Addiction in Summit County, Colorado: Alcohol, Ski Culture, and Finding a Healthier Relationship With Drinking
Living in Summit County, Colorado can look a lot like living inside someone else’s vacation.
We have world-class skiing, mountain biking, hiking, concerts, breweries, après-ski patios, incredible scenery, and a community built around recreation. Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Copper Mountain, and the surrounding areas attract people who value adventure, independence, movement, and being outside.
There is a lot to love about living here.
But there is another part of mountain culture that we do not always talk about as openly: alcohol is woven deeply into the social fabric of many ski communities.
A powder day may end with drinks at the base. A long shift may end at the bar with coworkers. A brewery may be the default place to meet friends. Après-ski can begin in the afternoon and continue into the evening. Celebrations, networking, dates, employee gatherings, concerts, festivals, and even recreational events often include alcohol.
For many people, that relationship with alcohol remains manageable.
For others, the line between social drinking, coping, problematic alcohol use, and addiction can become surprisingly difficult to see—particularly when the people around you are drinking in much the same way.
And in Summit County, that is not just an anecdotal observation.
Alcohol Use in Summit County, Colorado
Summit County's own public-health data suggests that alcohol deserves particular attention in our community.
The Summit County Community Health Improvement Plan reports that 27% of survey respondents engaged in binge drinking during the previous month, compared with 19% of Coloradans overall. Even more striking, 83% of Summit County residents surveyed agreed that alcohol is important to social life for most people in the community. The report also found that 38% of adults sometimes experience a lack of companionship, exclusion, or isolation.
The county specifically identifies a “party culture” within the resort community as a behavioral-health concern. According to the plan, alcohol and other substances are integrated into many public events, work settings, and private social gatherings, which may increase exposure to substances, normalize heavier consumption, and create social pressure to participate.
You can read the Summit County Community Health Improvement Plan for more information about behavioral health in our community.
This context matters because it can make it difficult to recognize when drinking has become a problem.
When heavy drinking is common within a peer group, workplace, or community, the question can become less:
“Is alcohol negatively affecting my life?”
and more:
“Am I drinking more than everyone else?”
Those are not the same question.
The Ski-Town “Work Hard, Play Hard” Culture
There is limited research specifically studying substance use among Summit County ski-industry employees, so it would be inappropriate to assume that research from other ski communities perfectly describes our own.
However, research does suggest that certain characteristics common to resort communities may matter.
One study published in a peer-reviewed journal examined 611 employees working at ski resorts in Sweden. Researchers found elevated risky alcohol consumption among ski-resort employees compared with the general population, with particularly high levels among seasonal employees. Social factors mattered significantly: living with coworkers and having friends or coworkers who were frequently intoxicated were strongly associated with risky drinking.
Although Swedish ski resorts are obviously not Summit County, the findings raise important questions about environments where work, housing, recreation, and social life frequently overlap.
That can sound familiar in a mountain town.
You might ski with your coworkers, live with your coworkers, go out with your coworkers, and wake up the next morning to do it again.
For younger seasonal workers especially, moving to a resort community can also mean being separated from family, established friendships, routines, and other sources of support. Meanwhile, the expectation may be that living in the mountains should feel exciting all the time.
It can create a strange contradiction: living somewhere beautiful does not make you immune from loneliness, trauma, depression, anxiety, financial stress, relationship problems, or addiction.
Sometimes it actually makes those struggles harder to acknowledge.
When Does Drinking Become an Alcohol Problem?
Not everyone who drinks heavily has an alcohol use disorder, and someone does not need to identify as an “alcoholic” to decide that alcohol is taking up more space in their life than they want it to.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA, defines alcohol use disorder (AUD) as a medical condition involving difficulty stopping or controlling alcohol use despite negative social, occupational, or health consequences. AUD exists on a spectrum and can be mild, moderate, or severe.
You can learn more through the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's guide to Alcohol Use Disorder.
In therapy, however, I often find that diagnostic language is only one part of the conversation.
There are other useful questions to ask:
Are you regularly drinking more than you intended?
Do you find yourself thinking about when you can drink next?
Have you tried to cut back and found it harder than expected?
Is alcohol becoming your primary way to relax after work?
Do you rely on alcohol to socialize, sleep, manage anxiety, numb difficult emotions, or quiet your thoughts?
Are hangovers interfering with skiing, work, parenting, relationships, exercise, or other things that matter to you?
Do you behave in ways while drinking that do not align with the person you want to be?
Has your tolerance increased?
Are friends or family expressing concern?
Do you feel defensive when someone mentions your drinking?
Are you beginning to organize your activities around whether alcohol will be available?
And perhaps one of the simplest questions:
Would your life feel better if alcohol had less control over it?
You do not have to wait until alcohol has destroyed something important before asking that question.
You Don't Have to “Hit Rock Bottom” to Get Help
One of the most harmful cultural ideas about addiction is that someone has to lose everything before treatment will work.
They do not.
In fact, there is enormous space between occasionally wondering about your drinking and experiencing a severe alcohol use disorder.
Someone might come to therapy because they have begun drinking four nights instead of two. Someone else may realize every social interaction seems to involve alcohol. Another person may be sober for months and want help understanding why maintaining that change feels emotionally difficult.
Some people want abstinence.
Some initially want to reduce their drinking.
Some are not yet sure what they want—they simply know that their current relationship with alcohol no longer feels right.
Treatment can begin there.
Why Alcohol Can Become Such an Effective Coping Strategy
Alcohol problems rarely exist in a vacuum.
For many people, alcohol works—at least temporarily.
It may decrease anxiety.
It may make social interaction feel easier.
It may quiet intrusive thoughts.
It may create distance from painful memories.
It may relieve loneliness.
It may provide an immediate transition from a high-stress workday into relaxation.
It may help someone temporarily stop thinking about finances, relationships, housing, work, or the future.
This is one reason shame is rarely useful in addiction treatment.
A more productive question is often:
What is alcohol doing for you, and what is it costing you in return?
Once we understand the function of a behavior, we can begin developing other ways of meeting the underlying need.
Trauma and Addiction Are Often Connected
For some people, substance use is also intertwined with trauma.
The relationship between trauma and alcohol use can be complex and bidirectional. NIAAA notes that post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder frequently co-occur, and alcohol may sometimes be used to numb traumatic memories or cope with post-traumatic stress symptoms. At the same time, heavy drinking can interfere with sleep, emotional regulation, cognition, and the ability to process difficult experiences.
SAMHSA recommends integrated treatment when mental health conditions and substance use disorders occur together rather than assuming one must be completely resolved before the other can be addressed.
Research has similarly found support for treating co-occurring trauma and alcohol problems together when clinically appropriate.
This is particularly relevant for people who have spent years trying to stop a behavior without understanding what the behavior has been helping them survive.
Changing the drinking without addressing the anxiety, grief, shame, traumatic experiences, relationship patterns, or nervous-system responses underneath it may leave someone without the coping mechanism they previously relied upon.
Effective therapy can help address both.
What Does Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment Actually Look Like?
Addiction treatment is not one specific program.
It also does not automatically mean going away to residential rehabilitation.
The right level of treatment depends on the individual, the severity of substance use, medical risk, mental health needs, living environment, previous treatment experiences, and personal goals.
According to NIAAA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), evidence-based treatment can include individual psychotherapy, behavioral treatments, medications, outpatient programs, intensive outpatient treatment, residential treatment, withdrawal management, and mutual-support programs.
Individual Therapy for Alcohol and Substance Use
Psychotherapy can help people understand both the immediate triggers and the deeper patterns connected with substance use.
Evidence-based behavioral approaches for alcohol use disorder include interventions involving cognitive-behavioral strategies, motivational enhancement, relapse prevention, mindfulness, reinforcement-based approaches, couples or family work, and other behavioral treatments.
Therapy may also focus on:
understanding triggers and patterns;
building distress-tolerance and emotional-regulation skills;
working with shame and self-criticism;
developing healthier relationships;
addressing trauma;
exploring identity outside of drinking or substance use;
learning to tolerate difficult emotions without immediately escaping them;
changing habits and environments that reinforce substance use;
and building a life that makes recovery or reduced use sustainable.
For some people, the most meaningful work begins once we stop asking “Why can't you just stop?” and begin asking “What happens inside you when you try?”
Medication Can Also Be Part of Alcohol Treatment
Many people are surprised to learn that there are medications specifically used in the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
The FDA has approved naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram for AUD. These medications work differently and are not appropriate for everyone, but they can help some people reduce drinking, manage cravings, or maintain abstinence. They are non-addictive medications and can be used alongside psychotherapy and recovery support.
The NIAAA overview of evidence-based alcohol treatment explains medication and behavioral treatment options in greater detail.
Medication decisions should be made with a physician or other appropriately licensed medical provider who can evaluate your medical history, current alcohol or substance use, other medications, and treatment goals.
Unfortunately, medication for alcohol use disorder remains significantly underused despite its evidence base. NIH has reported that only a small percentage of people with AUD receive these medications.
Detox Is Not the Same Thing as Addiction Treatment
This distinction is particularly important with alcohol.
Someone who has been drinking heavily or consistently for an extended period can experience dangerous and potentially life-threatening alcohol withdrawal if they suddenly stop. NIAAA recommends medical evaluation when significant withdrawal may be a risk.
Withdrawal management—or detox—helps someone safely navigate the immediate physical process of stopping alcohol or another substance.
But detox itself is not the same as long-term addiction treatment.
NIAAA emphasizes that continuing treatment for alcohol use disorder generally takes place over months or longer and may involve therapy, medication, recovery support, environmental changes, and ongoing care.
Summit County does have a local withdrawal-management option. Paragon B in Frisco provides 24-hour withdrawal-management services, crisis services, and helps connect clients with continued outpatient or residential treatment following withdrawal.
Learn more about Paragon BHC’s Summit County Walk-In Crisis Center in Frisco.
If you are concerned that you or someone else may be experiencing dangerous alcohol withdrawal—including severe confusion, seizures, hallucinations, significant shaking, or rapidly worsening symptoms—seek emergency medical care rather than attempting to manage withdrawal alone.
Recovery Doesn't Have to Look the Same for Everyone
There is no single recovery community that works for everyone.
For some people, Alcoholics Anonymous becomes an important source of community and accountability. Summit and Grand Counties have local AA meetings through Colorado AA District 17.
Other people prefer secular programs such as SMART Recovery, mindfulness-based recovery communities, professionally facilitated groups, individual therapy, medication, or some combination of approaches.
NIAAA specifically notes that mutual-support options vary considerably and encourages people to explore different groups to find a good fit.
This matters.
Recovery tends to become more sustainable when it is not simply about removing alcohol but about building connection, meaning, coping skills, relationships, recreation, identity, and community around something else.
That can be especially important in Summit County, where so much adult socializing occurs in places where drinking is expected.
What If You Still Want to Ski, Go Out, and Be Part of the Mountain Community?
Working on your relationship with alcohol does not mean giving up the parts of your life that you love.
In fact, one of the goals of treatment may be figuring out how to keep more of them.
That might mean discovering which friendships extend beyond drinking.
It might mean becoming comfortable ordering a nonalcoholic drink at après.
It might mean skiing in the morning and actually remembering the rest of your Saturday.
It might mean finding people who climb, bike, ski, run, create, volunteer, parent, cook, travel, or spend time together without alcohol being the center of every interaction.
It may also mean grieving.
If alcohol has been woven into your friendships, identity, career, recreation, or sense of belonging for years, changing your relationship with it can initially feel like changing your relationship with the entire community.
That deserves to be acknowledged.
Addiction Therapy in Summit County, Colorado
At Nurturing Wellness, addiction work is not approached as a question of willpower or morality.
Laura and Emily are Social Workers and Addiction Counselors providing therapy in Summit County, Colorado, with additional specialization in trauma treatment. Out training includes EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and advanced IFS training focused specifically on addictive processes.
For many clients, our work involves understanding not only what they are doing, but why the behavior has become necessary or compelling in the first place.
Sometimes that means working directly with substance-use patterns.
Sometimes it means treating trauma, anxiety, shame, attachment wounds, emotional avoidance, or difficult life transitions that have become entangled with drinking.
And sometimes it means simply creating a confidential place to say:
“I'm not sure I have a drinking problem, but I'm starting to wonder about my relationship with alcohol.”
That is enough of a reason to talk about it.
You can learn more about the approaches I use on the Nurturing Wellness Therapy Services page or read more about our training and approach to therapy.
We provide in-person therapy in Summit County and telehealth services for clients across Colorado, making addiction and trauma therapy accessible to residents in Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Blue River, Copper Mountain, and surrounding mountain communities.
Individual psychotherapy is not always the appropriate or sufficient level of care for someone with a substance use disorder. When a client needs medical withdrawal management, medication, intensive outpatient treatment, residential care, or another specialized service, those resources can become part of a broader treatment plan.
Finding Addiction Treatment in Summit County and Beyond
If you are looking for substance-use treatment, you have more options than many people realize.
Locally, Building Hope Summit County maintains behavioral-health resources and offers navigation services to help Summit County residents connect with appropriate care.
For people who need withdrawal management, Paragon BHC provides 24/7 withdrawal-management services.
For national treatment options, SAMHSA's FindTreatment.gov resources allow people to search confidentially for mental-health and substance-use treatment programs.
People specifically looking for alcohol treatment can also use the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator to learn what evidence-based treatment looks like and how to evaluate providers.
If you are experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis, call or text 988. If there is an immediate medical emergency or danger, call 911.
You Are Allowed to Question Your Relationship With Alcohol Before It Becomes a Crisis
Perhaps the most important thing to know about addiction treatment is that you do not have to prove that things are “bad enough” before asking for help.
You do not have to lose your job.
You do not have to receive a DUI.
You do not have to end a relationship.
You do not have to stop skiing.
You do not have to identify yourself as an alcoholic.
And you do not have to wait until everyone around you agrees that something is wrong.
You are allowed to notice that alcohol is occupying more of your life than you want it to.
You are allowed to become curious about why.
And you are allowed to ask for help changing it.
In a community where drinking can sometimes feel like simply part of mountain life, questioning that relationship may feel unusual.
It shouldn't.
Sometimes the goal is not simply drinking less.
It is creating enough space to discover what you want more of instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my drinking has become a problem?
You do not need to drink every day or identify as an “alcoholic” to have concerns about alcohol. If drinking is affecting your relationships, work, health, mood, sleep, or ability to follow through on your intentions, it may be worth exploring with a therapist or other qualified provider.
Is heavy drinking common in Summit County and ski communities?
Alcohol is a significant part of social culture in many mountain and ski communities. Summit County public-health data has also shown higher rates of binge drinking than Colorado overall, making alcohol use an important local behavioral-health issue.
What types of treatment are available for alcohol addiction?
Evidence-based alcohol treatment can include individual therapy, group treatment, medications, outpatient or intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment, withdrawal management, and recovery-support groups. The appropriate level of care depends on your individual needs.
Can therapy help if trauma is connected to my drinking?
Yes. Trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and other emotional experiences can sometimes contribute to problematic alcohol or substance use. Trauma-informed therapy can help address both the substance-use behavior and the experiences underneath it.
Where can I find addiction therapy in Summit County, Colorado?
Nurturing Wellness in Breckenridge offers individual therapy, EMDR, and IFS for adults and adolescents in Summit County. Laura Landrum, LCSW, is a certified EMDR therapist who has lived and practiced in this community for over a decade. Telehealth is available throughout Colorado and Mississippi.
Crisis Resources
If you are in crisis or need immediate support, please reach out.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
Colorado Crisis Services: Call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255
Paragon Behavioral Health Connections: Call (303) 691-6095 or email contact@paragonbhc.org — paragonbhc.org
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
About the Author
Laura Landrum, LCSW, LAC is a certified EMDR therapist and licensed clinical social worker based in Summit County, Colorado. Before becoming a therapist, she spent years as a backcountry guide, which is a longer story than it sounds. She works with adults, adolescents, and children in Frisco and throughout Colorado via telehealth. She is direct; she does not flinch at hard things, and there is nothing you can bring into the room that is going to send her running.
