Published: Oct. 14, 2025 at 4:05 PM CDT
Watch the video on the KKTV 11 News Website.
Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer at Porch Light Health, joined KKTV 11 News to discuss Substance Use Prevention Month and Sober October, the importance of early intervention before substance use becomes severe, reducing stigma around mental health and substance use, how to support loved ones with compassion, and where Colorado Springs community members can find treatment resources and professional help.
Aspen Andrews
I want to thank you for joining us at the 11 Alert Desk today. I’m Aspen Andrews, Digital Content producer, and I’m here with Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer at Porch Light Health. And this month is Substance Use Prevention Month and Sober October. So Steve and I just wanted to hop on a little bit to highlight prevention as well as where to get help for these substance use disorders. So to start off, Steve, what is the goal of Sober October and Substance Use Prevention Month?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, I think when we think about Substance Use Prevention Month, what we’re really just trying to message out there is it’s a good natural time to start thinking about your relationship with substances and with drinking in particular. We’re heading into November and December. And typically, these are months when people tend to overindulge. And so thinking about your relationship with substances and potentially even slowing down a little bit before heading into these holiday and spending time with family and travel is a good healthy idea for people out there.
Aspen Andrews
And as you mentioned that, why is prevention key when we talk about substance use issues?
Steve Carleton
In substance use disorder treatment, it’s really interesting. A lot of people, unfortunately, don’t seek help until it’s become a severe problem, right? And when we think about Prevention month, what we’re trying to get out there is when At the first sign that substances might be causing you an issue, that’s the time to intervene. That’s actually the time when you’re going to have more options, when you still have some control, when you’re still able to moderate how much you’re using. Before it’s become a severe problem and you’re seeking professional help, like we offer at Porchside, are there some off-rampss where you can say, I’m going to decrease how much I’m using.
Aspen Andrews
And what does this do in the fight to lift stigma, especially when we’re talking about substance use, but also mental health issues?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, there’s a tremendous amount of people out there that struggle with mental health, and mental health drives substance use. We know that oftentimes, substance use is a symptom of mental health. And so when we think about stigma, we’re just really trying to make it okay and more normal for people to talk about their mental health as their health, and to talk about their relationship and substances in a way that’s not binary. I have no problem at all, or I have a severe problem. There’s lots of in between there. And the more you can talk about it and reduce that stigma, the more safe it’ll feel for people.
Aspen Andrews
And do you believe this is a good time to maybe help a loved one if you think they might have an issue?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, absolutely. And I think oftentimes people start to get concerned about family members or friends or partners or whoever it is. And people are typically too scared to say anything or they are talking to them and bringing it up every time they see them. And I think the middle ground there is, yeah, if you are worried about it and worried about somebody in particular, it’s It’s good to organize your thoughts and do that in an intentional way. Pick a time when it’s not stressful or tense to say, Hey, I’m concerned about you. And if you need some help, I’d be happy to help you find some resources or a therapist to talk to.
Aspen Andrews
I know there’s a lot of different treatment types and programs out there. Where would someone even start?
Steve Carleton
I think to start, it’s in reducing stigma, the more you can just talk about your relationship with substances and bringing out the open, that’s a great place to start. In the treatment world, we really think about what’s the least amount of treatment that’s going to have the biggest impact. So I think for most people, that starts out with going and seeing a therapist or a counselor and talking about issues. And if that’s not enough and somebody really needs more intensive care and they need a stabilization period, at that point, you’d be looking at residential treatments or detoxes or something like that. They could help. But a good place to start is just talking with friends and family and then trying to find a therapist or a counselor.
Aspen Andrews
Yeah, and even here in the springs, where can people go to get help?
Steve Carleton
In the springs, if it’s transpired to a severe substance use disorder and you’re needing professional help, Portside Health is a great option. If you are just in that mild, the moderate range of severity with a substance or a mental health issue, I think psychology today is a good tool. You can Search for therapists on there and find someone to talk to. And you can search by insurance and location and all those and issue and all those types of things on there.
Aspen Andrews
Great. Well, while we’re on this topic, is there anything else you’d like to share?
Steve Carleton
No, I think just as we head into the holidays, again, it’s just a time when people do tend to be celebrating a lot, and with that comes a lot of stress related to holidays. And so sometimes that can heighten mental health and substance use types issues. So it’s good to take a break in October and slow down. And we know from research that slowing down and stopping for a period of time does lead to people using less when they return to using. So it’s a good idea.
Aspen Andrews
Great. Well, thank you, Steve, for coming to join me today to talk about some of these topics.
Steve Carleton
My pleasure. Thank you.
