Different forms of self medicating techniques have been around for many centuries. Although some people view these substances as helping them take the edge off, many of these substances are detrimental to a person's overall health. When a person has a substance abuse problem it can cause many problems not only for the individual, but for the relationships in which that person has formed with others. Drug addiction and substance abuse are horrible diseases that take hold of the person’s entire being. Often people who deal with drug addiction and substance abuse also have an underlying mental health disorder. They use drugs as a way to cope with an underlying mental health illness.
Self Medicating Behavior with Drugs and Alcohol
Self medicating behavior is a type of behavior a person uses to deal with their problems. They use various types of legal and illegal substances to ease the uncomfortable feelings they have within.
Many people use food as a way of self medicating; however, other people turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with life’s problems. Over time this can lead to drug addiction and substance abuse because the person has not learned how to effectively deal with the problem—instead, they have only learned to mask it.
Self medicating behavior can be detrimental to an individual’s well being because not only have they created another problem they have to deal with. Most often administering food, drugs or alcohol when dealing with life adversities, will eventually turn into an addiction.
In his article, "The Truth About Self Medicating Behavior," Harris Stratyner, a Ph.D., CASAC, states, "As psychosocial and environmental stressors increase it becomes increasingly harder and harder for us to simply "deal" with life's daily demands. Factor in an individual's personality and familial history for anxiety and depression and folks are drinking, snorting, swallowing and shooting substances as fast as they can get their hands on them."
While at the time drinking alcohol or taking drugs may take the problem away momentarily it does not do anything to solve the problem, in fact, it makes it worse. Years of drug use has been shown to cause many serious health problems later in life.
Underlying Mental Health Disorder- Dual Diagnosis Disorder
When a person has a dual diagnosis disorder they have an underlying mental health illness and a substance abuse problem, hence the term dual, which means two.
A person with an underlying mental health disorder most likely has a chemical imbalance that leads to their depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. They may also have a family history of these mental illnesses.
If the family member or members never sought help for such a disorder then there is likely no family history of this mental health disorder. Therefore people who have been passed down these genes have not been educated about these mental illnesses. If they were born with a mental health disorder they have most likely felt like an outcast throughout their life because they have no idea why they feel the way they do.
Since they have not been educated the only ways they have learned to cope with these mental illnesses is by self medicating through drugs or alcohol.
When people learn more about self medicating behavior they can understand some of the reasons behind drug addiction and substance abuse. Often people with dual diagnosis disorder also use drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with a mental health disorder.
Victoria Rodriguez-Baziuk - Victoria has had a love for writing since she was 13, and discovered this talent while attending middle school. She has many passions in ...
