Drug/Substance Abuse

Drug use, drug abuse and addiction

Some people are able to use recreational or prescription drugs without ever experiencing negative consequences or addiction. For many others, substance use can cause problems at work, home, school, and in relationships, leaving you feeling isolated, helpless, or ashamed.

If you’re worried about your own or a friend or family member’s drug use, it’s important to know that help is available.

Learning about the nature of drug abuse and addiction - how it develops, what it looks like, and why it can have such a powerful hold - will give you a better understanding of the problem and how to best deal with it.

Understanding drug use, drug abuse, and addiction

People experiment with drugs for many different reasons. Many first try drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or in an effort to improve athletic performance or ease another problem, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Use doesn’t automatically lead to abuse, and there is no specific level at which drug use moves from casual to problematic. It varies by individual.

Drug abuse and addiction is less about the amount of substance consumed or the frequency, and more to do with the consequences of drug use.

No matter how often or how little you’re consuming, if your drug use is causing problems in your life - at work, school, home, or in your relationships - you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem.

Drug abuse and addiction is less about the amount of substance consumed or the frequency, and more to do with the consequences of drug use.

Help for Family Members

It is often the case that those who are closest to an individual with an addiction problem become depressed or feel powerless to help. They may feel angry or frustrated.

Supportive help for those family members or carers can be vital for all involved if progress is to be maintained. I can also help those families where an individual is not willing to acknowledge their problem or seek assistance for it.

Guidance can be provided to enable families to help motivate the individual to accept support, or where this isn’t forthcoming, support them through this.