Many people try to fix their problems on their own. This could be for many reasons, from being raised without a healthy support system to the disdain of being told what to do to the fear of someone else discovering something about the person that they don't want to confront. Whatever the reason, trying to fix everything on your own can be a dangerous path that can lead to self-medication.
Self-medicating is when an individual attempts to use drugs, alcohol, or other dangerous means to treat a self-diagnosed condition. Self-diagnosing at times can be harmless. As an example, say you frequently feel dizzy when you stand up so you start taking iron supplements and the dizziness goes away.
Other times, this practice can be very dangerous. You may take more than the recommended dose of a prescription or over-the-counter medicine to ease pain, use someone else's medications to treat a condition you believe is similar, drink excessive amounts of alcohol to relieve emotional or mental burdens, or use illicit drugs to achieve a desired state of relaxation or focus.
These practices are dangerous, but here we will focus on using drugs and alcohol as self-medication techniques.
When self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, it can be a slippery slope that leads to a lot of other problems. At first, you may just use a substance because you are stressed and that substance alleviates the stress. Over time, using substances to cope with stress can create a dependency or even addiction. Self-medicating can be truly dangerous and it does not help you fix the root of your problems.
Using substances to temporarily reduce anxious feelings can actually increase anxiety in the long run. There is only relief when you are feeling the effects of the substance. Once the effects wear off, the anxiety returns, often more intensely than before. You may become dependent on the substance to manage your anxiety and be unable to function without it.
No matter the reason for self-medication, this harmful practice can lead to substance use disorder (SUD). This could be for several reasons. Your body can develop a tolerance to the substance meaning it takes more for you to feel the effect. Also, your body may have developed a dependency on the substance, and you may crave it when you don't have it.
SUD is a mental disorder in which your brain's natural functions become distorted and you begin to crave a substance and experience withdrawal symptoms when you don't have it. There are many ways to treat SUD and plenty of resources are available to help you manage your addiction.
As previously mentioned, self-medicating only treats symptoms, it doesn't get to the heart of your reason for using. Dual diagnosis, also known as co-occurring disorders, is when you have an underlying mental disorder coupled with a substance use disorder. Underlying mental illnesses can drive self-medicating practices.
An example of this would be someone with bipolar disorder where you go from extreme highs to extreme lows. When you are on the high part of the spectrum, you may want to party and drink with friends. During low points, you may drink to drown your sorrows. Eventually, you become dependent on drinking to cope with the intense mood changes of bipolar disorder.
When a dual diagnosis is present, it is often because you may have not learned proper coping mechanisms, and self-medicating is the only way you know how to cope. Luckily, there are remedies to these problems.
The most important thing is to determine the root of substance use. This could be a simple question you ask yourself: “Why am I choosing to use this?” Answering this question helps you get to the root issue. It could be that you're avoiding something or it could be to cope with mental or emotional discomfort. Whatever the reason, it is best to avoid using substances and deal with the root issue instead.
If you are self-medicating, don't despair. There are places you can go and people to talk to who can help. Whatever your reasons for self-medicating, you can overcome them.
At times this may seem like an impossible task. It may seem terrifying to break away from the thing that gives you a break from life's stress. However, you can find a way to live a healthy, sober life. You can address the situation before continued self-medication damages your life. Finding the help you need is critical. With treatment, you can heal from self-medication and its underlying causes so you can take back control of your life.
Self-medicating is a dangerous method some people use to cope with difficult times. No matter the reason you have begun self-medicating, you can overcome this harmful practice and heal the underlying causes of your distress. While self-medicating may seem like the only option to feel mental, physical, or emotional relief from what troubles you, there are many other healthy coping methods out there for you to explore. If you are struggling with self-medicating or need help identifying whether you are, NorthStar Transitions is here to help. We can help you discover the sources of your distress and help you overcome them so self-medication is no longer a danger in your life. Our programs help you discover healthy coping mechanisms so you are equipped to deal with whatever difficult things life throws your way. Do not hesitate to reach out today at (303) 558-6400.
