Condition
Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Texas
Substance use disorder is a treatable medical condition — not a moral failing. Effective care blends counseling and behavioral therapy with FDA-approved medications when appropriate, and treats any co-occurring anxiety or depression at the same time. Help is available, and reaching out is a strong first step.
Clinically reviewed by the Lyte Psychiatry Clinical Team · Last reviewed June 2026
Need help now? Call SAMHSA’s free, confidential National Helplineat 1-800-662-HELP (4357), available 24/7, or visit FindTreatment.gov. If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988; for a medical emergency call 911.
What is substance use disorder?
Substance use disorder is a medical condition in which continued use of alcohol or another substance causes significant problems — with health, relationships, work, or daily life — and becomes hard to control. It ranges from mild to severe, involves changes in brain circuits tied to reward and self-control, and, importantly, responds to treatment.
How it’s treated
Evidence-based care takes a “whole-patient” approach — combining behavioral therapy and counseling with medication when it’s appropriate:
- Counseling and behavioral therapies to build skills, motivation, and relapse-prevention strategies.
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) where indicated (more below).
- Treating co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression at the same time.
- Higher levels of care (detox or specialized programs) when a situation calls for it — we’ll help you find the right fit.
Most common presentation
Alcohol use disorder
Alcohol is the substance Lyte is asked about most, and it is the one people most often delay raising. You do not need to have lost a job, a licence or a marriage to qualify for help. The questions that actually matter clinically are whether you drink more or longer than you intended, whether cutting down has been harder than expected, whether it now takes more to get the same effect, and whether you keep drinking despite what it is doing to your sleep, mood, health or relationships.
Two points worth stating plainly. First, abstinence is not the only goal a clinician will work with — reduced drinking is a legitimate target, and naltrexone in particular has evidence behind it for people who want to drink less rather than stop. Second, alcohol withdrawal can be medically dangerous. If you drink heavily every day, do not stop abruptly on your own: withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens are real risks, and medically supervised withdrawal is the safe route. Say so at your appointment and the plan will account for it.
Curious where you stand? The free, private AUDIT-based self-check takes two minutes and never leaves your device.
Dual diagnosis
Co-occurring mental health conditions
Substance use and psychiatric conditions travel together often enough that treating either one alone tends to fail. NIMH describes co-occurring disorders as the rule rather than the exception in people seeking treatment for either. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder and chronic insomnia all raise the likelihood of substance use, and sustained substance use worsens all of them in turn.
The practical consequence is that the sequencing question — “get sober first, then treat the depression” — is usually the wrong one. Both are treated at once, by the same team, with one plan. What changes is the detail: antidepressant response is hard to judge during heavy drinking, benzodiazepines are a poor choice for anxiety in someone with a substance history, and sleep has to be addressed early because unmanaged insomnia drives relapse.
Medications
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
MAT pairs FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapy. For opioid use disorder, the approved medications are methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. For alcohol use disorder, options include naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Which (if any) is right depends on the substance, your history, and your goals — a prescriber decides this with you.
What Lyte can and cannot provide. Naltrexone (oral or long-acting injectable), acamprosate and disulfiram for alcohol use disorder are within scope where they are clinically appropriate, as is treating the co-occurring psychiatric conditions alongside them. Buprenorphine for opioid use disorder is offered only where a Lyte prescriber’s scope and the clinical picture support it — ask before you book, so nobody’s time is wasted. Methadone is dispensed exclusively through federally certified opioid treatment programmes and is never prescribed from an outpatient clinic. Lyte does not provide medically supervised withdrawal, inpatient detox, residential rehabilitation or intensive outpatient programmes; when one of those is what the situation calls for, the team says so and helps you find it through FindTreatment.gov.
For medications used to treat co-occurring anxiety or depression, see our medication guides and medication management.
Frequently asked questions
What is substance use disorder?
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a medical condition in which continued use of alcohol or other substances causes significant problems with health, relationships, work, or daily functioning, and becomes hard to control. It exists on a spectrum from mild to severe, and it is treatable.
How is substance use disorder treated?
Effective care combines counseling and behavioral therapies with medications when appropriate — a 'whole-patient' approach. The right mix depends on the substance, severity, and your goals, and is tailored with a clinician. Some situations need detox or a higher level of care, which we can help you find.
What is medication-assisted treatment (MAT)?
MAT uses FDA-approved medications alongside counseling and behavioral therapy. For opioid use disorder, the approved medications are methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. For alcohol use disorder, options include naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. A prescriber determines what fits your situation.
What if I also have anxiety or depression?
That's common, and it's called a co-occurring (or dual-diagnosis) condition. Research suggests it's usually better to treat the substance use and the mental health condition at the same time rather than separately, which can improve outcomes for both.
Do I have to quit drinking completely to get treatment?
No. Abstinence is one goal, but reduced drinking is a legitimate treatment target and is what many patients start with. Naltrexone in particular has evidence supporting reduced drinking rather than only abstinence. What matters is agreeing a goal with your prescriber and measuring against it honestly.
Is it dangerous to stop drinking suddenly?
It can be. Someone who drinks heavily every day is at risk of withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens if they stop abruptly without medical supervision. If that describes you, do not stop on your own — say so at your appointment so withdrawal is planned safely, and seek medically supervised withdrawal where it is indicated. Lyte does not provide inpatient detox but will help you find it.
Does Lyte Psychiatry prescribe buprenorphine or methadone?
Methadone for opioid use disorder is dispensed only through federally certified opioid treatment programmes and is never prescribed from an outpatient clinic. Buprenorphine is offered only where a Lyte prescriber's scope and the clinical picture support it — ask before booking. Naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram for alcohol use disorder are within scope where clinically appropriate.
Where can I get help right now?
You can call SAMHSA's free, confidential National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), available 24/7, or use FindTreatment.gov. If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, and for a medical emergency call 911.
Sources
Related pages
This page is for general education and is not medical advice or a substitute for care from your own clinician. SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). If you are in crisis, call or text 988; for a medical emergency call 911.
Recovery is possible — and treatable
Our Texas psychiatry team can evaluate your situation, treat co-occurring conditions, and coordinate care that fits — with close follow-up. In-person in DFW or by video statewide. Same-week appointments available.
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