May is Mental Health Awareness Month and in a world grappling with conflict, climate anxiety, economic uncertainty, and widening social divides, mental health challenges are rising at an alarming rate. But for many, these challenges are compounded by systemic inequalities. People of colour, LGBTQI+ individuals, women, and immigrants are not only facing the stressors we all share — they are doing so while navigating discrimination, marginalisation, and often feeling unsafe in their daily lives.
Ryan Eripse, Head of Clinical at The Cabin, Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Thailand, looks at how when safety and belonging are out of reach, substances can become an escape. Alcohol, drugs, and compulsive behaviours are too often used to numb the anxiety, isolation, and pain that society fails to address. Globally, studies now show rising rates of substance misuse in marginalised communities — not because of weakness or lack of willpower, but because the weight they carry is heavier. He believes that mental health care must be trauma-informed, culturally aware, and deeply compassionate. The global community needs to stop treating addiction as a moral failure and start addressing the social conditions that fuel it.
Ryan comments: “We must acknowledge the intersection of trauma, social exclusion, and mental health struggles. Marginalised groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals, are not only more vulnerable to substance abuse but are also less likely to access safe, affirming spaces for recovery”.
Addiction Is a Mental Health Issue: Dispelling Stigma
Mental Health Awareness Month is a time to open conversations, challenge misconceptions, and shine a light on truths that often go unheard. One truth that desperately needs more attention is this: addiction is not a moral failing or weakness — it’s a mental health concern.
The Overlap No One Talks About
Ryan states:“Many people still separate addiction and mental health in their minds, thinking of them as two different issues. But research — and the lived experience of countless individuals — tells a different story. Addiction and mental health struggles are deeply interconnected. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and unresolved emotional pain are often the silent drivers behind substance use or compulsive behaviours.
In fact, addiction can be seen as a symptom: a coping mechanism for dealing with unbearable emotional distress, pain, or disconnection. The brain seeks relief, and substances or behaviours offer a temporary escape. But that relief comes at a cost, and over time, the cycle becomes harder to break without help”.
The Stigma That Keeps People Silent
One of the most harmful myths is that addiction is simply “bad choices” or lack of willpower. This belief fuels shame and keeps people trapped in silence, unable to ask for help for fear of judgment. It also prevents many from seeing addiction as part of a larger mental health picture. Shame is not a motivator for change — it’s a barrier. The more we stigmatise addiction, the harder we make it for people to access support and recovery.
Myths That Need to Be Challenged
-
Myth 1: Addiction is a moral failure.
Truth: Addiction is complex and often rooted in trauma, genetics, mental health struggles, and environmental factors. It’s not a character flaw. -
Myth 2: You just have to be stronger and stop.
Truth: Recovery is not about willpower alone. Addiction changes brain pathways and emotional responses. Recovery requires compassion, support, and often professional help — just like other mental health conditions. -
Myth 3: Mental health problems and addiction are separate.
Truth: Most people living with addiction are also living with mental health challenges, whether diagnosed or not. Addressing addiction without addressing the mental health roots often leads to relapse or continued struggle. -
Myth 4: People with addiction are dangerous or hopeless.
Truth: People with addiction are human beings who are suffering. With understanding, support, and evidence-based care, recovery is absolutely possible.
What Needs to Change
It’s time we stop asking, “What’s wrong with them?” and start asking, “What happened to them?” Addiction doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s often a response to pain, isolation, trauma, or lack of healthy emotional regulation tools. We need to speak about addiction with the same compassion we show toward anxiety, depression, or grief. We need to encourage open conversations where people feel safe enough to say, “I’m struggling,” without fear of rejection or shame.
Addiction is not simply about weak willpower or bad decisions. It’s not about recklessness or selfishness. Addiction is often the visible symptom of invisible pain. Beneath addiction, there is almost always trauma, emotional suffering, anxiety, depression, or profound disconnection. No one sets out to become addicted — they’re trying to numb something too big or too painful to face. The brain’s reward and survival systems are hijacked, making it incredibly difficult to simply “stop.” In fact, shaming or isolating someone often fuels the problem — because it increases the emotional pain they’re already trying to escape.
How to Recognize the Signs
Addiction can show up in many forms: substances like alcohol or drugs, gambling, compulsive spending, gaming, sex, pornography, or other behaviours. But the signs often go beyond the substance or behaviour itself:
-
They seem increasingly withdrawn or secretive.
-
They have mood swings, anxiety, or depression that seem more intense or frequent.
-
They struggle to manage responsibilities — work, relationships, finances.
-
They make promises to stop but can’t keep them.
-
They may isolate or push loved ones away when confronted.
These are not signs of moral failure. They are signs of someone overwhelmed by pain and struggling to cope.
What Not to Do
-
Don’t lecture, shame, or punish. It doesn’t create change; it creates more pain and secrecy.
-
Don’t demand instant change or set unrealistic ultimatums. Addiction recovery is rarely linear or immediate.
-
Don’t take their behaviour personally. It’s not about you. It’s about their relationship with their own pain.
What Actually Helps
-
Start from compassion, not control. Ask yourself: If I truly believed they were in pain, how would I speak to them differently?
-
Use open, non-judgmental language. Instead of “You need to stop,” try: “I can see you’re struggling. I care about you. I’m here if you want to talk or if you need help.”
-
Offer support without conditions. This doesn’t mean enabling. It means holding space for them to open up, without fear of rejection.
-
Encourage professional help. Therapy, counselling, and support groups are often key. But let them move at their own pace — forcing it rarely works.
-
Educate yourself. The more you understand about trauma, mental health, and the science of addiction, the more effectively you can support them.
Remember: People Heal Through Connection
Addiction is fuelled by isolation, shame, and disconnection. Healing begins with safety, trust, and compassion. The more you can be a safe, understanding presence in their life, the more likely they are to reach out for help. And if they do reach out — listen. Without judgment. Without trying to “fix” them at that moment. Just listen.
