Mental Health

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information contained herein should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health condition, and those seeking medical advice or guidance should consult with a licensed and qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have learned here or elsewhere.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. No physician-patient or provider-patient relationship is created by this website or its use. Boulder Care makes no representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use.

Key Points

People who have a substance use disorder (SUD) may also have other mental health concerns
A primary care clinician can help with common mental health concerns like anxiety and depression
Your Boulder Care Team wants to help with your wellness needs and will help connect you with outside resources

Help is available

Do you need immediate help? Are you having any thoughts, impulses, or getting messages to hurt yourself or someone else? Is someone close to you thinking about hurting themselves or someone else?

Reach out to one of the Crisis Resources listed at the end of this article or go to the nearest emergency room to get help.

SUD and Mental Health

We know that many people who have a SUD also have other common mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. You may have heard this called having “co-occurring disorders” or “dual diagnosis.”

Because of the stigma of having a SUD, many people are mistreated when they try to get other mental health services. People might be told, “We can’t diagnose (or treat) your mental health because you are using substance(s).” They may also be told “You have to not use any substances for 1 year before we can make any diagnosis.” These are old, wrong ideas about mental health treatment and make people not want to ask for help. At Boulder, we know it is important to address mental health and substance use together early on in your care.

SUD Treatment and Mental Health

When you’re working on your wellness by slowing down or stopping use of substances, you might notice changes in your mood. For example you could notice:

symptoms of conditions (like depression) that you may have had before you started using substances might come back or get worse
new changes in your thinking and mood as you slow down or stop using substances
feelings and sensations seem more intense, which can be uncomfortable when you’re not used to it!

Sometimes experiencing new or returning mental health symptoms can be overwhelming. Having feelings that seem unmanageable might make you want to use substances to make them go away. Reach out to your Boulder Care Team for support—we’re here to help you get through this!

Your Boulder Care Team’s Role in Your Mental Health

We care about you as a whole person. Your entire Boulder Care Team is here to help you manage your mental health symptoms and connect you with the help that you need.

For most people, the best place to start with mental health concerns is with your primary care clinician. If you don’t already have one, your Peer Recovery Specialist or Care Advocate can help you find one. Have you been on medication before that helped, but don't have a primary care clinician right now? Talk to your Boulder Team Clinician about getting that medication re-started while we work with you to find a new primary care clinician.

Here are some of the other ways your team can help support you:

Your Care Advocate may have already asked you some mental health questions when you first enrolled in Boulder. It’s something we do for everyone. They’ll check in with you from time to time, and share your concerns with your Clinician.
If you need extra mental health resources, your Care Advocate and/or Peer Recovery Specialist can work with you to find services covered by your insurance.
Your Peer Recovery Specialist can share their own lived experience of learning to manage life’s challenges as they come up throughout the recovery journey. Send them a message in the app to schedule an appointment! They can help you find other resources in your local community, too.
Peer Recovery Specialists ask all participants if they are having thoughts about suicide at the beginning of each session, even if you have never had any trouble with mental health. If you share that you are having suicidal thoughts during a visit, we will connect you to help right away.

Please Note: Our main goal is to help people stay healthy and safe. For this reason, anyone you speak with from Boulder is required by law to report concerns about serious harm to you or others. If you have any questions about this requirement or confidentiality, please ask any member of your care team.

Different Types of Providers for Mental Health Care

There are many different kinds of providers for mental health services. Knowing who to ask for help can be really confusing. Your Boulder Care Team can help you decide what the best approach might be, and help you find resources in your local community. Learn more about different types of mental health providers and what they do.

Action Steps

Some people find it helpful to use a journal or some other way to track their mood and other mental health symptoms. If you notice new or worsening mental health symptoms, talk to your primary care clinician about your concerns.
If you don’t have a primary care clinician, reach out to your Boulder Team Clinician or another member of your care team in the app to let them know what’s going on with you.
Reach out to your Peer Recovery Specialist in the app to ask for support with dealing with emotions.
If you are in immediate danger (thinking about hurting yourself or someone else) reach out to one of the crisis lines below.

Summary

Your Boulder Care Team cares about you and your health and safety. Each person is focused on supporting all aspects of your wellness, including other mental health concerns you might have. If you need other mental health services, we’ll work with you to help you find the resources that work for you.

Crisis Resources

Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Phone: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
TTY: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255
Lifeline Chat
Services in Spanish and for the deaf/hard-of-hearing. Available 24/7 by phone or chat.

Veteran’s Crisis Line
Phone: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and Press 1
TTY: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255
Text: 838255
Veteran’s Crisis Chat
Available 24/7.

Crisis Text Line
Text CONNECT to 741741.
Available 24/7.

Trans Lifeline
Phone: 877-565-8860
A peer-led hotline that provides crisis support to transgender, gender nonconforming or nonbinary people. Available 7am-1am PST / 9am-3am CST / 10am-4am EST.

Resources

Some people find tracking their mood helpful to identify patterns. This may be helpful information to share with your care team if you’d like to.

Mood Tracking Apps for iPhone: Moodflow

Mood Tracking Apps for Android: Pixels Mood Tracker

Printable Mood Tracking Worksheet