Personality disorders make it hard to manage emotions and behaviors. The toll it takes on your mental health can make it easy to turn to drugs or alcohol to find relief. Using substances, though, only offers temporary relief—and, over time, can lead to addiction. Co-occurring substance use and personality disorders can feel like a cycle with no way out. You're not alone, and help is available. Spring Grove Recovery offers professional, compassionate treatment in Colorado Springs.
A personality disorder is a pattern of inner experience and behavior that is different from what is normally expected in a culture. These patterns can cause distress and make it difficult to hold relationships or function at work and in other areas of life. Having a personality disorder is not a character flaw or a moral failing. They are treatable, manageable mental health conditions.
Personality includes the unique ways someone thinks, feels, and behaves. These patterns affect how they relate to others and control their impulses. Personalities are founded in childhood and, therefore, are deeply ingrained. They're core parts of who people are. Seeing that there are different ways of living can seem impossible, even if someone is struggling with relationships and behaviors because of a personality disorder.
Personality disorders are grouped into three clusters based on their shared characteristics.
Every personality disorder has different key symptoms and personality traits, but are generally similar among the clusters. Knowing what you're experiencing can let you know that you're not alone, that others with personality disorders face similar challenges. Here's what's common among some personality disorders:
An intense fear of abandonment, a pattern of unstable relationships, extreme emotional swings, and impulsive behaviors
A disregard for the rights and feelings of others, a tendency toward impulsive and irresponsible behavior, and a lack of remorse
A persistent need for admiration from others, a lack of empathy, and a sense of grandiosity or self-importance
Social inhibition, deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, and an extreme sensitivity to criticism or rejection
A preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility and efficiency.
There is no single cause for a personality disorder. Experts think they develop because of different factors, like
A diagnosis does not and will never define you. Living with a personality disorder does present real challenges, but treatment can help you learn how to manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
It's time to seek professional help when your symptoms are negatively impacting your relationships, your ability to work or attend school, and your overall sense of well-being. If you are using substances to cope with your emotions, it is a clear sign that integrated treatment is needed.
According to the National Institutes of Health, around 67% of people with a personality disorder also live with another mental health condition. Among them, nearly a quarter had a substance use disorder.
We use evidence-based methods to treat addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions, like personality disorders.
Taking the step to enter treatment is stressful, but it's worth it. We try to make the process as clear and supportive as possible.
Living with addiction and a co-occurring personality disorder can feel incredibly isolating, but you're never alone. Recovery is possible with the right support, and a more stable, hopeful future is within your reach. Spring Grove Recovery is a safe, dignified, and compassionate space in Colorado Springs where you can begin that journey.
There is no "cure" in the traditional sense, but treatment can be highly effective. The goal is to manage symptoms, learn healthy coping skills, and improve your quality of life so you can manage your condition and thrive.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder defined by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a personality disorder defined by a rigid preoccupation with order, perfectionism, and control.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is typically a long-term outpatient therapy. In our residential setting, the goal is to provide you with a strong foundation in the core DBT skills, which you can begin using immediately to manage your emotions and behaviors.
No. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder with distinct episodes of mania (or hypomania) and depression. A personality disorder involves long-term, pervasive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are present regardless of mood state.
Lindsay Dean currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Spring Grove Recovery. With more than 10 years of experience in behavioral health, Lindsay is deeply committed to expanding access to ethical, high-quality treatment and building systems of care that support long-term, sustainable recovery through compassionate, trauma-informed practices.
Lindsay began her career in direct patient care, where early experience as a mental health technician, crisis intervention specialist, and group/ individual counselor shaped her understanding of how trauma impacts engagement, trust, and openness to treatment. This clinical foundation continues to inform her leadership philosophy, reinforcing the belief that effective treatment systems must be grounded in safety, dignity, and respect.
As Lindsay progressed into senior leadership, her focus shifted toward building and strengthening treatment programs that balance clinical excellence with operational and regulatory integrity. She served as Program Director at one of the largest Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) in Colorado Springs, where she led multidisciplinary teams, expanded access to evidence-based services for priority populations via increased grant funding, and ensured adherence to state and federal regulations.
Most recently, Lindsay served as Assistant Executive Director of Spring Grove Recovery, where she aligned clinical, operational, and administrative teams to strengthen continuity between inpatient and outpatient levels of care. Her leadership emphasized collaboration, sustainability, and the reduction of barriers to treatment access.
Lindsay’s leadership is grounded in operational excellence, regulatory integrity, and trauma-informed systems of care that prioritize patient safety and engagement. She has successfully guided organizations through extensive state and federal oversight, managed and expanded state grant funding, and strengthened services for underserved and vulnerable populations.
Lindsay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Personal Health and is a Certified Addiction Specialist. As CEO, she leads Spring Grove Recovery with a clear mission: to cultivate a trauma-informed, collaborative, and compassionate treatment environment where individuals are empowered to heal, engage meaningfully in their own care, and sustain recovery long after residential treatment ends.
