Substance abuse can come in many forms. Whether it is alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription narcotics, anyone who seeks to mask their pain with mood altering substances is really just heading towards a downward spiral with no happy ending. Of course you’re not thinking about that the first time you get high or drunk. You just know it feels pretty good. Yet, when you keep returning to those substances for escape instead of dealing with the real issues, you’re setting yourself up for a fall. And this fall can bring down everyone around you. When you clear your mind of the fog of substance abuse, you can see the kind of emotional and physical pain you’re capable of inflicting on your loved ones. Is that really how you want to live?
The trail of substance abuse can always be traced back to the beginning. Nobody goes down that road “just because.” You may not want to confront those inner demons but they are there and they’re always hungry for more. The destructive cycles of substance abuse can be broken but not without some deep, introspective work. We’ve all heard stories of people hitting rock bottom then going cold turkey and turning their lives around. That might be an appropriate path for some people but for many others the journey out of substance abuse can’t be taken alone.
Being diagnosed with a substance abuse problem is to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. Although heredity factors can come into play, these really are diseases that need to be treated by professionals. Once you’ve gotten clean the real work can begin with the help of a trained psychiatrist. Through intense therapy you can seek out the reasons you began the trail of abuse in the first place. You can still work the traditional and supportive 12 step programs but direct counseling should be part of the overall recovery plan. You may think you’ve lost control of your life but with work you can get it back.