Substance abuse in modern society is not simply defined by the abuse of illegal drugs. Substance abuse is characterized by a habitual pattern of abuse including that of drugs, alcohol and prescription pills. The epidemic is wide spread and crosses all the borders of age, sex, race and class. The use of drugs and alcohol in this way is usually for the purposes of altering state of mind; however, this is not necessarily the case with all substance abuse.
There is a visible and definable drug culture in our society that portrays illegal drug use in recreational sense. Many drugs are used recreationally and may not lead to an addiction or abuse of the drug. However, they are all illegal because of their destructive and addictive qualities that not only affect the user but also have a great impact on wider society. Many argue that any use of illegal substances is abuse. It is hard to distinguish where the use of drugs becomes excessive and therefore abusive.
For serious substance abusers and their families, the effects of these drugs can be devastating and often fatal. The nature of addiction is such that users become extremely determined and desperate when it comes to procuring drugs or alcohol. The need to use can lead to lying, stealing, violence and criminal behavior. The use of these drugs can also lead to severe physical and mental health problems often to the point of death. Drug and alcohol treatment comes in many forms and rehabilitation is a life long endeavor.
The consumption of alcohol at every level in society makes it one of the most dangerous and hard to treat addictions in the world. Social drinking is not only accepted but is embraced by society. Alcoholism can be an everyday addiction or a binge-drinking problem. So, when does a social drink become an addiction and how do we as a society combats the effects?
For alcoholics, treatment can be conducted in several ways. Alcohol treatment will often try to deal with the reasons behind the addiction as well as the physical and psychological need. Treatment can be based within an alcohol treatment center where professionals assist the rehabilitation process. The most common form of treatment comes in the form of a support network. These begin with group meetings and cover the whole spectrum of the problem through focused discussion and by putting in place plans and programs for recovery.
Drug rehab is firstly about dealing with the physical addiction. This process may require medical assistance, as the physical effects of detoxification are extremely hard on the body. Withdrawals are common in drug rehab and range from cold sweats, cramping, vomiting, hallucinations and mood swings as well as extreme physical pain.
While it is probable that no one consciously sets out to create a life of substance abuse, those who end up addicted to substances are choosing certain thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that will likely end up leading to some form of substance abuse - drugs, alcohol, nicotine, food, junk food, sugar, and/or caffeine. Since substance abuse is the result of these choices, if substance abuse is part of your life-style, why not do them consciously instead of unconsciously?
Substance abuse is the result of self-abandonment. Here are the seven major self-abandoning choices you can make to make sure you end up substance addicted:
1. Ignore Your Feelings
Your feelings are your inner guidance system, instantly letting you know when you are thinking or behaving in ways that are supporting your highest good and when you are not. Your painful feelings of anxiety, depression, hurt, anger, guilt, shame, emptiness, aloneness, and so on are your inner guidance system letting you know that you are very off course in your thinking. By ignoring them, you get to continue indulging yourself in thoughts and behaviors that are causing your pain. You will then turn to substances to numb out the pain, and can indulge yourself even more!
2. Judge Yourself
Every time you judge yourself as being stupid, a jerk, not good enough, a failure, bad, ugly, unworthy, and so on, you make yourself feel awful. Then, of course, you need to ignore the fact that you are the one making yourself feel awful! Once again, you now have a good reason to turn to substances to numb out the pain.
3. Lie to Yourself
Scaring yourself by telling yourself all the bad things that can happen to you is a sure way to create fear, anxiety, or depression. If you are not 100% certain that the bad things are going to happen, then you are lying to yourself by telling yourself that they are going to happen. Once again, you then have a really good reason to numb out your painful feelings with substances!
4. Give Yourself up
When you give yourself up, you are going along with what someone else wants you to do or believe rather than standing in your own truth. When you give yourself up, you are trying to control how someone else feels about you rather than taking responsibility for your own feelings. Since giving yourself up feels awful, and you certainly don't want to feel these awful feelings and know that you are the one causing them, be sure to numb out with substances.
5. Make Others Responsible for Your Feelings
Why take care of yourself and your own feelings when you can try to get someone else to do it for you? Maybe if you get needy enough, sad enough, pathetic enough, angry enough, blaming enough, or give yourself up enough, you can get someone else to do it for you. By trying to get someone else to take care of your feelings of worth and happiness, you are abandoning yourself and letting yourself know that you don't think you are worth taking care of. The resulting feelings of shame and unworthiness need to be numbed out with your substance addictions!
6. Turn to More Addictions, Not to Your Higher Power
In addition to turning to your substance addictions, but sure to turn to other addictions to numb out your feelings - TV, spending, gambling, sex, porno, Internet, work, anger, blame, and so on. By focusing outside yourself to fill the emptiness and avoid the pain, instead of opening to your Higher Power, you can now justify all your addictions!
7. Denial
Well, it's too late now, but you really don't want to read this article! To continue your substance addictions, you need to stay in denial that you are the one causing your pain. However, since you have already this article, you can certainly blot out your awareness with your favorite substance addiction!
Both Salim Jordan & Margaret Paul, Ph.d. are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Salim Jordan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Addictions, Types of Cancer and Digital Photography. Salim Jordan is Editor and Publisher of MoreThanLinks.com. He writes regularly on health and related topics, including . Visit. Salim Jordan's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.
Margaret Paul, Ph.d. has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Divorce and Infidelity and Cure Anxiety. Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and ?Healing Your Aloneness.? She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding? healing process. Learn Inner Bonding n. Margaret Paul, Ph.d.'s top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.