It’s not always easy to identify when you’re self-medicating. Nicotine contained in cigarettes and other tobacco products helps some people focus, although in the long-run tends to make symptoms of ADHD worse and can make it harder to quit smoking. Since most people crave foods high in sugar, calories, and unhealthy fat, emotional eating can play havoc with your waistline as well as your mood. Their use can lead to drug abuse and addiction.įood can be used by emotional eaters to self-medicate unpleasant feelings and deal with stress, anxiety, or depression. Recreational drugs, such as marijuana, cannabis, or stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines are used to manage uncomfortable emotions, situations, and memories. Their uses can range from numbing pain or relaxation to increasing focus and energy. Prescription drugs, including opioid pain killers, ADHD medication, and anti-anxiety medication are also widely available. It may be used to self-medicate stress as well as depression and anxiety, even though beer, wine, and liquor are all depressants and will therefore only make symptoms worse. Forms of self-medicationĪlcohol tends to be the most common method of self-medication-as well as the most commonly abused substance-since it’s so widely available. Just as the reasons for seeking comfort in drugs or alcohol vary according to the individual, so too can the methods of self-medicating. Others use alcohol or drugs to face situations that frighten them or to stay focused on tasks throughout the day. Other people turn to substances to cope with unpleasant memories or feelings stemming from the past, such as unresolved traumatic incidents. In these times of widespread financial and social turmoil, many of us have tried to self-medicate our angst and uncertainty as the world seems to lurch from one crisis to another. Instead of seeking treatment, though, it can be tempting to try to cope on your own in the simplest way possible: by reaching for a drink or popping a pill.
But when feelings of hopelessness, fear, anger, sadness, or overwhelming stress start to interfere with how you function in daily life, it can be a sign that you need help for an underlying condition. We all feel down, worried, and out of balance from time to time in response to life’s struggles and setbacks.
By better understanding the reasons why and when you self-medicate, you can find healthier and more effective ways of coping with your problems and improving your overall mood and well-being. It can also damage your relationships at home, work, and school.īut you’re not powerless. Whether you turn to alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription medications (or even food or cigarettes), regular self-medication can lead to addiction, a worsening of mood disorders, and increased health problems. While self-medicating may offer some relief in the short-term, over time it only exacerbates your problems. During the pandemic and resultant economic difficulties, for example, many of us started self-medicating stress, worry, and depression as our lives changed so much. Or your condition could be undiagnosed and you simply use alcohol or drugs to cope with a specific symptom or situation. You may be aware that you have a mental health problem but don’t know any healthier ways to cope. When you use alcohol or drugs in this way to manage symptoms of a mental health issue, it’s known as “self-medicating”. Or perhaps you turn to Xanax or Valium to help you sleep, ADHD medications to keep you focused during the day, or prescription painkillers to numb any grief or stress you’re experiencing at the moment?
You might smoke a joint to help you relax, or have a drink or two before going out to settle your nerves and ease any social anxiety. You might use food to give your mood a boost or alleviate boredom. In these times of great anxiety and distress, many of us are turning to substances to try to change the way that we feel. Addiction Self-Medicating Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Drinking or using drugs to change your mood, face your fears, or deal with painful emotions? There are healthier ways than self-medication to cope with problems and improve how you feel.