Published: Dec. 10, 2024 at 1:39 PM PST
Watch the video on KKTV 11 News website.
Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer at Porch Light Health, spoke with KKTV News about substance use during the holidays.
Lauren Watson
I want to thank you for joining us in the 11 Breaking News Center this afternoon. I’m Lauren Watson, your digital anchor here at KKTV 11 News. I’m here with Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer at Porch Light Health and Front Range Clinic. And today, Steve, I know you wanted to talk a little bit about substance use in the holidays as we come up on that season.
Steve Carleton
Yeah, that’s right. We’re in that time of year with Thanksgiving and Christmas and spending lots of time with family, lots of travel. Things are busy at work. It can start to snowball pretty quick.
Lauren Watson
Why does substance use seem more prevalent over the holidays?
Steve Carleton
Well, it’s twofold, right? It’s a time for celebration. So it’s a time when people are naturally getting together and celebrating and being together and having fun. And I think it’s normal socially when people are having fun to indulge and drink more than you might drink and potentially use other substances more than you might. And it’s also a stressful time. It’s a time when your finances, your wallet gets hit a little bit more with buying presents, and the travel that’s involved as well.
Lauren Watson
What are some signs there may be an issue that people should look out for this holiday season?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, that’s a great question. And so what you all should be looking out for are a few major things. So with substance use, we know that when people start to experience a loss of control over how much and how often they’re using, that one of the initial signs. So people start out the night saying, I’m only going to have one or two drinks, and they end up having five or six, and it’s impacting the next day. That can be an early warning sign. You might just start to notice that people are doing more poor work, or they’re not behaving or doing or acting in the same way that they normally would. They’re not fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities. I think those are some early warning signs that people might be headed towards trouble.
Lauren Watson
How can you address the issue with a friend or a loved one that you’re concerned about?
Steve Carleton
If you’re concerned about somebody, it’s really important to think about how How are you approaching them, right? It’s not a good idea to approach people in moments of high conflict and tension, which we know is a normal part of being with family and friends around the holidays. Sometimes, maybe you haven’t seen that family member for a few months, and all of a sudden, conflict starts to arise. In that moment, not a good time to do it. So I would say the most important piece for you all at home is to pick your spot, to try and be more organized about when you’re approaching that conversation. Is that over morning coffee? Is that going on a walk? Who else do you want to be a part of those conversations? Really important things to think about.
Lauren Watson
And when it comes to those conversations, what can you say and what do you say if that person just doesn’t want to talk about it?
Steve Carleton
Sure. If you’re having that conversation, it has to start from a place of compassion. It has to start from a place of, I’m worried about you. I love you, and I’m concerned about you. I think starting with those words is really essential. If you start from a place of the harm that was caused or the problem that happened or the horrible thing that they did, it can derail that conversation pretty quick into defensiveness. And so staying future-focused as well after you start with that compassionate message. I’m I want you to do better. I want you to be happy. I want you to thrive in life. I want our relationship to be better. Focusing on the future rather than dredging up past and things that have happened is a good way to approach those conversations. There is a time and a place to heal those wounds. Having those initial conversations, probably not the time.
Lauren Watson
Do these concerns always mean that a person needs to stop drinking or stop taking a substance completely?
Steve Carleton
I think oftentimes when we think about substance use, people think about it in a binary way. They think people either have a problem and they need to stop using all substances completely, or they don’t, and they can continue on as is. That’s a very all or none approach, which is never the way to approach a chronic problem. The first step is really understanding, where are people in that spectrum. If they’re on the severe end of that spectrum, then thinking about things like quitting completely in abstinence is probably correct. If it’s that mild to moderate realm, where people are starting to experience that loss of control about how much and how often they’re using, or they’re just starting to experience the consequences and fights in the family, then I think you do have more options. And coming up with strategies and ways to just decrease use are on the table and things that should be considered.
Lauren Watson
Talking a little bit specifically, you guys over at Porch Light Health, I know you guys have a program that’s called the Drinking Less program. Can you talk to me a little bit about that?
Steve Carleton
Yes. So our Drinking Less program. So at Porch Light Health Front Range Clinic, I mean, what we try to do is meet people where they’re at. We’re a harm reduction model, meaning we are not a substance use program that preaches at people that abstinence from all substances is the only way. We recognize that people might be coming in to see us anywhere on that spectrum of severity, from very severe to mild. They’re just starting to experience problems. And when you have that, what we’re trying to do with the Drinking Less Project is having open, non-judgmental conversations with a therapist and a medical provider about what does it look like to drink less? What does it look like to just reduce the amount of alcohol that you’re consuming? Consuming over the course of a day or a week? Are things like switching from liquor to beer or wine helpful? Looking at what is your access to alcohol? How much are you buying per week? How can you decrease that accessibility to alcohol? All these just really practical ideas, or how can you think about your relationship with alcohol differently rather than all or none, I drink or I don’t drink?
Lauren Watson
Steve, And then one more thing-Oh, I am so sorry. You go ahead.
Steve Carleton
Sorry. The other component of that is medication for treatment, right? And so with a medical provider, there are other medication options that help reduce the cravings. And in in some cases, it can help reduce the withdrawals and the post-acute withdrawals people experience when they stop drinking or slow down their drinking.
Lauren Watson
Well, Steve, those are all the prepared questions that I for you this afternoon. Before we wrap up, where can people find you? And is there anything that we didn’t touch on today that you really wanted to make sure we got across to our viewers at home?
Steve Carleton
We like to be as easy to find as possible. So I think visiting us online at www. Porchlighthealth. Com is a great place to start. We also, if you want to call and schedule an appointment with a medical provider or a therapist, 1-866 Matt Stat, M-A-T-S-T-A-T, is a good place to begin. And yeah, just happy holidays to everyone out there. We’re here if you need us.
Lauren Watson
Steve Carlton, Porchlight Health Front Range Clinic. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to talk about this very important topic with me.
Steve Carleton
My pleasure. Thanks a lot.
