---
type: Condition
title: Substance Use Disorder
description: Substance use disorder as treated by CARMAhealth's addiction psychiatrists on an outpatient basis, including medication-assisted treatment, executive detox, and dual-diagnosis care.
resource: https://carmahealth.com/conditions/substance-use-disorder
tags: [carmahealth, condition, substance-use-disorder, addiction, mat, dual-diagnosis]
timestamp: 2026-07-08T20:00:00Z
---

# Substance Use Disorder

Condition profile within the [CARMAhealth](../carmahealth.md) bundle. Facts below are drawn from the provider's own condition page, retrieved 2026-07-08.

## How CARMAhealth describes it

CARMAhealth frames substance use disorder (SUD) as a treatable medical condition — changes in how the brain handles reward, judgment, and self-control — explicitly not a moral failing or matter of willpower. The site emphasizes that SUD exists on a spectrum from mild to severe, that help is worthwhile before "rock bottom," and that care is confidential and outpatient, covering alcohol, opioids, and other substances. Care is described as delivered on an outpatient basis across Texas and Florida.

Dual diagnosis is central to the framing: the site notes SUD frequently co-occurs with mental illness and states its psychiatrists address co-occurring [depression](./depression.md), [anxiety](./anxiety.md), and trauma alongside the substance use under one care team.

## Screening / evaluation approach

Every plan starts with a [psychiatric evaluation](../services/psychiatric-evaluation.md) assessing substance use, mental health, and goals. The site describes diagnosis via the eleven DSM-5 criteria, with severity graded by count (two to three criteria = mild; six or more = severe).

## Treatment options offered

- [Medication-assisted treatment](../services/medication-assisted-treatment.md) — FDA-approved medications for opioid, alcohol, and nicotine use disorders; the site names Suboxone, Vivitrol, and Sublocade (also buprenorphine and naltrexone generically), and states no-cost options are available through a "Be Well, TX" partnership.
- [Executive detox](../services/executive-detox.md) — private, outpatient withdrawal management led by board-certified addiction psychiatrists.
- [Medication management](../services/medication-management.md) — ongoing treatment of co-occurring conditions.
- [Psychiatric evaluation](../services/psychiatric-evaluation.md) — the entry point for every plan.
- Referral to higher levels of care when the outpatient setting is insufficient, per the site.

## Claims noted (attributed)

- The site states, citing SAMHSA's NSDUH, that an estimated 48.4 million Americans aged 12 and older lived with a substance use disorder in 2024 (roughly one in six), and that only a fraction receive specialized treatment.
- The site states, citing NIDA, that among adults with a mental illness, more than one in three also has a substance use disorder.
- The site states MAT medications reduce cravings and ease withdrawal without producing a high.
- The site states substance use treatment is directed by board-certified addiction psychiatrists, including founder Dr. Carlos Tirado, described as double board-certified in addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine.
- The site states most insurance plans cover substance use treatment under behavioral health benefits, and that the Be Well, TX partnership offers no-cost MAT for patients with financial barriers.

## Sources

- Live page: https://carmahealth.com/conditions/substance-use-disorder — Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- Mirror: https://mr.carmahealth.com/conditions/substance-use-disorder — Retrieved 2026-07-08.