The Problem of Substance Use and Misuse
Substance use and misuse would seem, at first thought, to be an easy state to avoid. All it should take is a little intelligence and forethought. The unpleasant truth is that many folk of average or above average intelligence are trapped by the addictive properties of substances and feel a desperate hopelessness, a numbing frustration at finding a way out. To use a metaphor, substance use and misuse is like being trapped in a sack, fighting the material and suffocating in the hot air within. You can’t find the way out, and the more you fight, the more the material tangles around you, pulling you down.
You may at times be able to fool yourself, to create an illusion of normalcy, going to work, socializing with friends and family, and even kicking the habit for a short time, but you always come back to it. The habit is too easy to return too, and you can always promise yourself that next time will be the last time. That’s the sly nature of substance use and misuse, the crafty way that it permeates your mind and body, slowly changing your personality, adapting the chemicals of your brain until it becomes a part of you.
See: Nitrous Oxide Abuse
Admitting There’s a Problem
There’s no shame in not being able to cope, and no sign of weakness if you should seek out help. Even the strongest minds need help in dealing with addiction. Think for a moment how strong a person needs to be to expose their own vulnerabilities, to admit that they need someone to help them through this time. Take pride in being able to step forward and admit that you are in trouble, realizing that you need new coping skills and the aid of others who have been through the same situation. They’ve come through the darkness and despair and emerged on the other side, all the stronger for admitting their dependency on substance use and misuse, and you can do the same.
Read more: Xanax Addiction Help
Recognizing Addictive Signs and Symptoms
There are plenty of signs but many of them may be concealed, cleverly hidden by an individual in denial of their condition. Some signs and symptoms include
- Neglecting communicating with friends and loved ones
- Getting into trouble with the authorities
- Mood swings and changes in personality
- Relationship is breaking down
- Troubling medical problems
- Abandoning spending time with friends and missing days at work
Read more: Overcome Drug Addiction
Getting Help
The substance use and misuse may begin with taking something that genuinely helps a certain pain or relieves a state of anxiety but has escalated out of control. Fortunately, there is help for the condition. Sober Solutions has the resources to guide you in finding treatment and relief from the out of control feeling that comes from addiction. Pages of easy to read information take you on a path of recovery with local rehab centers and clinics to research and evaluate.