What is Substance Abuse? Symptoms and Help.
Substance abuse is a term that people throw around often when talking about drugs and alcohol but it might actually be quite different than what you think. Nowadays, there are other substances that people abuse that can create a mind-altering experience other than just alcohol and drugs. Even nicotine is a substance that people use to modify how they feel-some people smoke cigarettes to relieve boredom, anxiety, or to control their appetite.
People are now even inhaling paint thinners or spraying aerosols into the mouth. Other non-traditional methods that people use to try and achieve a mind-altering experience can include taking steroids, taking large amounts of nutmeg, or drinking large quantities of over-the-counter (OTC) cough syrup.
All of these substances are dangerous to not only your body, but your brain. What is most frightening is how easily accessible these non-traditional substances are to kids and teens. Teenagers face a tremendous amount of peer pressure these days. Peer pressure paired with these substances being easily available and their desire to fit in makes the probability of having problems with substance abuse much more likely.
Teens are not alone in feeling pressured, though. Adults face numerous pressures every day with work and school commitments, caring for family, financial concerns, and keeping up with the status quo. All of these things can easily overwhelm a person to the point they might feel that they need to alter their mind or body and find an escape. Stress and pressure aren’t the only reasons why people try drugs. Some try it out of curiosity or boredom, as a social activity with friends, to try and stay up late to study, or to improve performance in sports. There are many situations that a person can start using drugs which can lead to substance abuse.
The History of Substance Abuse and the Different Types of Substances
In 1970 there was a major campaign against the use of illegal drugs and the federal government passed The Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Congress created a schedule or classification of drugs to categorize the various substances according to the likelihood of abuse. There are five schedules or classifications on the list with Schedule I (one) having the highest potential for abuse and Schedule V (five) having the lowest potential for abuse. The types of drugs are:
- Schedule I (one) and have the highest potential for abuse are things like marijuana, LSD, and heroin.
- Schedule II (two) includes morphine, methadone, and brand name narcotics such as Oxycodone.
- Schedule III (three) is comprised of drugs like Vicodin or Tylenol with Codeine.
- Schedule IV (four) consists of narcotics such as Valium, Ativan, and Xanax.
- Schedule V (five) which has the lowest potential of abuse is made up of substances that are in things like cough syrup or inhalers for allergies or colds.
Substance Abuse Addiction
The substances that were listed in the drug classification schedule are not an exhaustive list. There are many other types of substances that people use and abuse that were not mentioned above as an example. Only the most common or easily identified were mentioned; therefore just because it was not included as an example, does not mean it is not a highly addictive substance. The way that the drug is administered also plays a part in the level of addiction as well. There are lots of ways to take in a substance from injecting to smoking and one method can be more addicting than another method.
A common misconception by people is that addictive substances are limited to illegal drugs. The federal drug schedule lists things like cough syrup and prescription painkillers which can be just as addictive as an illegal drug. Other types of legal drugs that are addictive include alcohol, nicotine, prescription sedatives or tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, prescription amphetamines used for medical disorders like ADHD, and cough syrup. People can be just as addicted to a legal drug as likely as someone forming an addiction to a street drug.
Club Drugs Increasingly Become More Popular
There is also a type of drugs known as club drugs which started when raves were popular. A rave is a party with lots of lights, loud music, and dancing all night. People who frequented raves often took drugs to heighten the experience of the lights and music and to help them stay up all night. After the popularity of raves increased, there were new drugs that were created to enhance the experience of the club scene. These club drugs became popular and people started to use them outside of clubs in other social situations. Common club drugs are Methamphetamines which are commonly referred to as crank or tina, ecstasy, Ephedrine, Ritalin, PCP, and Ketamine or Vitamin K. And currently, we’re keeping an eye on a new drug coming called, “Zohydro“.
Club drugs are very dangerous because people might use them thinking they are only using it recreationally and only at parties making it less dangerous and not an addiction. Nothing could be further from the truth; these drugs decrease your awareness putting you at risk for rape or physical assault and not to mention the long-term damage to your mind and body. Club drugs can often be mixed with other drugs during the manufacturing process. The concoction of the drugs with other substances, taking them in large quantities, or taking them at high rate of frequency can cause seizures, heart problems, coma, or even death.
What is Substance Abuse?
With drugs and alcohol, there are different terms that describe your level of dependence on the substance, according to drug rehab treatment centers and alcohol treatment centers. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) is a manual published by the American Psychological Association that catalogues all the current mental illnesses. They define substance abuse as a maladaptive pattern of substance abuse leading to clinically significant impairment or distress of one or more behaviors within a 12 month period. They describe examples of clinically significant impairments or distress as failure to fulfill obligations at work, recurrent physically hazardous activities, legally problems related to substance abuse, and recurrent problems with relationships which are caused by or worsened by substances.
The DSM-IV also has a category for substance dependence which is also a maladaptive pattern of substance abuse leading to clinically significant impairment or distress within a 12 month period, but of three behaviors. Examples of the clinically significant impairment or distress as tolerance to the substance; withdrawal symptoms; taking larger amounts of the substance; unsuccessful attempts to try to cut down; spending significant amounts of time trying to get or use the substance, giving up commitments in your life; and continuing to use the substance despite being aware of the damages.
The DSM makes their diagnostic criteria based on your behaviors and the effects on your body that occur within a certain time period. This means that when your use of a substance, whether it be a prescription drug or street drugs, is significantly impacting your life for a certain amount of time, you will likely be diagnosed with a either substance abuse or substance dependence.
How Do I Know if I Have a Substance Abuse Problem?
Sometimes, a substance abuse problem comes on gradually and it is possible that you are not even aware that you have developed an addiction. Other times, people are so wrapped up in their substance abuse that they don’t recognize it as a problem and how it is affecting the people around them.
Since there are many different types of drugs, they can all cause different symptoms. It is possible for someone to use a drug and not develop a drug addiction. However, just because a person doesn’t have a full-blown addiction or dependence to a drug, it does not make the situation any safer or better.
Using the above referenced DSM-IV definition of what substance abuse and substance dependence are; you might be able to get an idea of whether you have a substance abuse problem or not. As mentioned above, some people might not be aware of the effects that the substance abuse or dependence is having on them making it difficult for them to determine if they have a problem.
Depending on the drug, you might experience a physical or emotional withdrawal from discontinuing the drug. Common physical withdrawal symptoms of substance abuse are nausea, rapid heartbeat, racing heart, sweating, and difficulty breathing. It is important to note that withdrawal from tranquilizers are the most dangerous compared to other drugs and can cause a stroke, hallucination, a heart attack, or seizures. The common emotional withdrawal symptoms of substance abuse are irritability, anxiety, depression, isolation, and difficulty concentrating.
Another way of determining whether you have a substance abuse problem, and need to seek help from a drug rehab center, is to see if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Are you frequently intoxicated?
- Do you avoid settings where you won’t have access to the substance?
- Have you been in trouble with the law as a result of your use?
- Do you depend on substances to get your through situations?
- Are you late or missing work or school?
- Are your friends and family concerned about your use?
If you have experienced the physical or emotional symptoms and/or answered yes to the list of questions, you might have a problem with substance abuse.
Where can I get help for substance abuse?
Substance abuse is prevalent in today’s society and there are many places to turn to for help. The first thing to do is decide that you want to change and want help. That first step might be the hardest since you might have become accustomed to your lifestyle or you might not think you have a problem that requires professional intervention. Talk to someone you trust to help you with finding help and for support during the course of recovery. Recovery from substance abuse is possible but it requires a lot of motivation, commitment, and support. There are many options in getting help for substance abuse. You can go to an inpatient program where you live at a substance abuse facility, attend an outpatient program where you would live at home and attend meetings at the rehabilitation facility, counseling, and/or medication. Inpatient and/or outpatient substance abuse treatment, such as a Florida drug rehab center for example, will most likely involve medication and counseling as well as other methods of treatment combined.
Utilize your community resources. Talk to community agencies that can refer you to a substance abuse treatment facility or to another resource that can provide a referral. Search for substance abuse treatment programs in your city or county and talk to the staff about what treatment options they offer and ask questions that you might have regarding their approach to recovery. You can search for substance abuse treatment programs on the internet that way you will find information on both local and out-of-town programs. Another thing to consider is where you want to receive substance abuse treatment or visit a drug rehab center is, do you want to stay close to home or get away from home?
Some workplaces might offer confidential referrals or assistance with the recovery process, check with your company’s EAP or employee assistance program. If you are in the military you will be able to find assistance through the Veterans Administration (VA). If you are a student, contact your student health center for information and/or a referral.
Additionally, it is important to state that under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) any treatment at a federally assisted substance abuse treatment facility requires that you sign a document allowing the release of your information regarding substance abuse treatment or your records will remain confidential. If you are concerned about privacy in seeking help for substance abuse, the HIPAA law prohibits federally assisted substance abuse facilities from releasing such information. Once you receive substance abuse treatment, any history of substance abuse cannot be used against you when are looking for housing, accessing programs, or on the job.
Approaches to Substance Abuse Treatment
Substance abuse is very complicated involving many aspects of your life. Just as the disease itself is multifaceted, you want substance abuse treatment to be comprehensive in order to address all of the issues associated with the substance abuse problem. Successful substance abuse treatment needs to be readily accessible, flexible, and able to accommodate all of the issues you are going through. There is a possibility that you could have a mental illness or other medical condition in addition to the substance abuse problem requiring a substance abuse treatment plan to be adaptable to the needs of the individual.
Substance abuse treatment can be in either the outpatient or inpatient treatment format. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types; it will be up to you and a professional to decide which will work best for you. With inpatient treatment, you will live at the substance abuse treatment center for a pre-determined amount of time and you will go through detox and attend counseling sessions and meetings on site. An advantage to this approach is that you will be completely submerged into a sober lifestyle and will have constant support available to you. While studies show that more people stay sober with inpatient substance abuse treatment; some might find it difficult to transition from living in a sober environment to being released back into the real world. Some people choose to transfer right from an inpatient substance abuse treatment program, such as a California drug rehab facility, to a sober living home.
Outpatient therapy allows you to continue to work and stay close to family but it also presents a lot of temptation to relapse since you are out on your own for the most part. It would be very easy to see old drug friends or to contact your drug dealer since you have so much freedom as an outpatient.
Substance Abuse Therapy And Detox
Medication and therapy are often combined in substance abuse treatment at drug treatment centers including Christian drug rehab centers. When you first enter substance abuse treatment, you will most likely go through a detox which purges your body of the drug. Detox can be extremely uncomfortable as your body will be trying to heal itself from the substance abuse and you might be given medication to help ease the discomfort, help restore brain function, and reduce cravings. You cannot just detox from the drug and expect to recover from substance abuse. Detox concentrates the physical aspect of the disease and therapy will focus on the emotional aspect thus making both medication and therapy very important.
The next step in substance abuse treatment will be individual and/or group counseling. The counseling portion of substance abuse treatment at a drug rehabilitation center aims to help you relearn how to live your life without drugs, teach you how to repair relationships, and provide you with alternate ways of coping besides using drugs. Being part of an alliance of people with substance abuse problems will help you to empower one another and also give you a sober support group to which you can relate.
After you complete your specific substance abuse program and reach the goals set by you and your counselor, you will be in the final phase of treatment, maintaining sobriety. Whether you completed your substance abuse treatment as an inpatient or outpatient, you might want to consider moving into a sober living home to facilitate your transition back into your life without drugs. Make sure you have after care treatment arranged before you complete your treatment at the substance abuse facility. After care treatment can include meetings, appointments with a counselor, or living at a sober living home, etc. Completing substance abuse treatment without planning after care treatment could potentially undo all of the hard work that you put into your recovery so far.
Make sure you look to your sober friends and family for support and surround yourself with people who will encourage your recovery. Avoid contact with old drug friends, going to places where you used to do drugs, or have access to drugs. Commit to going to meetings and counseling sessions; take advantage of all the support available to you. Keep yourself busy by taking up a new hobby, volunteering, learning new skills, and getting back to your life before drugs. Develop healthy habits like getting enough sleep each night, exercising, and maintaining a healthy diet. These new interests could one day replace your old habits and way of thinking.
“… recognize that your old behaviors are
more harmful than anything else.”
Having a substance abuse problem completely altered your life and thought process and it will be a gradual progression to get back to life before substance abuse. You might feel like you don’t know how to live your life without using drugs, but it is possible. When life throws curveballs at you, you will need to learn to cope and approach problems a different way than before. Your old ways of coping with stress, boredom, or anger will no longer be an option. Identify what your triggers are and challenge your old ways of thinking. We are quick to recall only the positive feelings associated with something hurtful to us like a bad relationship or drug use. Confront those feelings and recognize that your old behaviors are more harmful than anything else. Make small, attainable goals for yourself during recovery and reward yourself with things other than alcohol or substances, like a new tool or makeup.
Allow yourself time to heal and to make amends with the people who were affected by your substance abuse. Recovery is not a guarantee and it is something you must work at in order to achieve; it will all take time but be well worth it. Make sure you recognize your triggers and situations that might cause you to relapse such as getting into an argument with someone, having withdrawal symptoms, or trying to test your personal control by allowing yourself to get intoxicated just one. Triggers and causes of relapse vary between people so make sure you are aware of how these things affect you personally so you know how to best deal with it when it comes up.
Relapse can be a part of the recovery process in substance abuse. It is not uncommon for someone to relapse before maintaining their recovery for a long period of time. Relapse doesn’t mean the treatment failed or you couldn’t stay sober. The important thing is to identify what caused the relapse of substance abuse and learn from it.
