LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — As Mental Health Awareness Month begins, health professionals in Arkansas are drawing attention to the strong connection between addiction and mental health challenges, warning that many residents still are not receiving the help they need.
According to data cited by providers, roughly one in four adults in Arkansas struggles with mental health issues, placing the state near the bottom nationwide for frequent mental distress.
At The Haven Detox Central Arkansas, leaders said those struggles often overlap with substance use disorders.
“It is very common for them to have both — usually one does not occur without the other,” said Tiffany Terry, executive director of the facility.
Terry said patients frequently fall into a cycle, either using drugs or alcohol to cope with untreated mental health conditions or worsening their mental health through substance use. Because of that, she emphasized the importance of treating both issues together.
“Typically, you don’t treat one without the other,” Terry said.
Even when people recognize they need help, barriers remain. Stigma and misunderstandings about what treatment looks like often prevent individuals from seeking care.
“I think there’s a misconception that it’s, you know, you’re wearing a straitjacket and thrown into something you don’t want,” Terry said. “Whereas really, mental health treatment is aimed at addressing the goals that you have for yourself.”
For Angela Hardy, that connection became clear after years of neglecting her mental health, which contributed to her addiction.
“I just kind of put my mental health on the back burner,” Hardy said. “I took medication before, and then I just fell off and quit taking it, and it just kept me deep in my addiction.”
A turning point came after the death of her sister, which she said forced her to confront the consequences of untreated mental health struggles.
“When she died, it made me really open up my eyes and see that I didn’t want to die like I thought I did,” Hardy said.
Now in recovery, Hardy said treatment helped her address both her addiction and mental health, allowing her to rebuild her life and support others facing similar challenges.
“I get to help other people and let them know that we can do this,” she said.
Terry said recovery often begins before someone ever enters a treatment facility, starting with recognizing the need for help and taking the first step toward seeking support.