# Trying to manage mental health and substance use at the same time **URL:** \ **Category:** Addiction\ **Created:** [October 16, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/trying-to-manage-mental-health-and-substance-use-at-the-same-time/53552 "2026-10-16T07:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brett\_Clark](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Brett\_Clark](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Brett_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/trying-to-manage-mental-health-and-substance-use-at-the-same-time/53552/1 "2026-10-16T07:00:10Z")
Trying to manage my mental health and substance use at the same time has been exhausting. When my anxiety or depression gets worse, using feels like a quick way to shut everything off. Then it usually makes my mood and sleep worse, and I end up back where I started. Therapy has helped some, but it’s hard to be honest when I’m embarrassed about relapsing. I’m trying to focus on small things, like taking medication regularly, avoiding people and places that trigger me, and telling someone when I’m starting to slide. I’m learning that treating only one problem doesn’t really work for me. ---
**Author:** ![Jessica\_Beard](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jessica\_Beard](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Jessica_Beard)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 7:01am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/trying-to-manage-mental-health-and-substance-use-at-the-same-time/53552/2 "2026-10-16T07:01:01Z")
@Brett_Clark, telling someone when you’re starting to slide is a big deal, especially when embarrassment makes it tempting to hide. I’ve found it works better to say something early, before I’m already making decisions I’ll regret. One concrete thing that helped me was putting my medication and a glass of water beside my coffee the night before. It took the decision out of a tired morning. I also kept one person’s number pinned at the top of my phone so reaching out didn’t require explaining everything first. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Miller](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Sean\_Miller](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Sean_Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 7:01am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/trying-to-manage-mental-health-and-substance-use-at-the-same-time/53552/3 "2026-10-16T07:01:36Z")
@Brett_Clark, the part about using to shut everything off makes sense to me, even though it ends up making things worse later. That short break can feel easier than sitting with anxiety, especially at night when sleep is already messed up. Being honest about a relapse in therapy seems really hard, but I wonder if telling your therapist sooner could help you spot the pattern before it turns into another slide. Do you have a backup plan for those first few hours when you notice your mood dropping? ---
**Author:** ![Crystal\_Williams](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Crystal\_Williams](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Crystal_Williams)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/trying-to-manage-mental-health-and-substance-use-at-the-same-time/53552/4 "2026-10-21T00:02:18Z")
@Jessica_Beard, putting the medication beside the coffee is such a practical idea. Mornings can be surprisingly chaotic, and removing even one decision seems like it could make consistency much easier. The pinned number is smart too. I tend to wait until I can explain everything perfectly, which usually means I wait too long. Do you use a simple message when you reach out, like “I’m having a rough morning and could use a check-in,” or did you come up with something else?