to process trauma without extensive talk therapy or who haven’t found relief through other methods.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Motivational interviewing, or MI, is a technique used in talk therapy to motivate someone to change, and then to stay committed to the process. It helps you keep your goals in sight, remember how far you’ve come, and offers inspiration to keep pushing forward in your recovery journey.
Core Focus
Motivating you to make changes and stay committed to the process
Exploring and resolving ambivalence about change
Strengthening personal motivation and commitment to your goals
Useful for both addiction and mental health recovery
Non-confrontational approach that meets patients where they are
Emphasizes autonomy and personal choice
MI’s collaborative approach makes it helpful for people who feel uncertain about change or have struggled to stick with treatment in the past.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma-informed therapy7 means the content and setting have been adapted specifically to trauma, and that the therapist is trauma-literate. It acknowledges the pervasive effects of trauma and aims to create a space of safety where you can begin to share your experience with a highly compassionate, competent therapist.
Core Focus
Creating a safe, supportive therapeutic environment
Acknowledging the widespread impact of trauma
Adapting treatment approaches to be sensitive to trauma history
Typically Used For
All types of trauma (childhood, adult, complex trauma)
PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
Anyone with a history of traumatic experiences
Co-occurring trauma and substance use disorders
People who’ve had negative therapy experiences
Structure and Format
Can be integrated into various therapeutic modalities
Emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, and collaboration
Flexible pacing based on your comfort and readiness
Therapist requires specialized trauma training and competency
Special Features
Prioritizes physical and emotional safety above all else
Recognizes trauma symptoms as adaptive responses
Avoids re-traumatization through careful approach
Emphasizes patient choice, control, and empowerment
Addresses cultural, historical, and gender-based trauma
Trauma-informed therapy’s safety-first approach makes it essential for anyone whose past experiences may impact their ability to engage in traditional therapeutic settings.
Finding the Right Therapy for Your Needs
What you need help with often determines which therapy will meet your needs. Here’s how different therapies align with specific mental health conditions and concerns.
Depression
In psychotherapy for depression, CBT is often the first choice.8 CBT targets thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, directly addressing the cyclical nature of depression. DBT is also effective for depression9 as it teaches distress tolerance skills and opposite action, which means doing the opposite of an unhelpful behavior—like isolating or ruminating—to end the cycle.
Other therapies that are effective for depression include:
CBT can be highly effective for anxiety, too. Specifically, the thought-challenging aspect of CBT can help with catastrophizing (thinking the worst possible thing will happen), emotional reasoning (I feel this way, which makes it true), and mind reading (assuming others’ thoughts).
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).10 It works by exposing you to something that triggers a compulsion or anxiety, and then you practice not following the compulsion or sitting with anxiety until it passes. This gradually reduces the anxiety these situations cause until they become less distressing and more manageable. Exposure-based strategies are also used to treat other anxiety disorders, like social anxiety and phobias.
Other therapies commonly used to treat anxiety include:
Virtual reality exposure therapy (for phobias, social anxiety, and PTSD)
Addiction
Many therapies can help with substance use disorders, and treatment can be tailored based on underlying factors like trauma, grief, or co-occurring mental health conditions like depression.
Therapies like CBT, DBT, and EMDR can address root causes and help you develop healthier coping skills. These approaches are especially helpful for co-occurring disorders, when someone has both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition at the same time.
Evidence-based treatments include (but aren’t limited to):
Peer support approaches like the 12 Steps of AA provide community support, spiritual principles, and structured recovery steps. These programs involve regular meetings, working with sponsors, and service to others in recovery.
Harm reduction strategies meet people where they are, focusing on reducing risks and improving safety rather than requiring immediate abstinence. This approach recognizes that recovery looks different for everyone and can include diverse paths to wellness.
Trauma
Trauma-focused therapy uses specialized approaches designed to help people heal from traumatic experiences. These therapies are delivered using trauma-informed principles that create safety, build trust, and empower patients throughout the healing process.
Trauma-focused therapies include (but aren’t limited to):
Evidence-based therapy is exactly what it sounds like: treatment backed by scientific research. When a therapy is considered evidence-based, that means it’s been studied in clinical settings, tested across different populations, and shown to improve outcomes. In other words, there’s real-world data that says it works.
But evidence-based care is about more than just numbers. It combines 3 things:
The best available research
The expertise of your provider
Your preferences, values, and lived experience
That last part matters. Because even the most rigorously studied therapy won’t work if it doesn’t feel right for you.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
These approaches aren’t one-size-fits-all, but they do give you a solid starting point. If you’re working with a provider who offers evidence-based care, your treatment plan should be grounded in both research and respect for your individual needs.
Individual vs. Group Therapy
Most therapies can be done in a group setting or one-on-one with a therapist. Each setting has its benefits.
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy means meeting privately with a therapist to talk through what’s going on. It’s what many people picture when they think of going to therapy. The one-on-one setting can feel more comfortable, especially for those who value privacy or prefer to go deeper into personal experiences.
This format can be especially helpful for people navigating trauma, since it offers a space to process at your own pace. That said, trauma-informed group therapy can also be effective for many people.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is led by a licensed therapist and usually includes 5–10 participants. Unlike peer support groups, group therapy has a structured format and a clinical focus. The therapist leads discussions, offers guidance, and helps everyone practice coping skills together.
A typical group might start with check-ins and introductions, then shift into learning and applying a therapeutic concept or tool. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and offer feedback to one another.
Group therapy supports 2 key aspects of recovery: structured treatment and connection with others who understand. Still, some people may not feel ready to open up in a group setting—and that’s okay. In those cases, starting with individual therapy might be a better fit.
Inpatient and outpatient treatment programs usually offer both group and individual sessions. Participating in both can offer a more complete healing experience that balances peer support with focused personal work.
Family Therapy
Family therapy can be a vital part of treatment, especially for children and younger adults. But it can support recovery at any age, and in all types of families, including both biological and chosen family.
These sessions create a safe, nonjudgmental space where each person has the chance to be heard, express concerns, and ask questions. This helps in 2 key ways:
The person in treatment feels better understood and supported.
Loved ones gain clarity about their role in recovery, which improves communication and interaction.
Family members can benefit from the process, too. It often helps them better understand their loved one’s condition, recognize patterns like codependency, and learn how to care for their own well-being.
Family therapy supports a biopsychosocial approach to healing by improving support systems that improve recovery as a whole.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Approaches
Some people will go to therapy for years, but not everyone will want or need to. Depending on your needs and condition, a brief intervention (1–5 sessions) may be the best fit. Motivational interviewing is short-term by design; other therapies like CBT can also be adapted to shorter timeframes.
Being in therapy longer allows you to dive deeper into your patterns, history, and long-term goals. Some conditions benefit from ongoing support—for example, bipolar disorder often requires regular therapy12 to manage symptoms and prevent episodes. Depression related to specific life events (like job loss) may respond well to shorter-term treatment.
You can discuss with your therapist or primary care provider how long they recommend staying in therapy based on your specific situation and treatment goals.
Alternative and Holistic Therapies
There’s so much more to therapy than talking, and there can be much more to healing than conventional talk therapy.
Complementary and holistic therapies broaden your treatment options, offering ways to involve your mind, body, and spirit in your recovery. These approaches acknowledge the interconnected nature of mental, spiritual, and physical wellness. Examples include:
Somatic therapy
Sound healing
Ayurveda (traditional Indian scientific healing system)
Naturopathy (traditional medicine focusing on natural remedies)
Psychedelic therapy (currently experimental and conducted in clinical research settings)
Creative therapies (art, dance, creative writing)
These therapies can be done on their own, or alongside evidence-based therapy like CBT. Some of these therapies have growing research support, but many have not yet undergone the same level of clinical study as evidence-based treatments like CBT or DBT. That doesn’t mean they don’t work. In fact, some people benefit from these complementary options because they connect more to the way they’re healing—like painting what they can’t put into words, moving to release trauma, or tuning into the body to regulate their nervous system.
Addiction and mental health issues can feel overwhelming. But once you start taking steps toward feeling better, you might be surprised at just how good things can be.
How Will You Heal?
Your mental well-being is a vital component of health care. Whether you want the space to talk and be heard, work through trauma, overcome drug or alcohol addiction, or manage symptoms of a chronic mental illness, therapy is an avenue to healing.
One of the best parts about it is that there’s no one, right way to do it. It comes down to what you resonate with and what works for you.
Start your journey today: Use Recovery.com to find treatment centers offering the therapy of your choice.
FAQs
Q: What therapy is most effective for addiction?
A: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely studied and commonly used approaches for treating substance use disorders. It helps people recognize unhelpful thought patterns, develop coping skills, and reduce behaviors linked to substance use.
Other therapies can be just as effective, depending on the person and their needs. These include dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), contingency management, and trauma-informed therapies like EMDR. Many people benefit most from a combination of approaches tailored to their goals and circumstances.
Q: What type of therapy is best for mental health?
A: The best type of therapy depends on your goals, preferences, and what you’re experiencing. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic therapy are commonly used and have strong evidence supporting their effectiveness.
Other approaches—like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), trauma-informed care, or somatic therapies—may also be helpful. What matters most is finding a therapy and therapist that feel like a good fit for you.
Q: How do I know what type of therapy is right for me?
A:Finding the right therapy depends on what you’re hoping to work on, how you prefer to communicate, and what kind of support feels most helpful. A licensed mental health professional can help you explore different approaches based on your needs, goals, and preferences. It’s also okay to try out a therapy style and switch if it doesn’t feel like the right fit—your comfort and growth matter most.
Q: What is a type of therapy used for both addiction and depression?
A: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) are 2 approaches commonly used to treat both substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions like depression. These therapies help people explore the connection between thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, and support changes that align with their goals. When used together—or alongside other treatments—they can address both substance use and mental health symptoms in an integrated way.
Q: What is psychotherapy?
A: Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, involves working with a licensed therapist to explore thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It helps people manage mental health conditions, cope with stress, and improve relationships.
Q: What is the best therapy for substance abuse?
A:Evidence-based treatments like CBT, Contingency Management, and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) are highly effective for substance abuse. The best option depends on the individual’s substance use and co-occurring conditions.
Q: What are common types of therapy?
A: There are many types of treatment, each with its own approach and focus. Common options include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps you recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Focuses on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and relationship skills
Psychodynamic therapy: Explores how past experiences influence current feelings and behaviors
Motivational interviewing (MI): Helps strengthen motivation for change, often used in addiction treatment
Family therapy: Supports healthier communication and relationships within families
Group therapy: Involves learning and healing alongside others with similar experiences, led by a therapist
Q: How can I find the right therapist for mental health and addiction issues?
A: Look for a licensed therapist who has experience with co-occurring disorders—also known as dual diagnosis—which means they’re trained to treat both mental health and substance use concerns. You can start by checking provider directories, asking your primary care provider for referrals, or searching through your insurance network. It’s okay to ask potential therapists about their experience and approach to make sure it feels like a good fit for your needs.
Recovering from an addiction or mental health condition is a team effort involving clinical, therapeutic, and medical professionals. But how do you know whom to add to the team? Where should you start?
We’ll explore who’s usually involved in mental health and addiction treatment, why they’re there, and how to find professionals who fit your recovery needs.
Understanding the Mental Health and Addiction Care Team
When you enter a mental health or addiction treatment program, you’ll likely work with several different professionals as part of your care team. The range can be broad, from psychiatrists and therapists to specialists in areas like trauma-informed yoga. While every program is different, there are a few core healthcare professionals you’re most likely to encounter.
Here’s who they are and why they’re considered essential to your recovery:
1. Therapists and Counselors
A therapist is a licensed mental health professional, typically with a master’s degree in counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy (e.g., LPC, LCSW, LMFT). Therapists provide individual, couples, family, or group therapy, and many have additional training in specific modalities like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or trauma-informed care. They support clients through various emotional and behavioral challenges, helping them build coping strategies, improve relationships, and enhance overall well-being.
Therapists are trained to address issues such as grief, life transitions, substance use, trauma, and more, always emphasizing safety, healing, and client empowerment.
2. Psychologists
A psychologist is a mental health professional1 with advanced training in human behavior, emotional processes, and mental disorders. Clinical psychologists hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.) and are licensed to assess, diagnose, and treat a wide range of psychological issues, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, and more. They often provide evidence-based therapies and may also conduct psychological testing.
Psychologists work in diverse settings such as hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, schools, and private practices.
3. Social Workers
Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs)2 are trained mental health professionals who support patients both clinically and practically. In addition to providing therapy for substance use and mental health issues, they help patients manage the real-world logistics of recovery, like securing housing, applying for benefits, or coordinating follow-up care.
For example, if someone is transitioning out of inpatient treatment, an LCSW might help them find outpatient services, connect with support groups, or access community resources that ease the shift back into daily life. Their role is especially valuable for patients navigating complex systems or multiple levels of care.
4. Medical Providers
Medical providers attend to medical recovery needs, like managing withdrawals, side effects of substance use or medications, and ensuring any co-occurring conditions like diabetes stay treated while you’re recovering. Medical providers include doctors, nurses, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and other medical staff. Doctors and physicians can diagnose mental health disorders and provide some mental health services, including brief interventions, but typically, they’ll refer you to specialists or another level of care.
Their referral can often get you in quicker and help ensure treatment is covered by health insurance. Some health care providers, clinics, and rehabs may require a referral to begin treatment—check with admissions staff if this is necessary.
5. Peer Recovery Specialists
Peer recovery specialists, also known as peer support specialists or recovery coaches, use their own lived experiences with addiction and recovery to support others in their healing journey. These certified professionals provide mentorship, advocacy, and emotional support. They can help patients feel understood, reduce feelings of isolation, and model the possibility of long-term recovery.
While support workers don’t provide clinical care, their guidance is rooted in shared experience and often complements therapy or medical treatment. Peer support improves engagement in treatment3 and increases the likelihood of sustained recovery.
6. Holistic Practitioners
Holistic practitioners focus on treating the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. In a treatment setting, this might include yoga instructors, mindfulness teachers, massage therapists, Reiki practitioners, or nutritionists. These providers use evidence-informed and complementary therapies to promote emotional regulation, physical healing, and stress relief.
Holistic care isn’t a substitute for clinical treatment, but it can help patients reconnect with their bodies, build healthy routines, and find meaning in the recovery process.
Who Can Prescribe Medication?
A prescriber is different from a therapist. While your prescriber will prescribe medications and work with you to ensure they’re effective, a therapist handles the emotional, processing, and goal-setting side of recovery. They cannot prescribe medications of any kind.
These professionals can prescribe medication:
7. Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists have a deep, comprehensive knowledge of the brain’s chemistry and neurological functioning, and what chemicals or processes need to be corrected for someone to feel better. They know which medications will work for specific conditions, adjusting the type or dose to fit your unique symptoms.
It can take a few sessions to get the dose and type of medication right, as most psych meds take 2+ weeks to take effect, but the results can be life-changing. Once you find the right medication(s) for you, sessions with your psychiatrist will look more like check-ins to see if you’ve had any change in tolerance, any side effects, or want to start tapering off the medication.
Note: Most psychologists are not licensed to prescribe medication because they are not medical doctors. However, in a few U.S. states, licensed psychologists can prescribe certain psychiatric medications after completing additional education and certification in clinical psychopharmacology. While these exceptions exist, prescribing medication remains primarily within the scope of psychiatrists, who are medical doctors and licensed to prescribe in all states.
8. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
All psychiatric nurse practitioners can prescribe medications,4 but in some states, they also need a collaborating physician to approve the order. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are not doctors, but they do have advanced training in mental health and psychiatry. When looking for this type of support, oftentimes a referral from your PCP can be a great place to start.
9. Primary Care Providers (PCPs)
Your PCP, or primary care physician, is who you go to when you’re sick or something isn’t feeling right. Every PCP’s comfort level with psychiatric medications varies. Some don’t feel comfortable prescribing medications beyond SSRIs or SNRIs. In these cases, they’ll refer you to psychiatry for mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, sleep medications, or stimulants. Experts recommend that people taking mental health and psychiatric medications get medication management support from psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or specialized treatment providers.
Learn more about medication management and why it’s important to the recovery process.
Credentials to Look For
Almost everyone on your treatment team should have credentials of some sort. If they don’t, that’s a red flag. Here are the types of credentials and licensure reputable providers will have:
LCSW: Licensed clinical social worker; specializes in mental health support and case management
LMFT: Licensed marriage and family therapist; trained to work with couples, families, and relationship dynamics
CADC: Certified addiction counselor; specializes in addiction and substance use treatment
LMHC: Licensed mental health counselor; offers therapy for a wide range of mental health conditions.
LPC: Licensed professional counselor; similar to LMHC, depending on the state
Ph.D: Doctor of Philosophy; often held by psychologists who provide therapy or conduct psychological testing and research
M.D: Doctor of Medicine; held by psychiatrists and physicians who can prescribe medication
State medical license, Psy.D., and board certification: Required for psychiatrists and physicians to practice and prescribe legally
When You Need a Team, Not Just One Person
Coordinated care is a quiet hero in addiction and mental health treatment. This means everyone in your treatment team is working towards a goal together, not siloed. Coordinated care ensures that each area of your recovery moves towards that goal and doesn’t accidentally minimize or negatively interact with another.
Having a team is especially vital for patients with co-occurring disorders: a mental health condition and a substance use disorder, two different mental health conditions, two different substance use disorders, or any other combination of conditions.
The nature of mental illness and substance use increases the demand for a coordinated treatment plan. Each person experiences their diagnosis differently and resonates with treatment in their own ways. Multiple, coordinated interventions, like therapy, medication, peer support, life skills education, and family therapy, can be even more effective.
Going to a residential treatment center or outpatient clinic means you benefit from coordinated care, with your treatment team meeting regularly to discuss your case. Not every treatment provider focuses strongly on coordination, but many do.
Telehealth vs. In-Person Options
Telehealth has broadened the reach of behavioral health care, allowing more people than ever before to get treatment. Telehealth is especially vital for rural populations5 and people with mobility challenges. In-person care, however, has many benefits—mainly the face-to-face human connection it provides.
Telehealth Pros and Cons
A major pro for telehealth is its flexibility. You don’t need to drive anywhere, worry about parking, or live anywhere close to a physical treatment center. You only need a device (like a phone or laptop) and an internet connection. Telehealth is usually covered by insurance, same as in-person. You can connect with experts worldwide, broadening your access to treatment.
A con is that it can be harder to form a connection with someone virtually, which is a vital component of the therapeutic alliance. Some say it’s harder to communicate or feel seen in a virtual setting, leading to poorer treatment outcomes.6 Internet issues and technical problems can also disrupt sessions.
In-Person Pros and Cons
A pro for in-person care is the ability to communicate and connect more comprehensively. This means nonverbal communication and body language, which your therapist can use to make your sessions more effective. For example, if you’re wringing your hands and fidgeting, they’ll know to switch topics or gently explore what’s making you uncomfortable.
Time commitment is a con forin-person care. In addition to the session itself, you have to get ready, drive there, park, and drive home. The total time commitment can be twice as long as the appointment itself, even longer for those in rural areas. In-person treatment options can also be limited since centers and clinics must be physically close to you.
Both telehealth and in-person care can help you heal. The best setting for you will depend on your preferences, location, and insurance coverage.
Teaming Up for Recovery
Recovery isn’t a one-person show. And that’s a good thing.
You aren’t meant to do it alone. Imagine each team member—a therapist, doctor, psychiatrist—extending a hand in support. The more hands, the stronger your treatment, and the less you have to carry alone.
Start today: Use Recovery.com to find the best treatment for you and your needs.
FAQs
Q: What professionals deal with mental health?
A: Types of mental health professionals include psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Each has different training and specialties.
Q: Is it better to see a psychologist or psychiatrist?
A: It depends on your needs. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and are often ideal for complex or severe mental illnesses. Psychologists focus more on talk therapy, testing, and long-term emotional support.
Q: Which type of professional works with individuals with severe mental disorders?
A: Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists often specialize in treating severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. These professionals may work in inpatient or outpatient settings.
Q: Should I see an LPC or psychologist?
A: LPCs are trained in counseling strategies and are excellent for talk therapy and everyday mental health challenges. Psychologists may be more suitable for psychological testing, trauma recovery, or complex mental health diagnoses.
Q: How do I choose a mental health professional?
A: Consider your goals (e.g., therapy, medication, diagnosis), the provider’s credentials, experience, and whether they specialize in your area of concern. Look for licensed providers and check reviews or referrals.
Q: What is substance abuse counseling?
A:Substance abuse counseling focuses on helping individuals overcome addiction and build healthier lifestyles. It often includes therapy, relapse prevention, and support for co-occurring disorders like depression or anxiety.
Q: What is psychiatry?
A: Psychiatry is a medical field that deals with diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental illnesses. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medications and may provide psychotherapy.
Q: What types of addiction specialists are available for treatment?
A: Addiction specialists include substance abuse counselors, addiction medicine doctors, psychiatrists with addiction training, certified peer recovery specialists, and licensed therapists with substance use expertise.
Q: What kind of therapist should I see for addiction recovery?
A: Look for a licensed professional counselor, social worker, or psychologist who specializes in addiction, dual diagnosis, or trauma-informed care. Many use evidence-based therapies like CBT or motivational interviewing.
Q: What professionals can help with both mental health and addiction issues?
A: Addiction psychiatrists and licensed therapists trained in co-occurring disorders can address both areas. Integrated treatment programs also offer coordinated care from multiple professionals.
What if your body is the key to healing your mind? According to somatic therapy and those who have benefited, it is.
Somatic means “of, relating to, or affecting the body especially as distinguished from the mind.” Essentially, ‘body therapy.’ It uses physical sensations and awareness to release trapped trauma and negative emotions, bringing a type of healing talk therapy can’t always reach.
You can picture trauma like something that gets stuck inside you, almost like a popcorn kernel in your teeth. You can usually feel it there but it’s hard to find, and hard to release when you don’t know where to reach. Somatic therapy brings awareness to trapped energy and allows its release through movement, which can bring long-awaited healing.
Somatic Therapy Explained
Somatic therapy, an evidence-based type of trauma therapy, centers on mindfulness, which means being aware of your internal state and surroundings. It was developed by psychologist and healthcare researcher Peter Levine. It’s often used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma, since the body can store trauma.1
Healing trauma can become more of a struggle when the effects of a traumatic event feel psychologically and biologically engrained. That’s why somatic therapy focuses on your mind-body connection, interoception, and self-awareness.
A build up of trauma and other negative emotional experiences can skew your self-regulation ability, making emotions and other internal sensations feel intense and hard to bear. Moving your body serves as an activation of this pent-up energy, allowing its release.
Here’s how somatic therapy offers a unique path to trauma recovery that goes beyond what traditional talk therapy can achieve alone:
1. It Addresses Effects of Trauma
Trauma is ‘stored’ in the body because it can change how the brain and parts of the body function, even down to a cellular and genetic level,2 which can lead to disease and poor health. Bessel van der Kolk studied and published a book on this phenomena and novel ways of treating trauma, called The Body Keeps the Score.
Traumatic experiences can place someone in perpetual fight-or-flight mode,3 which can damage and strain other areas of the body, like adrenal functions and other autonomic nervous systems. Mainly, this can mean someone constantly has elevated levels of cortisol, which causes stress and puts strain on the body that should only be temporary.
2. It Provides Solution-Based Support
Somatic experiencing is an intervention that aims to bring attention to the areas of the body that respond when someone remembers their trauma, or experiences a similar event. By doing this somatic therapists ‘release’ the emotions and sensations stored in the body that prevent true healing. A sign of success includes feeling safer in their body and more comfortable with various bodily sensations.
Somatic psychotherapy also uses aspects of psychotherapy to improve your overall mental health, sometimes called sensorimotor psychotherapy. For example, your session may start by verbally going through traumatic memories and then noticing their physical symptoms. Does your chest tighten? Do you start sweating? Does your stomach hurt?
Improving your body awareness can help you and your therapist discover what has an effect on you, and what movements can help.
3. It Explores Numerous Evidence-Based Techniques
Somatic therapists will use a variety of mind-body techniques and modalities to release trapped negative emotions and trauma4. They blend aspects of neuroscience and body psychotherapy for a completely unique approach to healing. These somatic practices can vary based on individual needs, but options can include any of the following.
Bottom-Up
This approach means you start by becoming aware of physical sensations before moving into your mind and emotions. You’ll make nonjudgemental notice of what your body feels like and simply accept that before moving into your mind. There, you’ll see what may be attached to those feelings and sensations.
Breathwork
Breathwork, one of the simplest somatic approaches, focuses solely on your breathing. You’re guided to become aware of your breathing and follow breathing patterns to calm your mind and body. Your somatic therapist may have you put a hand on your belly and chest to connect to each breath, reducing dissociation.
Breathwork can be used in-the-moment to calm a stress response like racing heartbeat, shallow breathing, and even panic attacks.
Body Scans
In a body scan your psychotherapist will guide you through noticing areas of the body that feel tense, uncomfortable, or relaxed. For example, maybe you’ll come into your session feeling fine but during the body scan notice you’re holding tension in your shoulders, or feeling tightness in your stomach. You may also tune into your proprioception, which is how you sense where you are and what movements you’re making.
Body scans can be the first step in the bottom-up approach, or done on their own.
Pendulation
Pendulation means thinking of the traumatic event and feeling those negative emotions before swinging back to a place of calm and comfort, then swinging into the strong emotions again.
You’ll first identify the mental space you’ll go to when you need calm, which could be the present moment or a past memory that makes you feel at ease and happy. Then you’ll focus on a painful memory, let yourself experience its emotions, and swing back to safety before it gets to be too much. This can gradually build your tolerance and show your mind and body that you can control your feelings of safety.
Titration
Using the titration technique means you work through a traumatic memory, either by verbally walking through it or simply remembering it in the quiet of your mind. As you do, you’ll make note of how your body reacts and what types of physical sensations you feel.
Dance
Dancing to music can release energy and emotions that may be pent up inside you. This could look like slow, repetitive movements that make you feel calm and grounded, or more vigorous dancing that gets your heart pumping and releases energy. For this type of dance your somatic therapist might cue up some pop or EDM music, or jazz and classical tunes for more calming moves.
Yoga
Somatic yoga often begins with a body scan to identify areas of tension and discomfort, both so somatic therapists know which areas to target and to avoid adding extra discomfort.
Somatic yoga involves slow, grounded movements to connect your mind and body and release energy and tension. It can be a highly emotional, freeing experience, as can other somatic techniques.
Resourcing
This technique is similar to pendulation, but serves more as a way to identify a calming, peaceful memory and bodily sensation that you can return to when you feel anxious, distressed, and overwhelmed. It’s like making note of it and storing it for later.
You may use a memory of being in nature, like spending a quiet afternoon at the lake, and remember how it felt in both your mind and body. Maybe you felt completely relaxed, grounded in the sensations of the sun, wind, and sounds of the water. You’ll practice getting back into this headspace and noting how it calms and soothes your body. Then, as needed, you can use your ‘resource’ to relax, calm down, or recuperate.
4. It Combines Conventional Therapy Structure With Body-Based Techniques
A somatic therapy session will have some similarities to talk therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but differ in the fact that it involves your body, too. Some type of movement or body scan will accompany each session.
You may start with talk therapy, like verbally processing a recent event or a traumatic memory, before moving into the physical portion. Your somatic therapist won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do; you’ll collaborate to find the most appealing and effective techniques.
Somatic therapy sessions can last anywhere from 1-2 hours, like a typical therapy session. The exact length may be predetermined by the therapist or even your insurance coverage. You’ll most likely meet in person, since your therapist will need to guide your movements and, in some cases and with consent, use touch.
The room your sessions happen in may look a little different too, probably with extra space and even some tools like body rollers, hula hoops, stereos, and sensory objects like stones. Somatic therapy could even happen outside, using nature as a powerful grounding tool.
5. It Delivers Life-Changing Results
Somatic therapy can be hugely beneficial for those with trauma, PTSD, depression, chronic pain, and anxiety. For some it can be more comprehensive than talk therapy alone,5 since it takes an active, body-focused approach to healing you can feel.
You may also find hobbies you enjoy through somatic therapy, like dance or yoga. Engaging in these hobbies broadens your community and can give you a continuous outlet for both positive and negative emotions.
Start Your Somatic Healing Journey
Somatic therapy could be the breakthrough you’ve been searching for. If traditional talk therapy hasn’t fully addressed your trauma, stress, or emotional challenges, a body-based approach might unlock the healing you deserve.
Take the next step: Find qualified somatic therapists in your area and discover how this powerful mind-body connection can transform your recovery.
FAQs
Q: What is somatic therapy?
A: Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach to mental health that focuses on the connection between the mind and body. It helps people in recovery release trauma and stress stored in the body through physical awareness and movement.
Q: What is an example of a somatic treatment?
A: Examples include breathwork, body scans, somatic yoga, pendulation, titration, and even dance therapy—each designed to help you feel and process emotions stored in the body.
Q: What is the difference between CBT and somatic therapy?
A:Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on changing thought patterns to influence behavior, while somatic therapy starts with bodily sensations to process emotions and trauma. Somatic therapy often involves physical techniques alongside talk therapy.
Q: Does somatics really work?
A: Yes, research shows that somatic therapy can reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and improve overall well-being. It’s especially effective for trauma stored in the body.
Q: What does somatic therapy treat?
A: Somatic therapy is commonly used to treat trauma, PTSD, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and even physical pain linked to emotional distress.
Q: How does somatic psychotherapy work?
A: Somatic psychotherapy works by helping you tune into your body’s sensations and responses, often through guided movement, mindfulness, and breathwork. This process helps release trapped trauma and restore emotional balance.
Q: What is Somatic Experiencing Therapy?
A: Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a form of therapy that guides patients to notice and release physical sensations connected to traumatic experiences in a safe and controlled way.
Q: What happens during a somatic therapy session?
A: A typical session may involve a mix of talk therapy and body-based techniques like breathing exercises, body scans, or movement. You and your therapist work together to explore physical sensations tied to emotional experiences.
Getting professional help for alcohol use disorder, drug use, and other addictions is possible even if you don’t have health insurance or a lot of money in the bank.
We understand how concerns over the cost of rehab may still prevent you from working toward recovery. Keep reading to learn how much rehab costs and what financing options might be available to you.
1. Price Levels of Addiction Treatment
The variety of treatment options and therapies available in drug and alcohol rehabs is extensive. Because of this, there’s not really an average cost for rehab and different programs can have vastly different costs.
In the U.S., the cost of residential rehab programs can range from more affordable options that cost less than $10,000 to premium, single-client addiction treatment centers that can cost upwards of $80,000.
Several elements determine how much treatment at different rehab facilities will cost.
2. Factors That Influence the Cost of Rehab
Type of Treatment
The word “rehab” is an older way to refer to many kinds of treatment programs. The most common of these are detox programs, outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and inpatient treatment, also known as residential rehab. The difference between most of these treatment plans is whether you go home every day after treatment sessions (outpatient programs) or whether you live and receive care 24/7 for an extended amount of time at a facility (inpatient care/residential).
These types of treatment often include resources for family members and loved ones, support groups, and connections to various helplines and other resources for when you leave treatment.
Some facilities provide medical detox, which includes medical oversight for detoxification. These programs may use medications to manage withdrawal symptoms, like Methadone for opioid use. Inpatient rehab costs can be higher if the program includes medical detox.
Typically, more time spent at a center results in higher costs for addiction treatment programs. One study by the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reports that “a course of outpatient treatment averaged less than 10% of the cost of inpatient treatment.”1 Though residential treatment programs may be slightly more effective for some people, “preference might still be given to non-residential treatment based on cost-effectiveness.”
How do you pay for rehab?
Paying for treatment can feel overwhelming, but there are many options available that include insurance coverage, sliding-scale fees, state-funded programs, and even community-based resources like churches or nonprofit organizations. It’s crucial to make financial information more available, accessible, and easy to understand so that cost isn’t an immediate deterrent to seeking care. When financial options are difficult to access or navigate, they can become a major barrier, so creating a transparent and supportive process helps ensure that people can get the help they need.
Highly desirable settings, like the beach or mountains, will likely increase the cost of treatment. But, traveling abroad for substance use treatment can sometimes be less expensive than getting treatment locally because of the cheaper costs of operations in different locales, like Thailand or Bali. Garry Irvin, Admissions Manager at The Dawn Rehab describes the cost of drug rehab in Thailand:2
Clients coming from Western countries, from the US, from Australia, UK, would be able to get three or four months’ worth of treatment here for what they would get for a month back at home.
Services Offered
The cost of rehab may increase with additional treatments like detox, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), complementary therapies, outpatient care, or aftercare. These may be offered as optional “add-ons” at an extra cost depending on the treatment facility.
Program Length
The standard length of say at a residential rehab facility is 30, 60, or 90 days. Program rates generally increase according to how long you stay.
Amenities
Treatment at centers with luxurious accommodations and exclusive amenities, like pools and lounges, fully-equipped gyms and sports courts, and business centers or computer labs will likely cost more.
It’s important to remember that the cost of a treatment program doesn’t always correlate with the quality. In other words, just because you’re paying top dollar for a program doesn’t mean you’re necessarily getting the best treatment, and vice versa.
There are many factors to consider, other than cost, that can help you determine the quality of drug and alcohol treatment programs and facilities. If you’re interested in a particular location or facility, the best thing to do is to call and talk to their admissions team to learn more about any specific benefits, prices, and payment options.
Most clients at All Points North Lodge use insurance; “the rest either choose not to use it or don’t have it.”
3. Using Insurance to Pay for Addiction Treatment
Before you can use insurance to pay for addiction treatment, you need to know the following:
Does your insurance plan cover the type of treatment you’re considering, and the level of care you’re wanting?
Does the center you’re considering accept insurance?
Understanding what your insurance provider and plan covers can be difficult, but it’s essential to make sure you’re taking advantage of all of your insurance benefits. The best way to know if your insurance plan covers substance use treatment is to call and discuss your plan details with a customer service agent at your provider.
Which Alcohol and Addiction Rehabs Accept Insurance?
Since the ACA was passed, most US rehab centers will accept insurance in addition to offering multiple payment options. If this information isn’t listed on the center’s website, an admissions officer can give you those details when you call. Per Jerry Vaccaro, President of All Points North Lodge in Edwards, Colorado,
Because we’re in the U.S. and we’ve got the Affordable Care Act…the vast majority of people who come to us have insurance. Some choose not to use it for a variety of personal reasons. In the facility, I’d say at any one time, probably 70% to 75% of our clients have insurance and are using it and the rest either choose not to use it or don’t have it.
How Medicaid and Medicare Can Help Cover Treatment Costs
In the U.S., eligible recipients of Medicaid or Medicare can use these federal- and state-funded health insurance programs to also help pay for treatment.
Medicaid is free or low-cost health care for people who meet low-income requirements, whereas Medicare is a US federal health insurance program for adults over 65 or under 65 with a disability, regardless of income. As one report explains, “To more broadly cover uninsured individuals, the Affordable Care Act includes a provision that allows states to expand Medicaid coverage. Benefits include mental health and substance use disorder treatment services6 with coverage equivalent to that of general health care services.”
Each state has different eligibility rules and treatment coverage, which often change annually, and not all facilities accept Medicaid/Medicare as a form of payment.
What is the average cost of rehab?
The average cost of rehab varies widely depending on several factors, such as the type of treatment, location, duration, and whether the facility is inpatient or outpatient. Traditional inpatient stays can range from $5,000 on the lower end to upwards of $80,000 for a luxury site. Although options are more limited for those in financial need, Medicaid, Medicare, government grants, and various managed care (insurance) plans may be able to offset some or even all of the cost, allowing minimal to no charge for the patient.
4. Paying For Rehab with Grants, Public Funds, and Scholarships
With or without insurance, you may still need additional funding to fully pay for treatment. As the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2016 report on addiction elaborates, although insurance coverage is critical for individuals with substance use disorders,6 “it is unlikely to cover all the services that such individuals may need, such as crisis services (e.g., emergency treatment intervention), housing, supported employment, and many community prevention programs and services (e.g., school-based prevention programs).”
There are public funds available through government organizations like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as grants from private institutions, like SAMHSA, and even scholarships from some rehab centers directly.
It’s historically documented that, in the U.S., state and local governments have been “the largest source of spending on substance use disorder treatment.”7 In 2009, excluding Medicaid expenses, their funds covered $7.6 billion—nearly a third—of total spending on substance use disorder treatment.
These forms of financial assistance to help pay for treatment are available because many institutions, including rehab centers themselves, recognize how vital treatment is and how financially beneficial it is for all of society for people to receive treatment.
“Although the United States spends roughly $35 billion across public and private payers to treat substance use disorders, the social and economic costs associated with these disorders are many times higher: Annual costs of substance misuse and substance use disorders in the United States are estimated at more than $400 billion,” according to the Surgeon General’s report. “Thus, treating substance use disorders has the potential for positive net economic benefits,6 not just in regard to treatment services but also general health care.”
To find out if a particular rehab center offers scholarships and how to apply for the reduced costs, contact the center directly. An admissions specialist can help you navigate the process of getting funding for treatment.
5. Additional Rehab Treatment Financing Options
If you don’t have insurance, or perhaps don’t want to use your insurance coverage for whatever reason, there are other payment options: financing directly from a treatment center, personal loans from family and friends, personal loans from a bank, or paying via credit card.
In general, the main goal of getting financing is to decrease or eliminate your out-of-pocket financial obligations. To that end, choosing a credit card or a loan with low interest rates and manageable payback terms may be preferable.
Some credit card companies offer deferred interest rates for medical-related expenses, including substance and mental health treatment. Furthermore, some centers offer financing options directly from their own funds or work with third-party lenders to create affordable loan packages.
Rehab can be a life-changing (and life-saving) experience, but it does often entail a sizable investment.
Disclaimer: Please note that it’s important to speak with your own financial advisor before taking action that will financially affect your future.
Using Your Own Money to Pay for Treatment
Another way to fund treatment is to self-pay using savings or other assets. In fact, this is one of the most common ways to pay for rehab. Do note that many rehab centers require full payment upfront. Alternatively, you can ask about any payment plan options such as putting down a deposit to secure your spot and then paying off your treatment in increments or monthly payments. Heather Charlet, Director of Admissions, explains the process at Gallus Detox Center in Colorado:
We can put clients on a bit of a payment plan to take a percentage of that upfront and then spread the rest of the payment out over several months. We then also work hard for the verification of benefits to be able to reimburse them as much as possible. We do everything we can to try to make it as cost-effective as possible.
Again, the best way to know what options your rehab center offers is to call them directly.
Is going to treatment or rehab worth it?
The answer requires careful consideration in terms of my commitment to recovery. Is going to treatment or rehab worth it, especially when considering the financial cost? Substance use invariably results in the loss of one’s identity. When we consider the impact of substances on one’s self-perception, the collateral damage, coupled with the onset of hopelessness, is going to treatment or rehab worth it? Yes, there’s no amount of money I wouldn’t spend to get my life back. The relevant question regarding the financial cost of treatment is, am I committed to the recovery process?
No matter how much residential rehab may cost, it is worth it to get the help you need—both in the short term and in the long run. This isn’t just because treatment may save your life, but also because addressing your addictions or mental health conditions now can help reduce your total healthcare costs throughout your lifetime.
As the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2016 Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health describes, “Costs associated with substance use disorders6 are not limited to health care. The accumulated costs to the individual, the family, and the community are staggering and arise as a consequence of many direct and indirect effects, including compromised physical and mental health, loss of productivity, reduced quality of life, increased crime and violence, misuse, and neglect of children, and health care costs.”
When viewed from this perspective, you can see how the reduction in your future health care costs that are associated with treatment and recovery “would more than cover the cost of addiction treatment.”
We know the expense of inpatient treatment can seem intimidating at first. But, your financial concerns don’t have to be roadblocks on your path toward recovery. There are many different paths you can take to get the help you need, no matter what your budget or financial circumstances are.
See our collection of rehabs to find centers offering recovery programs in various price ranges, as well as those that accept insurance.
FAQs
Q: What are the price levels of addiction treatment?
A: Addiction treatment costs vary widely based on the type of care provided. Residential rehab can range from under $10,000 for basic programs to over $80,000 for luxury treatment. Outpatient programs are generally more affordable, with costs starting around $1,000 and going up to $10,000 or more for intensive care.
Q: What factors influence the cost of rehab?
A: Several factors affect the cost of addiction treatment, including:
Type of treatment: Inpatient rehab is more expensive than outpatient programs.
Program length: Longer stays (60 or 90 days) increase costs.
Location: Treatment centers in high-demand areas (beachfront or mountain retreats) may cost more.
Services offered: Medical detox, therapy, and holistic treatments can add to the cost.
Amenities: Luxury facilities with private rooms, pools, or gourmet meals tend to be pricier.
Q: Does insurance cover addiction treatment?
A: Yes, most private insurance plans cover addiction treatment, including inpatient rehab, outpatient care, and detox. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), substance use treatment is considered an essential health benefit. However, coverage varies by provider, so it’s important to verify your benefits with your insurance company.
Q: How can I use Medicaid or Medicare to pay for rehab?
A:Medicaid and Medicare both provide coverage for addiction treatment, but eligibility and services covered vary by state. Medicaid is for low-income individuals, while Medicare is for adults 65+ or those with disabilities. Some rehab centers accept both programs, so it’s best to check directly with facilities or visit Recovery.com to find covered providers.
Q: Are there grants or public funds available to help pay for rehab?
A: Yes, several options can help cover rehab costs:
State-funded rehab programs: Many states offer low-cost or free treatment for qualifying residents.
Scholarships from rehab centers: Some private facilities offer financial assistance to those in need.
Q: What financing options are available for rehab?
A: If you don’t have insurance or need additional financial support, you may consider:
Payment plans: Many rehab centers offer flexible monthly payments.
Medical loans: Specialized loans for healthcare expenses.
Credit cards: Some credit cards provide deferred interest for medical expenses.
Personal savings or family contributions: Self-paying is also an option for some individuals.
Q: Is rehab worth the cost?
A: Absolutely. While rehab can be a significant expense, not seeking treatment often leads to much higher costs, including medical bills, lost income, legal issues, and long-term health complications. Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shows that every $1 spent on addiction treatment saves up to $12 in healthcare and social costs.
Q: How do I find an affordable rehab center?
A: You can find cost-effective treatment by:
Checking insurance-covered rehab facilities.
Looking for state-funded or nonprofit programs.
Asking about sliding scale payment options at private centers.
Applying for scholarships or grants offered by treatment facilities.
If you’re ready to start treatment, reach out to a rehab center’s admissions team to discuss your financial options and find a solution that works for you.
Alcohol can make you feel relaxed, but it’s fleeting, dangerous, and not a true state of relaxation. Reaching for alcohol to cope with stress can start a self-feeding cycle marked by anxiety and eventual dependence.
Let’s explore the true effects of alcohol and how short- and long-term consequences can hide behind the guise of relaxation.
How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Body
Does alcohol help you relax if you’re stressed? It can, but that’s because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. So it can lower your ability to feel stress—not make it go away.
Alcohol as a Central Nervous System Depressant
Your central nervous system (CNS) controls1 your movement, thinking, speech, senses, and general awareness of what’s happening within and around you. When it’s depressed from alcohol, you may slur your speech, lose your balance and coordination, feel less pain, and lose your ability to think clearly.
You’ll also feel an initial calming sensation as your CNS slows down. But operating without your central nervous system in full gear can have disastrous effects, including
Alcohol increases ‘inhibitory’ neurotransmitters2, meaning brain activity slows down. This is what causes that initial wave of calmness. Alcohol also acts on the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor, causing a sense of sedation and lowered anxiety. It affects serotonin levels3, too, and over time, these skewed levels contribute to alcohol addiction.
Alcohol lowers the quality of your sleep4. It negatively affects the same neurotransmitters involved with sleep, meaning it can alter your body’s natural cycles and rhythms. You may fall asleep due to the initial sedative effects of alcohol, but it disrupts your sleep later on in the night.
The Short-Term vs. Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on Relaxation
The initial slowing of activity in your CNS causes a feeling of relaxation, but it doesn’t last.
The Initial Relaxing Effect
Drinking alcohol can produce a sense of calm6, and for some, even a sense of euphoria. This can make it seem like a quick solution to stress, but since it doesn’t take away the problem, only distracts from it, alcohol isn’t a true solution.
Alcohol also activates the brain’s reward system6, which can make the act of drinking feel pleasurable or exciting. This excitatory state combined with reduced inhibitions can cause the sense of euphoria some feel.
Drinking regularly can build a dependence and increase your tolerance7, meaning you’ll need to drink more and more to mitigate the negative effects (like cravings) and feel intoxicated. As dependence and tolerance grow, drinking changes from pleasurable to monotonous—satiating a need for alcohol rather than enjoying its effects.
Feeling more dependent on alcohol can increase your overall anxiety and stress, especially for those balancing other responsibilities and demands.
Rebound anxiety can lead to a cycle of consumption in hopes of keeping the wave from crashing—but it’s not sustainable. People can inadvertently develop alcohol use disorder trying to stay afloat.
Alcohol and Stress: Myths vs. Reality
Think of how many “person-unwinding-after-a-hard-day-with-alcohol” scenes crop up in movies, TV shows, and books. It would seem to be a perfectly normal stress response.
In reality, the stress-relieving idea and the normalcy of this ritual both prove to be myths.
The Myth of Alcohol as a Stress Reliever
Alcohol only changes your ability to notice your stress—it doesn’t take any bit of it away. It may dampen the sensations of stress, which some people experience more pronouncedly than others9, but doesn’t solve the underlying issue. Momentary distractions like this may feel like an adequate solution, but they can cause much more harm than the initial stressor itself.
The Reality: Alcohol’s Impact on Stress and Mental Health
Your mind and lungs can be powerful tools in inducing relaxation.
Next time stress overwhelms, try sitting down and playing a guided meditation session. Search the app store on your phone to find dozens of meditation apps to choose from.
Either separately or alongside your meditation, try a paced breathing technique. Deep, slow breathing tells your brain you aren’t under threat. Examples of breathing techniques include
Box breathing: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, and start the cycle again.
Belly breathing: Focus on expanding your stomach as you breathe. When you breathe out, decompress your stomach as much as you can. This is also called diaphragmatic breathing—try putting your hand on your stomach to feel it rise and fall.
Physical Exercise
Exercise lowers levels of stress hormones12, helping you feel more relaxed. You don’t have to do certain exercises to get these benefits, just find a way of moving that works for you. You could try
Walking
Weightlifting
Jumproping
Running
Climbing the stairs in your house/apartment
Swimming
Developing an exercise routine can help you stick to your goals, like working out before you head into work. And, you can use exercise as-needed to manage acute stress—like doing jumping jacks before or after a stressful situation.
Music and Creative Outlets
Creative expression can also relieve stress13 by engaging the mind and body in a pleasurable, open-minded way. Art and music can alter your perception of the stressful event by helping you take a step back from it. Keeping your hands busy can also help you process stressful events without feeling overwhelmed.
Examples of creative outlets include
Doodling
Painting
Singing
Listening to music
Creative writing
Poetry
Building Sustainable Relaxation Habits
Identifying Triggers for Alcohol Use
Identifying what triggers an urge to drink can help you proactively avoid and prepare for these scenarios, including stress. For example, maybe certain days of the week feel more stressful, like Mondays. Planning a relaxing activity on these days can help manage that stress, and give you peace of mind knowing you have a plan and won’t need to resort to alcohol.
Other situations could include social settings, like a party or event. You might feel stressed and want to use alcohol to numb the nerves and help you be more social—plan ahead by practicing breathing techniques (or other coping skills) before the event and opt for non-alcoholic drinks to limit your alcohol intake.
Creating a Relaxation Routine
Block off time to relax and write down your favorite relaxation techniques. Do one or more relaxation techniques during the time you block off, like a meditation before bed or spending time outside after work. Incorporating relaxation into your daily routines can help it become habitual.
Seeking Support for Alcohol Dependence
Sometimes you need more than stress relief—developing a physical and emotional dependence on alcohol takes medical care to safely reverse. Set up an appointment with your primary care provider to voice your concerns and learn your next steps. Helpful conversation points include
“Should I be concerned about my symptoms?”
“What can I do to stop being dependent on alcohol?”
“Will I need a medical detox to start my treatment?”
“Would you recommend alcohol rehab?”
“What strategies or treatments can I start using right away?”
Your doctor may refer you to therapy, outpatient alcohol addiction treatment, or residential rehab for alcohol addiction. Detoxing at a rehab or hospital may be a necessary first step; make sure you ask your doctor for their medical opinion. You can use Recovery.com to find rehabs and outpatient programs that treat alcohol addiction.
The Reality of Alcohol and Relaxation
Alcohol isn’t a healthy or sustainable relaxation tool, but relaxation techniques relevant to your preferences and needs are. Fill your toolbox with techniques like breathing exercises, meditation, exercise, creative expression, and more to cope with stress without alcohol. Planning ahead for stressful situations can help you feel more prepared and empowered.
Not everyone with bipolar will have the same symptoms. The differences are drastic enough for bipolar to have two distinct clinical categories: types 1 and 2.
Both versions of bipolar include ‘polar’ opposite moods—noticeable highs and lows. Just how noticeable depends on what type of bipolar you have. Shorter periods of low-level mania (called hypomania) are unique to bipolar 2, while bipolar 1 has pronounced episodes of mania that may require hospitalization.
With such distinct differences between symptoms, treatment and management for these sister conditions requires a personalized touch.
Characteristics of Bipolar Disorders
Bipolar disorder is a biological mental illness1, meaning parts of your brain aren’t working exactly how they should. Unlike depression, which can be the product of an unpleasant situation, bipolar exists independently of what you’re experiencing. Life events can certainly trigger a mood swing, but they aren’t what causes bipolar to exist in the first place.
Mood stabilizers, the go-to medication for bipolar, work by improving and stabilizing2 those ineffective connection points in your brain. This means neurotransmitters can flow as designed, leveling out mood swings and reducing mania. Highs won’t feel as high, and lows not so low—basically, the healthy baseline between depression and mania.
Antidepressants produce more of certain mood-boosting neurotransmitters or help your brain receive more of them. While mood stabilizers help neurotransmitters flow correctly, antidepressants affect the amount of neurotransmitters created and/or received.
Often, both a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant are used to treat bipolar disorders.
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar I
Bipolar 1 mania often has a strong presentation, including out-of-character behavior that patients typically fear or regret. Manic episodes last at least 7 days1, including symptoms like
Extreme irritability
Extreme elation; high mood
Fun-seeking behaviors, including sexual promiscuity
Lacking sound judgment when it comes to purchases, activities, and priorities
Talking quickly and bouncing between ideas, sometimes so fast others can’t keep up or understand
Needing less sleep
Highly productive
Feeling especially important or special
And, sometimes,
Psychosis
Delusions
Hallucinations
The symptoms of mania may require hospitalization to manage the person’s safety and well-being, and to prescribe the correct mood stabilizers and bring them out of acute mania. Mood stabilizers like lithium can address acute mania and manage symptoms long-term, though prescription trends show more doctors leaning away from lithium3 and into other medications. These can have fewer side effects and easier tolerability. Atypical antipsychotics have proved helpful for bipolar 1 and 2.
Loss of interest or pleasure in once-enjoyable activities
Feeling hopeless
Low mood and fatigue
Mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics can help manage depression, too. Interestingly, for bipolar depression, clinicians don’t recommend antidepressants as a sole medication. They can actually trigger a manic episode if not combined with a mood stabilizer1 or atypical antipsychotic.
It’s not a choice, it’s a condition. I have bipolar disorder, but it doesn’t define me.
Carrie Fisher
Research suggests that there are complex links between diabetes and mental health conditions, such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia — connections that are not fully understood.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar 2
Bipolar 2 mimics bipolar 1, but with a crucial difference in manic symptoms. Someone with bipolar 2 experiences hypomania4, which means their periods of mania are much less intense and less debilitating, often not affecting their safety, relationships, and work responsibilities nearly as much as mania. You can remember “hypo” means low or less, so low-mania.
Sometimes, people with bipolar 2 actually enjoy their hypomanic states. They often feel more energized, but not out of control, and happier, but not over energized. Perceiving hypomania as a “good mood”, especially following a depressive episode, can keep those with bipolar 2 from seeking treatment or realizing something’s amiss.
Hypomania occurs more frequently than mania5 and can have negative consequences even if people perceive them as positive. Many people with bipolar 2 don’t feel comfortable with their actions and behaviors during a hypomanic episode, either. Symptoms of hypomania5 include
Increased energy
Less need for sleep
Urge to socialize and talk about anything and everything
Risky and promiscuous sexual behaviors
Extreme irritability
Intense anxiety
Notably, hypomania doesn’t cause psychosis, delusions, or hallucinations. People in a hypomanic state may not even notice it’s happened, whereas mania has much more pronounced signs and effects. Loved ones may notice hypomania, and they will certainly notice mania.
Bipolar 2 also includes periods of depression, often more so than bipolar 16. Periods of depression can last months or years, while hypomania often lasts several days.
Those with bipolar 2 face the highest likelihood of an incorrect diagnosis6. Since symptoms of mania are much less pronounced than bipolar 1, providers may misdiagnose patients with major depression, dysthymia (constant low-level depression), or borderline personality disorder (BPD). Hypomania can even present as extreme anxiety and irritability, which could be misdiagnosed as general anxiety disorder. Though these conditions can co-occur with bipolar 2, mistaking them for the primary diagnosis delays proper treatment.
Recognizing the cyclic nature of low/high moods can help patients and their providers arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Getting the right diagnosis means getting the most effective medications and therapy, which can be especially vital in treating bipolar disorders.
Key Differences
Key, overarching differences between bipolar 1 and 2 include
Mania vs. hypomania
Less vs. more frequent depressive episodes
Other differences vary person-to-person. Everyone will experience bipolar 1 or 2 differently. Doctors will often take a deep-dive to determine if you have bipolar 1 or 2, or an entirely different diagnosis.
Treatments for Bipolar 1 and 2
Medications
It’s true mood stabilizers like lithium can be life-changing medications for those with bipolar, especially bipolar 1. Mood stabilizers can manage mania (acute and long-term) and prevent mood cycling.
Certain mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics center on reducing depression and suicidality, not mania. Those with bipolar 2 often benefit from these types of mood stabilizers, plus an antidepressant.
Therapy
Therapy can help people manage and understand their symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors to positively alter mood, which can help in a depressive episode. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) teaches practical strategies for managing distress, surviving crisis urges (like suicidal ideation), and interpersonal communication.
Those with bipolar often remain in therapy throughout their lifetime, as regular sessions can help manage stressors and other life events that could trigger a mood swing. Patients can learn personalized strategies for managing their symptoms and receive ongoing emotional support by working with a therapist.
Mood Tracking
Tracking mood serves as a vital tool for people with bipolar disorders. You can download apps designed exactly for this, or track it in a notebook. Keeping track of your mood and what’s happening in your life can clue you into the unique aspects of your mood cycles, helping you proactively manage highs and lows. This can help you feel more in control, not like your moods are happening to you.
Finding Your Cornerstone: Bipolar Maintenance
Figuring out your unique symptoms and expression of bipolar 1 or 2 can take time, but with accurate diagnoses, medications, therapy, and acceptance, you can learn to manage your bipolar as confidently as you might manage your diet or sleep.
Regular appointments with therapists and psychiatrists can be key to long-term recovery. Let your loved ones know of your condition too, so they can offer their support when needed. And keep an open, non-judgemental mind as you navigate your symptoms—you’ve got this, and you’re in good company on the journey.
Opioids have many forms and uses, from essential painkillers to illicit pseudo-prescriptions with hidden risks and dangers. In any form, prescribed or illicit, they’re highly addictive.
In this article, opioid “misuse” will describe the act of taking opioids, prescribed or not, for purposes beyond their intent. This type of use can quickly spiral into addiction, but many treatment programs offer pathways to recovery.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are a type of drug derived from the opium poppy plant1, but can also be lab-created without the opium base. When opioids bind to opioid receptors in the brain, they block pain signals1 and produce a sense of euphoria. This aspect in particular can spur misuse and, eventually, addiction.
Opioid Types and Their Uses
Opioids come in many forms, carefully modified for medicinal uses or haphazardly assembled in clandestine labs for illicit purposes. Here are some of the most common types and their uses.
Pain Relievers
Pain-relieving opioids have been developed specifically for intense pain. Doctors often prescribe them after surgeries or for painful, chronic conditions like cancer. When used as prescribed (usually a small amount over a specific time frame), prescription opioids are less likely to lead to addiction.
Some opioids are never prescribed due to their potency and potential for addiction. These opioids might be naturally derived or synthetic (man-made). They’re classified as illegal, and having them can result in jail time. Examples include
Heroin, which comes directly from the opium poppy
Fentanyl and carfentanil (when procured and taken without a prescription)
Risk Factors for Opioid Misuse
Although opioids can be highly addictive, not everyone who takes an opioid, prescribed or otherwise, will develop an addiction. Certain risk factors can make addiction more likely, like your genetics, environmental influences, and mental health conditions.
Genetics
Your genes can increase the chance of opioid addiction3. They don’t cause addiction, but slight variations and epigenetics (changes in how your body reads gene sequences) can make you more prone to opioid addiction. For example, variations in your mu-opioid receptors can alter how your reward system works—an integral part of developing an addiction.
Environmental Influences
Growing up in an environment that normalizes substance use can make addiction more likely. Stressful environments can, too, as substances can serve as a coping mechanism. People may also use substances to connect and fit in with peers4.
For example, a child who grows up with family members who drink heavily may get introduced to alcohol early on and view drinking as a way to connect with their loved ones. Someone who grows up in high-stress environments, like poverty or often witnessing domestic violence, may also turn to substance use as a way to cope with the ongoing strain. These types of environments can lead to the initiation of use, which can snowball into addiction.
Mental Health Conditions
Having a mental health condition like depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can make you more susceptible to addiction5. Someone may use substances to self-medicate6 the symptoms of their condition. For example, someone with anxiety may notice their prescription opioids gave them a sense of calm and well-being that made social interactions easier. Or, a stressed executive may find they can get through the day easier if they take heroin before work.
Regular use for these reasons can bloom into an addiction.
Signs of Opioid Use
If you suspect a friend or a loved one has started using opioids not as prescribed or procuring illicit opioids, you can look for key signs of opioid use7 and voice your concerns to them. This can start the process of getting treatment if and when they’re willing.
Physical Signs
Seeming tired often, “out of it”
Small pupils
Disheveled appearance
Track marks on their arms or legs and/or unseasonal clothes to hide them
Sudden, unexplained loss of pain that previously impaired their functioning
Behavioral Signs
Avoiding family and friends without adequate explanation
Acting secretive about their belongings and activities
A marked change in their attitude or personality
They may lose their job or academic standing due to poor performance
Symptoms of Opioid Addiction
The symptoms of an opioid addiction may look similar to the signs of initial use. Their key differentiator is how greatly they affect someone’s day-to-day life. An addiction will rewrite someone’s priorities and motives, while regular use often doesn’t.
Job Loss and/or Financial Struggles
Fixating on using opioids can lead to neglecting work responsibilities, which may cause job loss and ensuing financial struggles. They may lose their home or need to sell personal belongings, like their car and jewelry, to keep paying for opioids. They might even resort to theft.
People who regularly take opioids are also more likely to fall, get sick more often, and actually become more sensitive to pain.
Relationship Struggles
Someone with an opioid addiction may neglect personal relationships and friendships to either hide their use or spend more time on getting, taking, and coming down from opioids. Their relationships may fade and crumble as a result.
Treatments for Opioid Use
Opioid addiction has many paths to recovery.
Detox
Opioid treatment often starts with detox, which safely removes opioids from the body and allows it to return to homeostasis. Medications like buprenorphine9 and methadone10 can help people detox from opioids more comfortably and lessen cravings. Some people stay on these medications to enhance their recovery since they reduce the effects opioids have and make them pointless to take.
Rehab
Many residential rehabs offer detox and therapeutic care over the course of 28+ days. Rehabs aim to treat both the medical and emotional effects of opioid addiction, helping people address root issues and build practical relapse prevention skills.
A typical day in rehab includes 1:1 and group therapies, plus group activities and likely a peer step meeting or two. Depending on its location, some rehabs may offer daily activities or weekly outings, like hiking.
Outpatient
Outpatient programs offer intensive care with greater flexibility. You’ll attend therapy during the day but go home at night and have time for personal responsibilities. Many clinics also offer medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction recovery.
For example, you may go to outpatient treatment after work from 5-7 p.m. You’ll likely attend multiple group therapy sessions and focus on building and strengthening relapse prevention skills. A more intensive outpatient program is day treatment, which typically runs for 5-8 hours a day, 5-7 days a week. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) often include 3-5 days of weekly treatment for 2-3 hours daily.
Continuing Support
Treatment for opioid addiction doesn’t end once your programs do—it can continue for years in aftercare and peer support programs. For example, you could attend regular 12-Step meetings like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or secular SMART Recovery meetings. These keep you connected to others in recovery and provide accountability.
Ongoing therapy can support your healing, too. You can meet with a therapist on a regular cadence to discuss current events and keep working through issues identified in addiction treatment.
Find Opioid Rehabs
Opioid rehabs exist worldwide. They offer various approaches and levels of care, meaning you can find a rehab best suited to your needs and preferences. On Recovery.com, you can search for opioid rehabs by location, insurance type, level of care, and more. You can also see reviews, photos, pricing information, and read detailed descriptions of each center.
Using a drug recreationally means it’s used for non-medical reasons—primarily to enjoy its effects. Many people use alcohol recreationally and substances like marijuana or cocaine. Caffeine, too.
Dabbling in substance use doesn’t always lead to addiction, but it can; along with other health risks and consequences. Fully understanding the risks can help you make responsible, healthier choices when it comes to recreational drugs.
Types of Recreational Drugs
Recreational drugs aren’t a certain class of substances; rather, a drug used to recreate or better enjoy an experience. For example, having alcohol at a party, ecstasy at a rave, or a cigarette with a cup of coffee.
Recreational drugs may be used non-recreationally, too. Someone may drink alcohol because they’ve developed an addiction and need the substance to avoid withdrawal symptoms, not to enjoy it. Someone may also smoke marijuana for medicinal reasons, like pain management, rather than to enjoy the high.
All sorts of drugs can have recreational purposes, but these are some of the most common.
Marijuana
Marijuana has medicinal and recreational uses. When used recreationally, marijuana causes a sense of relaxation and disconnection that some people leverage to soothe stress or connect more fully with peers. It also has use as a medical pain reliever and relaxant that doctors may prescribe at set doses.
Marijuana, typically called weed, has become legal in some American states. Most states haven’t legalized it, but that doesn’t keep people from obtaining and taking the substance. Regular use can lead to addiction and adverse health effects.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a stimulant1 popularized as a recreational drug by how it’s portrayed in media. For example, movies or shows about raucous executives or wealthy celebrities often include cocaine use in party scenes. People in real life, tycoons or not, may use cocaine for similar reasons.
Recreational use can spin into an addiction, legal consequences, negative health effects, and damage to relationships and finances.
Ecstasy
Ecstasy, often called Molly, is a synthetic stimulant with psychedelic properties2. Taking it releases endorphins and slightly alters the reality around you, creating a “trippy” experience that makes it a popular recreational drug at raves with loud music and flashing lights. Its association with these settings marks it as one of the more prominent recreational drugs.
Alcohol
You can easily find alcohol at most social gatherings and events—recreation is often the sole purpose of drinking it (until it becomes an addiction, and someone needs to drink regularly to function.)
Alcohol releases dopamine3, giving it a feel-good effect. It also lowers inhibitions, making people feel more talkative, fun, and primed to enjoy social events better. Drinking alcohol also serves as a way to connect with others; for example, your group of friends may want to celebrate with their favorite drinks or try challenges involving alcohol.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens include drugs like LSD and psilocybin. Many psychedelics with hallucinatory effects come from plants and fungi; or, they may be synthetically based. People often use hallucinogens to have a spiritual experience or to disconnect from reality. They may do it alone or with others.
Differences Between Recreational and Medicinal Drug Use
Purpose and Intent
Why you use a drug can determine if the use is recreational or medicinal. Ask yourself questions like these:
Am I taking this to “fix” something negative I’m feeling?
Am I following the prescription guidelines, or only taking this when I want the effects?
Do I only take this drug when I’m at parties or other social events, to make the event “more fun”?
If you’re taking a medication because you’ve been prescribed it, and taking it as prescribed, the use of the drug likely isn’t recreational—this would be medicinal.
If you’re taking a drug or medication to enjoy its effects or to boost your sense of well-being at-will, the use follows recreational patterns.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Using controlled substances for medicinal purposes, like taking opioids as prescribed for pain, doesn’t breach any laws. Taking controlled substances without a prescription does. Purchasing these illegal substances funds illegal practices, which often operate with little ethical guidelines—focusing on profit over safety.
Taking recreational drugs can trigger or worsen mental health conditions5 like anxiety and depression. The unpleasant side effects of substance use, combined with symptoms of a mental health condition, can perpetuate the cycle of use.
Risk of Addiction
Using drugs, even for recreation, opens up the risk for addiction. Regular use builds tolerance, which means you need a higher and higher dose to feel the same effects. Those higher doses can start changing the neurochemical balances and processes in your brain, making it crave the substance and struggle to function properly without it.
Signs of Drug Use and Intoxication
Physical Indicators
If you or someone else has used a recreational drug, you’ll likely notice physical signs like these.
Red or bloodshot eyes—this is especially common after smoking marijuana.
Discoordination when moving around.
Sudden loss of appetite. Stimulants like cocaine can curb appetite and lead to rapid weight loss.
Behavioral Changes
Someone’s behavior also changes when they’re intoxicated. Recreational drugs, often stimulants, can bring about especially noticeable changes in behavior. Look for signs like:
Seeming “out of it,” like they’re in a dream state and not aware of what’s going on around them.
Acting secretive about their whereabouts and activities.
Neglecting professional and personal responsibilities.
Acting unusually erratic as a result of the drug raising their energy and lowering their inhibitions.
Psychological Signs
The better you know someone, the easier spotting psychological signs of drug use may be. Keep an eye out for indicators like:
Abrupt mood swings, where they may seem down then extremely happy, or the opposite.
Paranoia is a common symptom of taking recreational drugs like marijuana. They may feel like they’re being watched, or something’s out to get them.
Cognitive impairment, meaning they’re suddenly struggling to articulate their thoughts, think clearly, or make sense of what’s going on around them.
When to Seek Help
Recognizing the Need for Intervention
Drinking every so often, or even using more ‘extreme’ recreational drugs sparingly, likely doesn’t pose a major problem for the person and their loved ones—though no amount of drugs used or frequency makes them safe, so stopping is always a good idea. Regular use comes with more pronounced issues that could require an intervention.
Behaviors indicating an addiction, like neglecting responsibilities to use substances, could warrant an intervention, as could signs of physical harm. Use your best judgment to determine if someone’s drug use causes harm to themselves or others, and plan an intervention accordingly.
Resources for Support
Fortunately, help for recreational drug use spans far and wide. Whether you’re looking to cut back on occasional use or recover from a painful addiction, help can help. Some of your many options for healing include:
Therapy, which you can attend in person or virtually.
Residential rehabs provide clinical and therapeutic care for recreational drug addiction, including detox when needed.
Outpatient programs like day treatment and intensive outpatient offer regular, structured care for drug addiction, but with the ability to maintain some personal and professional responsibilities.
Peer support groups like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or SMART Recovery meetings connect you with others in recovery.
Prevention Strategies
Education and Awareness
Knowing more about recreational drugs and what happens when using them can help people make informed decisions, and know what to do in times of need. Young adults can especially benefit from education and awareness on recreational drug use, as they’re likely to encounter these substances at parties and social events in college.
Colleges can boost their efforts on spreading awareness of the risks and dangers of recreational drug use, and make their support services better-known across campus. For example, many colleges have on-campus counseling services and medical services students may not know about.
Community Programs
Many local communities seek to educate and spread awareness through educational materials, support groups, and by presenting alternatives to recreational drug use. To find one of these programs, search online for drug prevention programs in your city or go to your community center to see what resources they offer.
Professional treatment providers, like doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists, can offer expert support for recovery through counseling, medical care, and helping you form a personalized care plan. With their support you can identify which practices may help you best, like traditional therapies or a blend of traditional and alternative approaches.
Legal Implications of Recreational Drug Use
Legal Risks
Some recreational drugs are legal to use, but many aren’t. For example, having ecstasy, LSD, and marijuana (in some states) could incur criminal charges for possession. Criminal charges can lead to jail time and potentially prison.
This creates a criminal record that can upend future jobs, housing opportunities, and more.
Societal Perceptions and Stigmas
Recreational drugs carry a harmful stigma that can attach to the user—mainly, that they’re irresponsible or prioritize a good time over their safety. For younger people and college students, this stigma might not exist among peers, when using recreational drugs is more commonly accepted. But this often changes as they age and mingle with professional peers.
Certain cultures and demographics may be particularly opposed to drug use of any sort, and any regularity.
Thankfully, the stigmas surrounding drug use and mental health conditions have begun to dissipate. Though the progress isn’t blazingly fast, it’s there—and getting better as more people share their experiences and messages of hope.
Getting Help: Drug Rehab for Recreational Drugs
Help for drug addiction comes in many shapes and sizes, catering to your unique circumstances with virtual treatment, in-person care, medical or non-medical care, and even rehabs on the other side of the globe. They take many different approaches to care; some use the 12 Steps, others may focus more on holistic methods. There’s an option for you and your preferences. To find the treatment that’s best for you, you can use Recovery.com and filter your search by insurance, price, conditions, and more.
