Denver's women-only program for mental health, trauma and substance use.Call Admissions 833.754.0554
Call 833.754.0554Verify Insurance

Care for women with co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns

Your symptoms made sense. We treat what they were managing.

You don’t need a substance use diagnosis to begin. Healing begins in our Partial Hospitalization Program: a full day of care, and home every night.

When you want to talk, call Women’s Recovery at 833.754.0554 or visit 3801 E Florida Ave, Ste 650, Denver, CO 80210. A conversation does not obligate you to enter care.

Dark sofa with patterned pillows and a glass table

A look at our space

These are rooms at our Denver office. You spend the day here, and you go home at night.

Seating area with a sofa, round table, plants and artwork at Women’s Recovery Lounge with purple chairs, cream sofa and table Lounge with purple chairs and dried flowers Dark sofa and coffee table in a furnished room Plum armchairs beside a window table Entrance to the Belcaro Place building with the number 3801 above the doors

What are co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders?

Co-occurring mental health and substance use addresses situations in which a mental disorder and a substance use disorder are present at the same time. Symptoms can overlap and affect each other, so care that considers both can support a clearer understanding and a more effective treatment plan. Explore Neurodivergence and co-occurring Support for Women or broader substance use and addiction treatment for women. A conversation can help you consider your options.

01

Co-occurring conditions can affect symptoms, participation in treatment, and overall health outcomes.

For example, substance use may complicate a mental health concern, while distress related to mental health may shape patterns of use. Neither relationship proves that one condition caused the other. Accurate diagnosis depends on a comprehensive view rather than treating one concern as the whole story.

02

The category can include different combinations of substance use and mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, or psychosis-related disorders.

It does not describe every woman in the same way. Education can help you make sense of overlapping concerns, but a clinician experienced in both areas must assess whether disorders are present and what care is appropriate.

Plum armchairs beside a window table

Why can substance use and mental health concerns occur together?

Mental health and substance use concerns may occur together because biological, psychological, and environmental influences can overlap, and each condition can affect the other. There is no universal sequence or cause. Information about eating concerns and substance use or neurodivergence and co-occurring support can illustrate why individual context matters.

01

Some people use substances while trying to manage distressing thoughts, emotions, memories, pain, or social strain, but that explanation does not apply to everyone.

Substance use may also intensify symptoms or interfere with treatment for another condition. These interactions can become difficult to separate without careful assessment, particularly when changes in sleep, mood, attention, or behavior have several possible explanations.

02

Co-occurring health conditions may extend beyond mental health.

Chronic pain and certain infectious illnesses are among the health concerns that can occur alongside substance use disorders, and substance use may affect medical treatment or medication effectiveness. Looking at physical health, mental health, and substance use together can support a more coherent plan and reduce the chance that an important need is overlooked.

How are co-occurring disorders assessed and treated?

Assessment looks at mental health symptoms, substance use, physical health, functioning, and how concerns change over time. Because symptoms may overlap, experience in both areas can reduce missed diagnoses and support coordinated treatment. Sensory and communication needs may also shape care, while substance use treatment information explains additional support categories.

01

A comprehensive assessment examines patterns rather than assuming every symptom has the same source.

Mood shifts, sleep disruption, concentration problems, or social withdrawal may relate to mental health, substance use, physical health, or an interaction among them. Accurate diagnosis matters because it guides treatment priorities and helps avoid a plan that addresses one concern while leaving another unrecognized.

02

Treatment may combine behavioral therapies, mental health care, substance use care, and attention to relevant medical conditions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and motivational interviewing are behavioral approaches that can help people develop coping skills and manage co-occurring concerns. The appropriate combination depends on an individual assessment, and no particular approach can guarantee an outcome.

Lounge with purple chairs, cream sofa and table

How can someone find help for co-occurring concerns?

Look for care that can assess both mental health and substance use rather than requiring you to decide which concern matters first. Experienced providers can identify overlapping symptoms and build a more effective plan. You may review Admissions at Women’s Recovery or contact Women’s Recovery for a direct, conversation about possible support.

01

You can begin with a health care provider experienced in both mental and substance use disorders or use established behavioral health treatment directories.

An initial conversation should help determine the level and type of assessment needed. Reaching out does not assign you a label, and you remain entitled to understand your options and participate in decisions about your care.

02

How can someone find help for co-occurring concerns?

Integrated attention is valuable because co-occurring disorders may make it harder to stay engaged with treatment or follow a plan designed for only one condition. Care that recognizes the interaction can align coping support, behavioral treatment, and medical needs. Women’s Recovery can discuss whether its support appears relevant or whether a different resource would better match the concerns you describe.

Can someone have more than one substance use disorder alongside mental health concerns?

Yes. A person may experience more than one substance use disorder while also living with one or more mental health concerns. Each condition can influence symptoms and treatment, so individual assessment is essential. Resources on personality-related concerns and substance use and eating concerns and substance use show the range of combinations that may need consideration.

01

Using more than one substance does not by itself establish multiple substance use disorders.

Diagnosis depends on patterns, effects, and clinical criteria, not merely whether exposure occurred. A thorough assessment can distinguish occasional use, harmful interactions, and separate disorders while also considering whether mental or physical health symptoms could be influencing what you are experiencing.

02

When several conditions are present, treatment planning may need to address their interactions rather than placing every concern into one category.

Substance use can affect some medications and medical treatment, while mental health symptoms may affect engagement and follow-through. Coordinated care helps clinicians set appropriate priorities and adapt treatment as your needs, functioning, and goals become clearer.

Lounge with purple chairs and dried flowers

Common questions

Explore mental health treatment for women in Denver and therapies for women in recovery for related guidance. Call admissions when you want to discuss your own situation.

Call Admissions
01 Does a mental health concern always cause substance use?

No. Co-occurring conditions do not follow one universal cause or sequence. Mental health symptoms, substance use, biology, environment, and physical health can interact differently for each person. A comprehensive assessment helps clarify the pattern in your life instead of presuming that one concern automatically created the other.

02 Why can co-occurring conditions be difficult to identify?

Symptoms may overlap. Changes in sleep, mood, concentration, motivation, or behavior can have several explanations, and substance effects may resemble or intensify mental health symptoms. A provider experienced in both areas can examine timing, patterns, health, and functioning, reducing the chance that one condition is missed.

03 What does integrated treatment mean?

Integrated treatment considers mental health, substance use, and relevant physical health needs together. It may combine behavioral therapies with other clinical care and coordinated support. The value is a plan shaped around interacting concerns rather than separate approaches that overlook how one condition may influence symptoms, engagement, or treatment effectiveness.

04 Can behavioral therapy help with both kinds of concerns?

Behavioral therapies can help people build coping skills and manage co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Approaches may include cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and motivational interviewing. The appropriate method depends on your assessment and goals, and therapy may be one part of a broader coordinated care plan.

05 How do I contact Women’s Recovery about co-occurring concerns?

Call 833.754.0554 for a conversation or visit Women’s Recovery at 3801 E Florida Ave, Ste 650, Denver, CO 80210. You can describe the support you are seeking and hear whether the next step appears relevant. Contacting the team does not require you to commit to treatment.

Evidence behind this page

Supporting health information

Read how we select health information sources and apply the Women’s Recovery editorial policy. These references provide general education and context; they do not establish an individual diagnosis, service, or treatment recommendation.

If you can't believe that yet, borrow my hope. Just long enough to find your own.

Women’s Recovery graduate

Start with one conversation. Tell us what you're carrying. We'll walk you through the next step and verify your benefits.