Managing Alcohol and Other Drug Addictions
Any substance which brings about a physical or psychological change in a person can be considered a drug. Caffeine, nicotine, prescribed medication as well as illegal substances such as ice, heroin or marijuana are all drugs.
A person’s drug of choice is simply the drug which “helps” or creates the physical or psychological change they desire, such as creating pleasurable sensations, or blocking physical and emotional pain. Substance use is commonly accepted as part of many social and religious events and celebrations, relaxation and commemorations. The type of substance chosen is often a matter of age, gender, culture and individual preferences. Not all patterns of substance use are problematic or harmful and it is important to consider the benefits as well as any social, financial, sexual, physical or mental health costs incurred by the use of any substance by any given individual.
It is important to realise that the balance of costs and benefits usually shifts over time as biological processes of accommodation mean that we develop “tolerance” to the substance and it has less effect. All substance users chase the positive effect and as tolerance develops the effect diminishes so that most often regular patterns of continued use means that frequency or amount/strength of the substance required to produce the effect increases with time such that benefits diminish and costs increase.
What are the signs of problematic use? Do you struggle to maintain an effective work, school or home life. Do you use more than you intended and or can afford so that other bills go unpaid or have you started to look for money in places or in ways that you would not have previously considered? Do you need increasing amounts to achieve the same effect, or have you tried to stop or cut back your use unsuccessfully? Do you find you can not function without your substance of choice, do you require it to feel at ease socially? Do you feel sick or irritable, angry or Moody when you can not obtain your substances of choice? If you answer yes to any of these then you may well be using in a problematic way, and what’s more you know it even if you don’t know what to do next. Think about what you gain and what you risk/lose by using as you do.
Ask yourself whether life could be more balanced, healthier, or more self-validating if you used differently, or not at all. Ask your self what you stand to gain as positive consequences of using differently ask yourself what will be the consequences of not changing your use patterns. Make a list of cost and benefits of change. Thing about what you might change about the way you use.
You could try controlled use and cutting down in order to minimise harm. You could actually plan the day(s), time and amount of use. Plan at least two days of non-use per week and plan distractions and self care on these days. Distractions can be self-care, positive social or solitary events that can take your mind off any physical or psychological cravings. When you achieve two substance free days per week with clearly controlled time, amount and frequency on other days you may choose to maintain this regimen or you may choose to further decrease frequency or amount of use.
If you choose to maintain use over time you may like to put your usage back into perspective as a social/recreational pattern by giving priority to other aspects of your life such as relationships with family and friends, employment, study, health and fitness and spiritual practise of your choosing. If you find you can not maintain a balance of life and usage then you have a bigger, but still manageable, problem.
The physical and psychological cravings will disappear over time, particularly is you self care and support yourself physically and emotionally in more nurturing ways whilst you experience withdrawal symptoms whilst you cut down or stop using. Perhaps this is why substance is so rewarding in the first place;perhaps you have not yet learned a range of self-care/living skills. It is really important for all of us to learn how to relax, play, nurture ourselves, relate and communicate with other people as well as our self, problem solve, set goals and create action plans. As a psychologist with over 20 years of experience in detox and drug rehabilitation work, I can offer support, validation and skills training when and as you need it as you move through your own cycle of change maintenance and lapse. My experience has taught me that Henry Ford was right when he said, “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you are right”. What I have seen is that people who believe they can achieve something, no matter how tough, keep trying and persist and problem solve until they do achieve it. Those people who lack self-belief interpret every setback or difficulty as evidence that they cant do this, when in fact it just may be the course of things and not evidence of incapacity to achieve. This is very true of addiction/substance dependence. My answer to this is, if anyone can can change substance use behaviour, everyone can; it is simply a matter of putting achievable steps in place and support the journey physically and emotionally. The bigger question is one of readiness.
Are you ready to make change? Do you experience sufficient discomfort to want to make the effort to change and maintain that change? Do you know that your conscious (explicit) thinking about your substance use and the consequences are very different to your automatic (implicit) thinking and responses about your substance use and the consequences. Your automatic thoughts and behavioural responses to your substance of choice was shaped very early in your using history and those automatic thoughts reflect most of the benefits before you experienced any longer term costs/risks. So if you are ever surprised by the fact you used problematically again, when you’d sworn you never would again, perhaps you need to look at your automatic thoughts and behaviours, and your triggers, or the things you have learned to associate with substance use. I can help you with this relapse prevention/risk management.
Make the choice to make the change: millions do, what stops you?
