(971) 365-4513
(971) 365-4513
Substance Use Disorders

When A Habit Starts Asking More Of You

Alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, nicotine, and other drugs can become closely connected with mental health. They may offer temporary relief from anxiety, sleep problems, low mood, or difficult memories, but over time can make underlying concerns harder to manage.

You do not need to identify as having an addiction or be ready to stop completely to talk about it. We ask about use habits as part of routine psychiatric care because understanding what you drink, take, or use and what role it plays in your life helps us provide the best care to you. We ask because substance use can affect how psychiatric medications work and is important to consider when prescribing safely. The conversation is practical, confidential, and without judgment.

What We Address

Alcohol Use

You may be drinking more than you intended, finding it difficult to cut back, or noticing alcohol affecting your mood, sleep, health, or relationships. We assess alcohol use across a range of severity and work with you to develop a treatment plan based on your symptoms, risks, and goals.

Opioid & Prescription Medication Use

Opioids, stimulants, sedatives, and other prescription medications can sometimes become difficult to manage, whether prescribed or obtained elsewhere. We assess patterns of use, dependence, withdrawal risks, and related mental health concerns to help determine appropriate treatment and support.

Cannabis &
Other Drug Use

Cannabis and other substances can affect sleep, anxiety, mood, attention, motivation, and overall psychiatric health. We explore how substance use may be affecting you, address related psychiatric concerns, and help determine when additional substance-specific treatment is needed.

Nicotine &
Vaping

Cigarettes, vaping, and other nicotine products can lead to dependence and make quitting difficult. We assess nicotine use, cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and the role nicotine may play in managing stress, mood, or attention. Together, we explore strategies to reduce or stop use based on your goals.

Co-occurring Mental Health Concerns

Substance use often overlaps with depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, trauma-related symptoms, and sleep problems. We look at how these concerns influence one another and develop a treatment plan that addresses the whole clinical picture.

You Might Come In Because…

You are wondering if your use is becoming a problem.

Maybe you are using more, thinking about cutting back, or feeling less in control.

You use substances to cope.

Alcohol, cannabis, medications, or other substances may help with sleep, anxiety, stress, or mood.

You want to make a change without necessarily stopping completely.

Cutting back, understanding triggers, and reducing risk can all be meaningful goals.

You are in recovery and still want mental health support.

We can treat anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, insomnia, and other concerns while supporting your recovery.

How We Approach Treatment

We start with an accurate picture.

We want to understand what you are using and how often, what happens when you try to reduce it, and what purpose it serves for you. Honest information helps us identify potential interactions, overlapping effects, and other risks that may come from combining substances with psychiatric medications.

Your goals matter.

For some people, abstinence is the safest and most realistic goal. For others, reducing use or beginning with harm-reduction strategies may be an appropriate place to start. We will talk openly about what we think is clinically safest while working with you toward goals that are realistic and meaningful.

We consider your medications carefully.

Substance use history matters when choosing psychiatric medications. Some medications carry misuse or dependence risk, while others can interact with alcohol or other substances or contribute to behavioral changes. Your history does not disqualify you from treatment. Rather, it helps us prescribe more thoughtfully.

We treat what is underneath it.

If anxiety, trauma, insomnia, depression, ADHD, or another psychiatric condition is contributing to substance use, treating those symptoms directly may make change considerably easier.

Where Medication Fits

Medication can be an effective part of treatment for some substance use disorders. For alcohol use disorder, for example, medications can reduce cravings, decrease heavy drinking, or support abstinence. Depending on the substance or behavior we are treating and your individual situation, other medication options may also be available. When medication is appropriate, we will talk through what each option does, the evidence behind it, potential risks and benefits, and how it fits with your goals.

Where Therapy Fits

Therapy is an important part of treatment for many substance use and behavioral addiction concerns. Therapeutic interventions may be incorporated into medication-management visits, including motivational interviewing, relapse-prevention strategies, coping skills, and practical ways to reduce harm.

These interventions complement rather than replace comprehensive therapy or addiction treatment. When more sustained support would be helpful, we can discuss the type of therapy or program that may be the best fit and help connect you with resources across Oregon. If you already have a therapist or treatment team, we are glad to coordinate care.

When A Different Level Of Care Is Needed

Claris Mental Health provides outpatient psychiatric care and does not provide medical detoxification, residential treatment, or other intensive substance use treatment.

Withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines, and certain other substances or medications can be medically serious or life-threatening. If you may be at risk for withdrawal, do not abruptly stop or significantly reduce use without appropriate medical guidance. Some situations require a higher level of care than can be safely provided in an outpatient psychiatric setting. 

If we believe a higher level of care is needed, we will discuss our concerns and recommendations with you and help identify appropriate treatment options. If you are experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, a suspected overdose, or another medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Common Questions About Substance Use Disorders

Do I have to stop drinking or using substances before I can be seen?
No. You do not need to have everything figured out before seeking psychiatric care. Many people begin treatment while they are still drinking or using substances.
What if I’m not sure if my substance use is actually a problem?
That is a completely reasonable reason to bring it up. We can look together at how much you are using, what function it serves, whether it has changed over time, and whether it is affecting your health, sleep, mood, relationships, finances, or daily life.
Can I work on cutting back rather than quitting?
Reduction can be a meaningful and appropriate goal for some people. In other situations, particularly when there is significant physiological dependence or safety risk, abstinence may be the safer recommendation. We will give you a clear clinical assessment rather than assuming the same goal is right for everyone.
Can I still receive treatment for anxiety, depression, or ADHD if I drink or use substances?
Yes. Substance use can affect which medications are appropriate and how treatment needs to be monitored, but it does not automatically prevent treatment of another psychiatric condition. In fact, understanding both is often essential to treating both effectively.
Do you treat gambling concerns?
Not directly. Gambling and other compulsive behaviors can affect mood, anxiety, relationships, finances, and overall mental health. We can evaluate how these concerns may be interacting with your psychiatric symptoms and address co-occurring mental health conditions. For treatment specifically focused on the compulsive behavior itself, we can connect you with specialized resources.
Do you provide detox?
No. Claris Mental Health is an outpatient psychiatric practice and does not provide medical detoxification. If withdrawal could be medically dangerous or you need a higher level of support, we will help direct you toward appropriate care.
What if I’ve tried to change before and started using substances again?
A return to use does not mean there is nothing left to try. It gives us useful information about triggers, vulnerabilities, what helped, what did not, and that may be used to modify the treatment plan going forward.

Ready For A Clear Path Forward?