The intersections between mental health and drug use were the focus of the March meeting of the Monroe County Coalition for Drug Free Communities. 

Jaime Becker, a pediatric mental health specialist at Heart to Heart Pediatrics in Waterloo, presented at the meeting. She explained that mental health concerns and drug use have a parallel relationship. 

“I think an important factor for this group to remember is substance use disorder is truly a mental illness,” Becker said. “However, it’s a two-way street, meaning if you’re using and abusing, that contributes to mental health issues. On the flip side, mental health issues contribute to substance abuse.” 

This is illustrated by what Becker said is a common reason people use cannabis. 

“People tell me they use it because it decreases anxiety. It does – right at the moment,” Becker said. “But then what happens is they need more of it and that anxiety can go higher.” 

Becker said cannabis use can also increase the risk of psychosis before the age 30. For individuals predisposed to schizophrenia, this could compound the risk of hearing and seeing things, Becker said. 

She said young people often use drugs to self medicate, meaning they turn to drugs to help handle emotions. While she is personally seeing less alcohol use in minors, vaping – with some products now containing CBD – is on the rise. 

Therefore, teaching healthy coping skills is an essential aspect of drug use prevention, Becker said. 

She introduced the coalition to COPE, or Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment, an evidence-based program that uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help children, teens and even adults manage stress, sadness and other negative emotions. 

“The basis of it, which is the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy, is ‘how I think affects how I feel and what I do,’” Becker explained. 

Becker, who has been trained to lead children and teens through COPE workbooks, said common things she and kids discuss are self-esteem and how to change old habits, identify stress, set and reach goals and talk about feelings. 

Becker said the program has led to decreased drug use, heightened social skills and decreased body mass indexes. 

“We saw all these positives that were happening because (the kids) learned how to deal with certain situations,” she said. 

The coalition discussed what COPE would look like in group settings such as schools and costs to be trained. Those interested in COPE can visit cope2thrive.com.