What is Substance Use Prevention Month?

October is recognized as Substance Use Prevention Month, a national initiative designed to raise awareness about the impact of substance use and the importance of early prevention, education, and access to treatment. It encourages individuals, families, and communities to learn how substance use disorders develop, how to recognize warning signs, and how to support those at risk.

This month also highlights the value of compassion over stigma. Substance use challenges are not a personal failure. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are mental health disorders often caused by a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors. SUDs can be effectively treated with evidenced based care. One of the first steps in recovery is asking for help.  

In 2025, conversations around prevention are becoming even more urgent as rates of mental health challenges and co-occurring disorders continue to rise, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and trauma-related conditions frequently overlap with substance misuse, making prevention efforts in one area highly relevant to the others.

Substance Use Prevention Month reminds us that understanding, connection, and access to care can change the trajectory of someone’s life. Prevention begins with awareness—and with creating supportive environments where people feel safe reaching out for help.

How Are Eating Disorders and Substance Use Connected?

Eating disorders and substance use disorders frequently occur together, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Both are serious, life-threatening conditions that affect behavior, emotion regulation, and physical health. When they co-occur, they are more complex to diagnose and treat.

These disorders often develop from similar underlying factors, including:

• Trauma or adverse childhood experiences

• Anxiety and mood disorders

• Perfectionism and high self-criticism

• Genetic vulnerability

• Difficulty regulating emotions

Both conditions can serve as maladaptive coping mechanisms used to numb emotions, create a sense of control, or escape distress. They also involve cycles of shame, secrecy, and compulsive behaviors that can reinforce each other.

For example:

• Restriction may be paired with stimulant or nicotine use to suppress appetite.

• Episodes of binge eating may lead to alcohol or cannabis use to manage guilt or anxiety.

• Individuals may replace eating disorder behaviors with substances during recovery if underlying issues go unaddressed.

At Monte Nido, we emphasize the importance of eating disorders and substance use disorders being treated together, not separately. (See our co-occurring conditions page for more information.)

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Shared and Unique Risk Factors

Eating disorders and substance use disorders share many psychological, biological, and environmental risk factors, which helps explain why they co-occur so frequently.

Shared risk factors include:

• Genetics and family history of mental illness or addiction

• Early trauma or adverse life experiences

• Anxiety, depression, or mood instability

• Low self-esteem and shame

• Perfectionism or rigid thinking

• Difficulty managing stress or emotions

• Impulsivity and risk taking

Unique risk factors:

• Eating disorders: body image dissatisfaction, diet culture, weight stigma, control through food

• Substance use disorders: peer influence, accessibility of substances, impulsivity, reward sensitivity

When these shared and unique factors intersect, medical and psychological risks dramatically increase. For example, combining restrictive eating with stimulant or alcohol misuse can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, cardiovascular strain, and impaired judgment.

Recognizing overlapping risk factors allows clinicians to screen more effectively and intervene earlier—before patterns become life-threatening.

Dual Diagnoses: Substance Use and Eating Disorders

A dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time. In eating disorder treatment, dual diagnoses are common and often underrecognized due to overlapping symptoms.

People with eating disorders may use substances to:

• Suppress appetite

• Numb emotional pain

• Manage anxiety or trauma symptoms

• Boost energy or performance

• Induce sleep or calm

Common dual diagnoses with eating disorders include:

• Alcohol Use Disorder

• Cannabis Use Disorder

• Stimulant misuse (cocaine, amphetamines, ADHD medications)

• Prescription medication dependency (benzodiazepines, sleep aids, opioids)

These combinations can significantly worsen both the psychological and physical impacts of each disorder:

• Malnutrition intensifies the effects of substances

• Substances impair judgment around food and body image

• Withdrawal symptoms can mimic or trigger eating disorder symptoms

• Risk of medical instability increases

Because these disorders can mask or worsen each other, clients may receive incomplete treatment unless both are identified and fully treated. For more information, see our Eating Disorder Dual Diagnosis glossary page.

Commonly Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders

While any substance can be misused, certain substances are more frequently linked with eating disorder behaviors. Understanding the motivations behind use helps providers build effective treatment plans.

Alcohol Use Disorder

• Used to numb emotions or social anxiety

• Can suppress appetite or trigger disinhibition, bingeing and purging

• Increases depression and suicide risk

Stimulant Use Disorder (cocaine, amphetamines, ADHD meds)

• Used to lose weight or boost energy

• Appetite suppression reinforces restrictive eating

• High risk of dependency and cardiac complications

Opioid Use Disorder

• Used for emotional or physical pain relief

• Worsens constipation and malnutrition

• High overdose risk

Cannabis Use Disorder

• Used to self-medicate anxiety or insomnia

• May worsen mood, cognition, and long-term mental health

• Negatively impacts brain development if used before age 25

Sedative or Anxiolytic Use Disorder (benzodiazepines, sleep aids)

• Used to calm anxiety or trauma responses

• High dependence risk

• Combined with malnutrition can lead to respiratory depression

Nicotine Use Disorder

• Often used to suppress appetite

• Increases heart rate and stress hormones

• High rates of relapse during recovery

Caffeine Use Disorder

• Used to increase alertness or reduce hunger

• Can worsen anxiety, insomnia, and dehydration

Each substance presents unique risks, but all can reinforce or worsen eating disorder symptoms - highlighting the need for integrated treatment and close medical monitoring.

Complications of Co-Occurring Disorders

When eating disorders and substance use occur together, the medical complexity increases significantly. Both conditions impact the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal system - often in compounding ways.

Complications may include:

• Severe malnutrition and electrolyte imbalance

• Dehydration or organ stress

• Increased risk of cardiac events

• Impaired liver or kidney function

• Cognitive impairment or mood instability

• Increased risk of overdose or suicide

Co-occurring symptoms can also delay accurate diagnosis. For example, dizziness, nausea, depression, or weight changes may be attributed to one disorder while the other goes unnoticed.

Detoxification from a substance and nutritional rehabilitation require careful coordination.

• Refeeding can destabilize individuals using substances

• Withdrawal can complicate nutritional stabilization

• Medical supervision is critical to prevent life-threatening complications

Integrated treatment teams - including medical and psychiatric providers, therapists, dietitians, and nurses - are essential to providing safe and effective care.

Monte Nido’s Approach to Co-Occurring Disorders

Monte Nido uses an evidence-based, trauma-informed, and integrated approach to address eating disorders with co-occurring substance use. We recognize that recovery is not just about stopping behaviors - it’s about understanding why those behaviors developed and building healthier ways to cope.

Our treatment model includes:

• Comprehensive assessment of both ED and SUD drivers and behaviors

• Multidisciplinary treatment teams

• Medical monitoring of withdrawal, nutrition, and stability

• Individual, group, and family therapy

• Evidence-based treatment for PTSD when needed

• Skill-building through DBT, CBT, and emotion regulation approaches

• Relapse prevention planning for both conditions

Levels of care include:

• Inpatient treatment

• Residential treatment

• Day treatment

• Virtual programming

Our clinicians are trained to recognize how substances can serve similar functions to eating disorder behaviors. By treating both conditions together, we help clients reduce the risk of substitution and build sustainable recovery.

Aftercare and Relapse Prevention

Long-term recovery from co-occurring eating disorders and substance use requires ongoing support beyond initial treatment. Clients may feel stable upon discharge but encounter stressors, triggers, or life transitions that challenge recovery.

Effective aftercare includes:

• Continued therapy (individual, group, or family)

• Alumni and peer support programsAccountability and monitoring for both ED and SUD behaviors

• Skills practice and reinforcement

• Involvement of family and other support systems

Resources for Support and Education

Substance Use Prevention Month is a powerful time to share reliable resources and support. Families, caregivers, and professionals can use these tools to better understand co-occurring disorders and promote early intervention.

National resources:

• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

• NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

• Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

• Smart Recovery

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Monte Nido resources:

• Educational blogs and webinars

• Support for co-occurring conditions

• Admissions team available to guide families through care options

Communities often host events, trainings, or awareness campaigns during October. Recognizing warning signs early, and knowing where to turn, can make all the difference.

If you or someone you love is struggling, Monte Nido is here to help.

Prevention Starts with Understanding

Substance Use Prevention Month reminds us that prevention is not just about stopping behaviors—it’s about understanding the emotional, biological, and environmental roots of substance use and eating disorders.

By approaching these conditions with compassion, education, and awareness, we reduce stigma and create pathways to healing.

Monte Nido is committed to promoting recovery, resilience, and access to integrated care. When we understand the connection between eating disorders and substance use, we can intervene earlier, support more effectively, and help individuals reclaim their lives.

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