May is Mental Health Month: Turning Awareness into Action in Addiction Recovery

What is Mental Health Awareness Month? Mental Health Awareness Month, observed every May since 1949, is a national movement designed to eradicate stigma, highlight the intersection of mental health and addiction, and promote evidence-based care. In the context of addiction recovery, it emphasizes that treating co-occurring disorders—like anxiety or depression alongside substance use—is essential for long-term sobriety.

Mental Health Awareness Month is more than a hashtag. It’s a yearly chance to talk honestly about how mental health and addiction intersect. Every May, organizations across the country highlight stories of struggle and recovery, connecting people to real support instead of just raising awareness.

At Milestone Treatment Center, with locations in New Jersey and Virginia, we see this intersection every day and are committed to providing compassionate, dual-diagnosis care.

The State of Mental Health in 2024–2025

Recent federal data show that mental health concerns remain incredibly common in the United States. The latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) highlights an ongoing national crisis:

• Prevalence of Mental Illness: About 23.4% of adults (roughly 61.5 million people) experienced a mental illness in the past year.
• Serious Mental Illness: 5.6% (14.6 million adults) reported experiencing a serious mental illness.
• Anxiety Rates: More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults showed symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), alongside nearly 42% of adolescents.

While there have been modest improvements, such as declines in major depressive episodes among adolescents, these numbers prove that widespread, accessible care is more important than ever.

How Mental Health and Addiction Overlap

Mental health and substance use are deeply intertwined. NSDUH data show that among adults with any mental illness, nearly one-third (about 31.5%) also met criteria for a substance use disorder.

Despite this overlap, truly integrated care for co-occurring conditions remains rare. Only about 1 in 5 people with a substance use disorder obtain formal treatment. At the same time, there is real hope: around 74% of adults who have ever had a substance use issue report being in recovery, underscoring the life-saving impact of treatment.

Navigating Treatment and Insurance

We know that seeking help for both mental health and addiction can feel financially overwhelming. At Milestone Treatment Center, we work relentlessly to remove that burden. While we do not accept Medicare or Medicaid, we partner with most major private insurance providers to ensure our clients are covered. Our admissions team handles the insurance verification process so you and your family can focus entirely on getting well.

Signs Someone May Be Struggling

When mental health symptoms and substance use appear together, they can feed into one another. Substances may temporarily numb distress but ultimately worsen mood and anxiety. Recognizing these patterns early is one of the most powerful forms of “awareness.” Common warning signs include:

• Ongoing sadness, hopelessness, or loss of interest in hobbies.
• Changes in sleep, appetite, or energy that last for weeks.
• Increased use of alcohol, prescription medications, or street drugs to cope.
• Withdrawing from friends, family, work, or school.
• Talking about feeling like a burden or having no reason to live.

Turning Awareness into Action

Awareness is only the first step; real change happens when people turn concern into action. For individuals and families, taking action looks like:

• Having direct, nonjudgmental conversations when you notice behavioral changes.
• Encouraging a professional mental health evaluation.
• Asking specifically about both mental health and substance use together.
• Learning about local resources so you know where to turn in a crisis.

How Milestone Supports Mental Health in Recovery

At Milestone Treatment Center, we know that our residents are not just working to stop using drugs or alcohol—they are also living with trauma, anxiety, or depression that makes recovery complicated. Our approach is rooted in structure and community, emphasizing:

• Safe Environments: Substance-free living where residents can focus on healing.
• Co-occurring Support: Collaborative care for underlying mental health symptoms.
• Skill-Building: Teaching coping mechanisms, communication skills, and relapse prevention to handle stress without substances.

For families, we encourage education. When relatives understand that addiction and mental illness are health conditions—not moral failures—it becomes much easier to support a loved one through the non-linear process of recovery.

Medically Reviewed by

Dr. Jeffrey A. Berman, MD, DFASAM

Board-Certified Addiction Medicine Physician

Dr. Berman has spent more than 30 years walking alongside people in their darkest moments. He leads our team with one simple belief: every single person deserves compassion and excellent care—no judgment, no shame.

✔ Verified Credentials
📄 Published Expert
🏥 Clinical Practitioner

Sources

1. Mental Health America – Mental Health Month 2026
2. National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2025 – Presidential Proclamation
3. SAMHSA Releases New 2024 Data on Rates of Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder
4. SAMHSA – Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health Press Release
5. Mental Health Awareness Month: Turning Awareness into Action
6. Mental Health Awareness Month 2025: Share Your Story
7. AHA – SAMHSA Releases Results from Annual Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health
8. Issue Brief: Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Services
9. NAMI St. Louis – SAMHSA Study Offers Exclusive Drug Use Findings
10. What You Need to Know: 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month
11. SAMHSA Data – National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Resources